Definition:

Finnish-style steam bath

In other words a sauna is generally a room heated to a temperature far higher than normal where people go to sweat.

Types

They range from Low Heat¹ to High heat²

Finnish Saunas

A real Finnish sauna consists of a sauna stove filled with rocks. The rocks are heated with either wood ³ or an electric resistor.

There are wooden benches to sit on. Usually there are three benches, the first one is like a normal bench, the second one is a bit higher and the third one a bit higher than second one. This formation is called "lauteet" in Finnish⁴.

The idea is that you sit on the bench and throw water on the heated rocks for the steam to hit you. At the same time some Finns have a whisk of birch twigs and beat themselves with it.

The best temperature for a heated sauna is about 80 degrees Celsius and there has to be some humidity. If the air's too dry it's difficult to relax since it feels like your skin is burning.

Steam Rooms

There is also the slight deviation on saunas of steam rooms, often scented with menthol, which when entered cause white blindness and a tendency to bump into things which cannot be seen since the manufactures thought white was the obvious colour choice for them. Also for some the problems with seeing, manage to extend so far as to not notice who is actually in the room and where they may be, causing such people to fumble madly bumping into everything and everyone, regardless of its colour or size.

After the Sauna

Plunge Pool

To complete this wonderful experience there is the plunge pool, a small well like structure about a metre deep, this contains water of about zero degrees Centigrade ⁵. Upon exiting the sauna/steam room, one is expected to plunge into this pool, take a deep breath and leave the pool as quickly as possible stating how refreshing/invigorating/amazing their experience was. It is unheard of to comment on how cold the water maybe, even if you are certain that you saw a block of ice forming round the cooling element.

Thank god that they need not be participated in to be enjoyed, as they provide incredible entertainment for onlookers watching from the nearby Jacuzzi!

Jacuzzi

A warm pool with bubbling water, good for relieving muscle ache and stress. The Jacuzzi has to be my favourite part of the sauna experience. Some use them after the plunge pool to warm up a little before returning to the saunas.