Saunas and Jacuzzis are quite familiar these days all around the world. Sauna has been considered as a healthy measure, a perfect place for relaxation and socialization. Born in the Finnish culture, outdoor saunas with their outstanding services have been able to hold a precious position in almost every culture these days.
The word ‘sauna’ is Finnish and it refers to the traditional Finnish sauna as well as the room where the bath takes place. The most traditional procedure of sauna includes a stone-floored room; the floor of which is heated with a stove up to almost 80 degree centigrade. Then water is being poured on the floor to have the room steam filled. A person sitting inside the room tries to relax his/her body and mind while occasionally beating his/her own body very gently with the boughs of fragrant silver birch. This beating provides a feeling of massage. Then after a while at the hot room the person is supposed to take a bath in cool water like lake water. The whole process leaves a relaxed and soothing feeling on both body and mind. Some people prefer to repeat the whole process after s/he has taken the cooler bath. The culture of sauna is so popular in its homeland that, the Finns consider it as a must-taken at least once a week.
The traditional woodstoves are used as sauna heaters and are called kiuas and the vapor that is created is called the loyly. With the advancement of technologies, saunas have been modernized too. In 1950 the first ever sauna with electric stoves hit the market. Later on there have been introduction of far infrared sauna heater systems in the saunas. Unlike traditional saunas, the infrared and the far-infrared saunas are less humid and less hot. The environment inside such saunas is kept dry and the users are made perspire faster with the help of infrared rays. Such saunas are mainly used for health purposes and they are a bit costlier than the traditional saunas. Very recently there are Jacuzzis added to the saunas designed most lavishly. Designers have also brought in changes in the design of the sauna bathing room, making it comfortable and cozier.
The main principle for a home sauna was to have such a mystical place where both men and women can relax at the absence of all gender/sex differences. However, the saunas have really been able to provide people refreshment which eases mind and removes all the fatigue and exhaustion from both body and mind.