Finland has 3.3 million saunas for a population of 5.3 million! They can be found in homes, offices, sports centres, hotels, ships and even mines. For the Finnish people, the sauna (a room for dry or wet heat sessions) is not a luxury, but a necessity. The only Finnish word to make it into English is “sauna”.
Finland has a tradition of giving birth to children while inside a sauna. Finland’s historical culture believes that natural bacteria soot lines traditional smoke sauna walls. Therefore, this makes saunas the cleanest rooms in the house. Women also used to stay inside the sauna after giving birth to the child to recover from childbirth’s mental and physical stresses.
Although most women give birth to children in hospitals, some traditional Finnish women still give birth to children inside saunas even though doctors strongly advise against it. Nevertheless, this shows the cultural importance of saunas in Finland.
Sauna helps alleviate anxiety and depression in the human mind. Various studies show that constant sauna use will decrease depression, mental complaints, and increase appetite over time. In addition, studies show that whole-body heat treatment lessens depression in cancer patients.
Finnish people have believed that saunas increase mental health for centuries, despite most research only occurring in recent decades. Moreover, the rise in endorphins created by the rise in heart rate increases mental well-being and clarity.
Credit : BZB Cabins and Outdoors
Picture Credit : Google
