Sauna is not just good for the body, it’s good for the soul. Physical benefits include muscle recovery, improved cardiac health, detoxification, improved circulation, and a regulated endocrine system. As the sauna heats up, blood vessels near the skin dilate, increasing circulation. Studies have shown that over time, regular sauna bathing can reduce the risk of fatal cardiac events, stroke, and hypertension. Deep sweating, like the kind you’ll experience while in the sauna, helps remove toxins and heavy metals from the body. Sauna also clears pores for glowing skin, and can encourage dead skin to slough.

Along with all of the wonderful physical benefits, every experienced bather always admits: sauna is good for you because it just makes you feel good. After a night of drinking, sauna lifts the haze. In the dead of winter, sauna will warm you to the core. When you need a boost, a sauna with good friends will warm your soul as well.

Sauna is all about letting go of what is no longer serving you. It should feel like a gentle detoxification. You should enter the sauna well-hydrated. Drinking alcohol before or during sauna is not encouraged, as it can make the experience much more stressful for your body. Plus, you’re just gonna sweat it out!

During the sauna, do whatever makes you comfortable! Chat with your fellow bathers, meditate, or do some light stretching (but don’t exert yourself). Ladle some water onto the stones to create “löyly” (steam), and to boost the temperature. Sauna temperatures usually sit somewhere between 130-180 degrees Fahrenheit. The standard sauna session should last no longer than 10-15 minutes. You may or may not be sweating by then, but it’s a good idea to step out anyway to gauge your body’s reaction. Toward the end of a sauna session, conversation inevitably turns to who can last longest in the heat, but that’s not what sauna is about. Listen to your body! It knows what it needs. It’s not a competition.

After sauna, you may want to take a cold shower or a dip in cold water (which has many additional benefits). Cold plunges also help your body spring back and prepare for a second sauna session if you so desire. You may notice some sloughing of dead skin post-sauna, so you can also detoxify your skin with light exfoliation as you clean up.

Finally, get into something comfortable, have a warm beverage, enjoy the wonderful company and beautiful setting, and bask in the hygge!

Our sauna is based on Nordic sauna culture, which originated in Finland (just don’t tell that to a Swede). Here in the states, the sauna is usually just a hot room at the gym, but at its roots sauna is part of the home. In fact, there’s almost one sauna for every two people in Finland. And that’s what we love about Hygge Sauna. For as long as you want it, this is your private sauna!

There is such a wealth of information about sauna (and all the different cultures that celebrate it) that if you have specific questions, we suggest you turn to good ol’ Google. However, here are a few resources we’ve enjoyed!

Photographer Mikkel Aaland’s online book, Sweat, is a comprehensive and extremely readable overview of bathing cultures around the globe.

UNESCO Sauna Culture in Finland

The Sauna Secret: why Finland is the happiest country in the world

Total Home Solutions! In addition to home remodels, custom builds, and property management, this family owned local business has started building custom barrel saunas. They are friendly, efficient, and so wonderful to work with. Thanks, Ryan!