You are here: Home / Sauna Culture / Weather

Rain, rain, beautiful rain

June 7, 2009 By Glenn 1 Comment

CAVEAT: I can’t speak to what this new age video is about, but it’s the only one I could find of this great song (30 seconds worth) by Ladysmith Black Mambazo:

There’s something beautiful about sitting outside in the rain, rainwater tingling the skin, steam billowing off one’s body after a nice sauna round.  Climates with rain, rain, beautiful rain are blessed with lush greenery, lakes, and fresh oxygen from the surrounding greenery.

Infrared closets and health club saunas just don’t hold a candle to your own authentic outdoor sauna where between rounds you can sing “rain, rain, beautiful rain!”

With your own authentic Finnish sauna:

  • Sit outside in the rain like a crazy man with a smile on your face.
  • Turn a rainy day at the cabin into a party.
  • Turn a 3 day cold front into a beautiful day.

Filed Under: Philosophy, Weather

Jumping in the snow: why it's good

March 1, 2009 By Glenn 1 Comment

Why not jump in the snow after a 15-20 minute sauna round?

sauna-and-the-snow

  • The snow melts on your hot body and makes for a terrific cleansing wash.
  • It gets you breathing and exhilarating like the coolest Hawaiian waterfall plunge.
  • It makes you feel like snow and winter ain’t all that bad of a thing!

Caution: Just as you wouldn’t jump into a lake unless you knew how deep it was, I encourage you to tread lightly into the snow:

  • jumping in fresh snow is preferred.  Older snow crystallizes and can cut soft sauna skin like a knife: very much ouch and an end to a great sauna party.
  • I suggest sitting down in the snow, butt first, then laying back, using your hands to toss some fresh snow on your front.  Akin to making a snow angel.  It’s easier to get up from this position as well.
  • The sit down in the snow method also isn’t such an aggressive immersion.  You can control how much snow and where.

A little snow on your head feels great, especially as it melts down your body.

You stand outside looking at the moon, and as steam billows off you think with a smile: “damn that felt good”, and the cool thing is that you can go do it all again.  As your body equalizes, you grab a beer and without haste, work your way back into the sauna room.

Filed Under: Sauna how to, Weather

Sauna Party: Minneapolis, Jan. 15, 2008: -20f, -29c

January 17, 2009 By Glenn Leave a Comment

Yes, that’s NOT a typo!!!

It was that cold.  5 guests showed up for this sauna party.  Dan waltzed in at 10:30 pm “somebody has to be on the late shift” as three of us were deep into our 2nd full round of this sauna party.

Let me try to sum up what a 20 below sauna party is like: I started the Kuuma Stove around 8 pm, then watched some of the Minnesota Wild hockey game back in the house, while riding the stationary bike.  Around 8:30 my 9 year old appears in his bathrobe, wanting to take a sauna party with Dad.  So, we hit it.  Sauna party temp: already 140 degrees f. inside, about 10 degrees f. in the changing room, and -20 degrees f. outside.

Around 9 pm, Chuck and Matt arrive the sauna party.

Let me describe what dumping cold water over one’s head standing outside in -20 degrees f. feels like.  Well, you need sandles on or your feet want to start sticking to the ice/snow outside.  No damper to the sauna party!  You step outside and steam billows off your body like a clothes dryer vent.  You splash water over your head, and as cold as the water is, it feels warm because the air temp. at this sauna party is so brrrrrrrrrr..  Now most folks would run back inside to the sauna party, but if you stand outside for a moment, something wonderful happens.

The water on your skin starts evaporating, blood flows freely around your body, and the heat mass from your body gives you a warm tingly feeling as it hits the cold air.  What a sauna party!  A friend likens it to dipping an ice cream cone in hot chocolate.  Your outer skin has a nice crisp layer feeling to it.  When ice starts forming on your hair, well, it’s time to get back to the sauna party and hang out in the changing room and grab a beer.

The changing room of the sauna party has its own compelling climate.  The steam in the chilly room gives a tropical feeling, a rainforest but fresh and cool.  No rush to go back into the sauna.  The sauna party is now in the changing room.  King Tubby, Radiohead, and Theivery Corporation shuffle mix on Rhapsody music player.  A quick flip of the bottle opener and the sauna party is in full force.  Lots of ice cold water to help keep the hydration happening.  Nate’s gone to bed and 2 more arrive for the sauna party.  Nice thing about a sauna party:  you can casually socialize with whomever you wish.  Good one on one time either in the sauna, hanging in the changing room, or outside sharing a cold beer after a water plunge.  175 degrees f. back in the sauna.  Let’s go back in the sauna!

The Kuuma Stove fought back vigorously with each door opening.  Take a moment to consider this:  if the changing room is, say, 20 degrees and your sauna is, say, 170 degrees, you don’t have to be a thermal mass scientist to figure that there’s quite a blast of cold air and heat loss going on each time someone opens the sauna door at a sauna party.  5-6 people at a sauna party can create quite a test to maintaining an adequate temperature in a sauna.  I started the Kuuma Stove with 4 pieces of firewood, and added 2 more throughout the night.  That’s pretty efficient for a long sauna party!

I was told that after an especially grueling negotiation with Nokia executives, vendors are invited to take a sauna with the top brass.  Now, talk about building vendor relationships!  sauna party!  Brush up on sauna etiquette, close the door!!

TIP: If you sell to Nokia, get a sauna and start enjoying your own sauna party!

Filed Under: Sauna Culture, Sauna etiquette, Sauna party, Stoves, Weather

Best weather for a sauna

January 3, 2009 By Glenn 1 Comment
Keep it comfy.

Keep it comfy.

Some say snowy days are best; others like a cold rain.  But as a rule of thumb, the worse the weather, the better the sauna. Some say snowy days are best; others like a cold rain.  But as a rule of thumb, the worse the weather, the better the sauna. Some say snowy days are best; others like a cold rain.  But as a rule of thumb, the worse the weather, the better the sauna.

  • Some say snowy days are best; others like a cold rain.  But as a rule of thumb, the worse the weather, the better the sauna.
  • Some say snowy days are best; others like a cold rain.  But as a rule of thumb, the worse the weather, the better the sauna.
  • Some say snowy days are best; others like a cold rain.  But as a rule of thumb, the worse the weather, the better the sauna.
  1. Some say snowy days are best; others like a cold rain.  But as a rule of thumb, the worse the weather, the better the sauna.
  2. Some say snowy days are best; others like a cold rain.  But as a rule of thumb, the worse the weather, the better the sauna.
  3. Some say snowy days are best; others like a cold rain.  But as a rule of thumb, the worse the weather, the better the sauna.

Filed Under: Health and wellness, Weather Tagged With: , ,
Newer Posts »