| The traditional Finnish sauna is just a wooden hut, | | | | because of their sterile nature women were able to |
| which is often heated. The Finnish sauna has been | | | | give birth in warm places without the fear of catching |
| around for many centuries but it is quite hard to trace | | | | any infections. For the Finnish people the sauna is |
| its origins. | | | | popular in all seasons as there is still joy to be had in |
| Most Finnish people are accustomed to having saunas | | | | the companionship that comes from being in a sauna |
| and these also come in many varieties. Sometimes | | | | with friends and family. |
| you get the common sauna heater where water is | | | | These days you do not need to have to go Finland to |
| thrown over hot stones. Others are saunas that have | | | | get into a Finnish sauna; this is due to the fact that you |
| wood burning stoves. It is also seen that some | | | | too can own your own sauna. Saunas are becoming |
| business transactions take place in Finnish saunas. | | | | an almost fashion trend, but more for their use than |
| There are many types of etiquette in the Finnish | | | | their actual ownership. In order for you to get the most |
| saunas, as sometimes men and women can go into a | | | | out of your Finnish sauna you need to really try to use |
| sauna together and others won't. Most foreigners are | | | | it quite often. It is only common sense as there is no |
| often invited into the Finnish saunas to enjoy and share | | | | point in spending money on something that will only |
| the experience with the locals. | | | | leave you feeling depressed because you have not |
| It seems that saunas are believed to be able to help | | | | made the time to use it. Be kind to your body and it will |
| people who have breathing problems, like asthma, for | | | | function the way that you need it to when push |
| instance. This is a combination of extreme heat plus | | | | comes to shove. It is always recommended that you |
| extreme cold. In the winter most Finnish people will go | | | | first shower before you get into a sauna and this is |
| into the very hot sauna then immediately go roll in the | | | | not solely for hygiene reasons. |
| snow or take a swim in an extremely cold river. | | | | Now that you own your Finnish sauna you have to be |
| It is perhaps this fascination of a happy and long life | | | | realistic about its maintenance. This means that you |
| image that helped bring the sauna out of Finland and | | | | have to be willing to give a good clean once in a while. |
| into the rest of the world. Perhaps the greatest | | | | Do not get caught up in the ideology of fascination of |
| influence of Finnish saunas is the fact that they are | | | | owning a sauna but in the reality of the task. There are |
| such sterile environments. | | | | many ways that you can achieve this maintenance. |
| In the past, Finnish saunas were used as homes and | | | | |