Guest post series continues, as we check in with Michael from Portland, Oregon. Michael and his wife Katie are deep in the weeds, building SaunaGlo, their first brick and mortar sauna. While discussing the magic of sauna vs. the over analysis of sauna, (“analysis by paralysis,”), Michael shared with me this gem:
I must properly attribute the expression I shared on our phone call:
“You’re doing it wrong, dissecting the bird, trying to find the song!” —John Craigie
The pendulum has swung from one extreme to the other. From poorly constructed “24 Hour Fitness” gym saunas and all the poor designs from capitalistic productization of sauna to the current situation of obsessive OCD with data and charts and hyper-analysis paralysis, and a misguided “science reveals all” mentality.
A theory is that, as sauna construction exploded in Finland following World War II, which occurred alongside the stark shift from wood to electric sauna heating, perhaps poor sauna ventilation and construction created an unenjoyable experience—and **that** was what got exported from Europe to North America rather than the true magic of wood-fired sauna (or properly mechanically ventilated electric to mimic the fire combustion air flow). Just a theory.
All in on sauna
My wife Katie and I decided to bet the farm on sauna. We are investing most every resource we have into the opening of a public sauna to serve our community. Our financial future rests squarely on its success. High stakes is an understatement. Our lease, our loan, our livelihood — the clock is ticking. The pressure is on. And we feel a compounding stress that’s born from our resolute intention to bring an authentic Finnish sauna in to the world.
We want desperately to “get it right” because so many poorly designed saunas have tarnished its perception and popularity in America. However, the fidelity to authenticity and technical perfection is a tempting siren song when it comes to those of us who set out to build that elusive perfect sauna. The mirage of complete knowledge torments us like the tail of a dog endlessly teasing its canine brain.
And yet part of our mission is to accelerate the mainstream adoption of sauna bathing culture in America. And that means (over?)compensating for mistakes of the past. These can include proper ceiling and bench heights, intentional ventilation design, careful selection of wood species, adequate heat output and retention. The list goes on of course. But paralysis by analysis will squander our precious time and resources, which we can little afford.
So we have a dichotomy. In one corner: Just get it built! Don’t get sucked down every rabbit hole. And in the other corner: Do it right! Obsess over every parameter and millimeter. Accepting an ambivalent reality and holding space for both is a hard task in an increasingly binary world that wants us to pick sides and root for a clear winner and clear loser.
Sauna appreciation without chasing perfection
So then we must realize that not only do the fields of science and medicine and engineering accept the limits to what can be declared a permanent, enduring, absolute truth regarding any one particular question, we professional enthusiasts in the sauna community must humbly admit the infinite variables that make defining the “gold standard” an impossibility — a true fool’s errand similarly to defining the specifications of the perfect bridge span, the perfect sourdough bread recipe, the perfect painting.
The false hope of catching our tail and basking in the success of sweet victory leaves us gnawing on our own anatomy. Wasting our lives by running in circles and snarling at the other canines who wisely advise us of our misguided pursuit.
A great song from musician John Craigie features the line, “You’re doing it wrong, dissecting the bird, trying to find the song.” And so too we must find acceptance that the magic and wonder and beauty of sauna will assuredly never be defined as some absolute truth.
Please visit our sauna and be our guest this December!
Tips to avoid dissecting the bird:
- Take a breath and have faith.
- Nail the essentials and don’t worry about the margins.
- Very few things in life are permanent. Enjoy the journey of first-hand discovery and continual learning
- Listen to this song (for encouragement).
1 thought on “Sauna appreciation: finding the song without dissecting the bird”
LIving in Portland I support your efforts as Loyly seems the only place we have found in town that gets some of the essentials of sauna right. I do find their benches in NE location a bit shallow, definitely something to get right. Good luck.
Coming from MN and having a sauna in our cabin in the Northwoods, even having sauna session with Glenn at his island setup, we have an appreciation for the value of good enough thought out saunas.
We’re moving back to the UK to support sauna culture there, but we’ll be back here from time to time and look forward to checking out your finished product. And good analogy with not taking apart the bird to find the song.