Most of us authentic sauna enthusiasts have appreciation for the Forgotten Sanctity of Sauna where "silence implies respect of holiness (although originally its purpose was to not disturb the sauna spirits or the ancestors). We have all resonated with our share of solo saunas, or quiet hot room sessions with family, friends, or strangers, but a wonderful dimension to sauna is the ability to gather together, much like communal dining, as Mikkel Aaland observes during this episode of Sauna Talk. As we gather together, conversation can flow naturally, organically, and unstructured. On a side, perhaps this is yet another reason why Sauna is gaining so much steam? Are we wrought with too much artificial, manufactured, structure conversation in our busy lives, where everything starts to sound like a marketing campaign or a political ad on TV? Optimize robust disruption has no place on the sauna bench. Most of this was bouncing around my subconscious mind the other day as a friend … [Read more...]
Does your electric sauna stove dial go to 11? Controlling the heat for better steam
Those familiar with saunas only in health clubs or hotels may wonder why there's a dial on the sauna stove control panel. The dial is always cranked to the max. And often, it's still not hot enough. SECRET: Most commercial sauna stoves installed in the US have a "governor" on them. Safety first!: It's against the law to have a hot room hotter than 165 degrees f. Clever health club regulars try to work around this by tossing a little water on the control sensor "tricking" the sensor to think that the sauna hot room is cooler than it really is, so the controller tells the stove to "get going!" Yet, often, even this trick doesn't always get the sauna stove rocking. Poor stove. Cranking it out all day everyday, like the little engine who could, trying to heat the sauna rocks to foster an environment to produce good loyly (steam created from water being tossed on sauna rocks). Sauna stoves in health clubs and hotels have other things to overcome, like: hot room door … [Read more...]
Why a sauna changing room wants to have a subwoofer
The idea of music in the sauna may be frowned upon by sauna traditionalists looking to preserve and restore the sanctity of sauna. Sauna is a sacred place. There is a Finnish saying that “one must behave in sauna as one would behave in church.”“ Yet the church organ plays. There are many sauna enthusiasts who enjoy music as part of their sauna sessions. Sometimes it’s ambient downtempo or jazz. There’s the nod to Brian Eno’s “Music for Airports” with MFS - Music For Sauna & Osho Zen Tarot Just as the sauna experience is best realized with a kick ass sauna stove and a well designed hot room, music in the sauna is best realized with a kick ass sound system and a well designed amplification system. We celebrate the "amazing" sound quality and convenience of these wireless bluetooth cubes hitting the market, but there is no better sound than a hard wired sound system. Because our voices have a fundamental frequency of 150-200 Hz, we build our sauna sound systems to work … [Read more...]
With our wood burning sauna stoves the fuss is the muss
Some back away from installing a wood burning sauna stoves, in favor of the more convenient electric sauna stove option. And this is ok. But for those of us who choose the wood stove option, we: Enjoy tinkering with the fire. (much like making beer or cooking a meal from scratch). Appreciate knowing where our heat comes from (vs. plugged into an electric wire on the grid). Embrace the DIY aspect (cutting, splitting, stacking wood, is much like gardening). Why does wood fired pizza taste better? Why does wood heat feel better? Why do all chefs use cast iron frying pans (vs thin metal). Why is the University of Minnesota collaborating to create SaunaShoes with thermal mass in the sole? We ask ourselves these questions whilst "ember-izing" on the sauna bench. … [Read more...]
Zen and the art of sauna fire maintenance
Lots and lots of us have taken lots and lots of saunas. And we've tended to lots and lots of fires in our sauna stoves. 4,500 saunas (and counting), for me. Crazy. So, we know our sauna stoves. We know how our stoves burn. We know how much wood we are going to need to provide the right amount of heat for our sauna sessions. (including intermittent fasting). Isn't it awesome? … [Read more...]
Is your sauna stove benefitting from intermittent fasting?
