How to Sauna
Sauna bathing, as it is sometimes known around the world, is a form of total-body thermotherapy practiced for hygiene, health, social, and spiritual purposes. The earliest known documented sauna structures, dug into the earth and lined with stone, date back at least 2,000 years.
Various traditions around the world have their own spin on saunas, from Russian banyas to Finnish dry saunas to Mayan temescals, among others. In any case: the point is to get as hot as possible for as long as possible.
SWEAT IT OUT
1. Commit to at least 15 minutes of exposure in the sauna.
2. Bring water into the sauna with you.
3. Focus on your breathing. Breathe through the pain. Become the pain.
4. Sweat it out and don’t forget to hydrate.
5. Congratulations! You survived the heat.
6. Head straight into the cold plunge or continue on your own journey through the bathhouse.
A sauna session is also a great way to prep your body before a massage or scrub. If using the sauna before a treatment, be sure to rinse off and allow your core body temperature to come back down before your service.
Regular sauna use offers mind and body benefits that can improve overall wellness over time.
Benefits of Sauna Use
Recovery & Endurance
Saunas help relax stiff muscles and ease inflammation, promoting faster recovery. Studies have shown that sauna use can prolong the time for running until exhaustion in distance athletes. Frequent sauna use is also linked to longer life expectancy.
Heat Tolerance
If you’re especially sensitive to heat, try regular sauna sessions to gradually increase your heat tolerance over time.
Mental Health & Focus
Sweating releases endorphins, producing a mood-boosting effect. Levels of cortisol, the “stress hormone,” decrease, while levels increase for hormones responsible for focus and attention.
Detoxification
In a sauna, the heart rate increases, which allows the heart to increase the amount of blood it pumps. Most of the blood flow is directed to the skin, where detoxification occurs via sweating.
The moral of the story is this: hang out at Bathhouse and live forever.