We've all been there: "should I toss on another log?" Is there enough fuel in the firebox? Is the sauna hot enough? Those of us who have taken a lot of saunas often stand in front of our saunas and hesitate before throwing in a log, just to throw in a log. We have learned that: Our sauna stoves don't need perpetual stoking. Once the heat chamber is "up to temp," we can damper down our stoves, idling at a spot of efficient burn rate. (gasification). No excess wood: only enough to get the firebox hot and give us enough fuel for our complete sauna session. This is like our bodies: we perform best not too full, and not too hungry. For our sauna stoves, this means burning well and hungry for wood. Before adding a log, we pull the coals forward because our stoves burn efficiently from front to back. So, as we stand next to our sauna stove and ask "should I toss on another log?" We think again. Usually, we can get great heat for that last sauna round just by pulling our coals … [Read more...]
With sauna, the cool down is as important as the heat up
You know that feeling when we mistakenly step into a freezing cold shower? "yowwwwwwwwwww!!!!" and we jump back in terror "Omg, that's so coooolllllld!!!" Well, here's a little secret: we sauna enthusiasts seek out that feeling. We are like crack heads for that adrenaline rush. After experiencing this feeling over and over, we are able to unpack what is actually happening, in a weird, rational kind of way. Conventional sequence from contact with cold water: Skin: "cold water, man! I'll go tell the brain to get our muscles to react, fast!" Brain: "shit, the skin down there just told us that there's fucking cold water hitting the body. Time for conditional response! sending an outpouring of stress hormones right now. Hey muscles: pull back now!" Muscles: "righty, oh. On it!" We pull back. We breathe hard. We are freaked out, but we recover. Experienced sequence from contact with cold water: Skin: "cold water, man! It's just cold water, is this what we … [Read more...]
When bringing beverages to your next sauna party should it be in cans or glass?
Always, ALWAYS bring beverages in can containers to sauna gatherings. Never, NEVER bring beverages in glass containers to sauna gatherings. Same with boats. Same on the dock. It only takes one yahoo to knock over a glass bottle and smash. And glass fragments end up everywhere, including embedded in bare feet. Serious and immediate buzz kill to an awesome sauna party. BONUS: Transfer beverage of choice into a glass made entirely out of ice, and now you've got somethin'! (Especially after jumping through a hole in the ice). … [Read more...]
Is it better to take a sauna on an empty stomach or a full stomach?
The answer to this one is easy: neither. We go to sauna like we go to the gym, or go cross country ski, or pick up hockey, or a bike ride: not hungry nor not full. If we sauna soon after eating: We don't feel good heating up. Our bodies get super confused. As our body temperature rises in the hot room, our heart rate goes up. A higher heart rate is due to the need to pump more blood through our system faster. Same process as with rigorous exercise. Soon after eating, our body needs to devote energy to digestion, not the stress of heat. We don't feel good cooling down. Because our bodies are stressed and confused, our cool downs suck. We may burp or reach for water in an attempt to stabilize ourselves. At this point, we may get mad at ourselves for our bad timing: "ugh, why did I eat so much so close to sauna time?" Our sauna rounds are too short and we feel yucky. If we sauna when we are hungry: We don't feel good heating up. Our bodies are starving for calories. … [Read more...]
Bake and breathe: the best way to keep our saunas germ free and clean
Many authentic sauna enthusiasts know how to keep their saunas germ free and clean. And the method is super easy, requires no cleaning or scrubbing. Authentic sauna enthusiasts practice the "bake and breathe" method (or in Finnish: "leipoa ja hengittää"). What is the bake and breathe method for keeping our saunas germ free and clean? BAKE: When we are done with a sauna session, we make sure we still have some good heat in our sauna stoves. Then we exit our hot room and leave the door closed for the night. Why? A hot sauna will dry out our saunas after a sauna session. Germs can't live in this heat. This is BAKE. BREATHE: Next morning, authentic sauna enthusiasts will return to their saunas and prop open the hot room door until their next sauna session. Why? An open sauna hot room door will air out our saunas between sauna sessions. This is BREATHE. Bake and breathe: the best way to keep our saunas germ free and clean. … [Read more...]