A Comprehensive Introduction To The Healing Benefits Of Sauna

August 31, 2023 Kelly Samantha

I am currently living in Helsinki, Finland, the land of sauna culture which is now inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as of 2020. Coming from my small landlocked hometown in southern Ontario, Canada in a similar natural climate, I’ve been reflecting on how we’ve been torn from our ancestral practices, hunting and gathering, and our traditional face-to-face village communities that are better conditions for both enjoying life and raising the next generations.

Handmade sign at Sompasauna in Helsinki, Finland

An authentic, safe feeling of healthy, inspiring community is priceless, and I’ve come to believe that a traditionally inspired sauna culture ingrained into more of our lives can promote the opportunity for vibrant health, an invigorated microbiome, inspired living, nature connection, strengthened connection to self, community, and longevity for all, well into old age. After all, we are in the Northern Hemisphere where the practice of sauna, especially in the winter, tends to be the most interesting!

Small pockets of sauna culture actually already exist among the Finnish communities near my parents’ original hometown of Sudbury, Canada, and a thriving sauna culture can be one of the best antidotes to today’s world, especially during long and dark prison-like winters when excessive computer screen time just won’t cut it. In his younger days, my 92-year-old grandpa would enjoy Finnish-style sauna with his friends during the frigid winters, including the classic cold plunge into the snow or lake, and patting themselves down with traditional bunches of birch twigs to move the lymphatic system and keep warm. None of this cost a single penny, and what a rare gift it is to enjoy free experiences for the soul like this in today’s world.

Think about it: many people today tend to sit in front of screens all day in their homes, often disembodied and dissociated, living in the head, and in a dysfunctional relationship with life while getting no sunlight or barefoot earthing, insulated from the natural elements. Until they don’t. When you get into a sauna for the first time ever, the experience can be life-changing. It’s easier to get out of your mind and back into your body with high self-worth behaviour, feeling more alive, open, creative and spontaneous, and life feels more special and fun after experiencing ancestral practices like this. It’s soul medicine in the present moment that you can then pass on to others. The sauna has so many health benefits and pretty much covers all the bases physically, socially and spiritually, that when you get to understand this, it could cause the dissolution of many polluting industries by not contributing to them.

Health Benefits of Saunas/Cold Water Swimming for Longevity

No matter what society says: you are worthy of vibrant health, happiness, and healing. After exercise and diet, the sauna is likely one of the best things imaginable for you at any age. Along with other immeasurable health benefits across the board, sauna >4x a week is associated with:

Sauna Hermanni in Helsinki is a throwback to the sauna culture of the 50s with traditional bunches of birch twigs decorating the walls.

63% lower risk of sudden cardiac death
63% reduced heart disease mortality
50% lower fatal cardiovascular disease
48% lower fatal coronary heart disease
46% lower risk of hypertension
40% reduced all-cause mortality
66% lower risk of dementia
65% lower risk of Alzheimer's disease

A new study in 2023 as well as a previous 2022 study found that sauna can even protect against some risk factors for lower life expectancy like a lower socioeconomic status. We humans have evolved genes that allow for self cleaning during fasting and hot and cold exposure (ie. sauna and cold plunge), with our mitochondria batteries powered by the light of the sun and energy of the earth that determine how we tear down and grow or repair and rebuild our cells. How often do you sauna?

Source: Laukkanen et al (2018); Patrick (2021); Zaccardi et al (2017); Laukkanen et al (2015); Patrick and Johnson (2021); Kojima et al (2018); Leak (2014); Laukkanen et al (2023).

Stress Reduction and Detox Connection

Tiny sauna in my Helsinki apartment rental. Not just for rich people.

In today’s developed world, toxicants, pollutants, chemicals and stressors are ubiquitous, even if you adopt a low-tox lifestyle to minimize your exposure (ie. no makeup or conventional deodorant, minimal tattoos, filtering your shower and drinking water, avoiding industrial refined seed and vegetable oils, avoiding polyester, no perfume/cologne, eating 100% organic, and using only natural, non-toxic health, home and personal care products). This is where the power of sweat comes in. Sweat is not only your body’s natural cooling mechanism, but it’s also a potent avenue for toxin elimination. Your body knows! Approaching detox with a healthy intention can ensure that anything you’re naturally excited to try will work in your favour, and enable you to relax and trust the process, creating vibrant health in an unhealthy world.

Research has substantiated the presence of various toxins in sweat including heavy metals like lead and mercury, and environmental chemicals like BPA and phthalates from plastic bottles, food packaging, polyester clothing, and shopping receipts. A study also showed that toxic heavy metals were detected in sweat and exceeded all other elimination routes (feces and urine) with markedly higher levels of aluminum (3.75x), cadmium (25x), cobalt (7x), and lead (17x), proving that sweating is an effective means to mobilize and clear out heavy metals from your body.

Anything that causes you to sweat is beneficial, from hot yoga to hot unchlorinated baths, endurance exercise, resistance exercise, and, of course, the sauna. The more you sweat on a regular basis, the more toxins you can release from your body, adapting and thriving with today’s conditions. Beyond the physiological aspects, saunas also provide psychological benefits that aid in detoxification, such as decreasing cortisol, and experiencing euphoria, relaxation, and inner peace. This is why I believe a regular sauna practice is so important in today’s world.

Sauna use associated with reduced risk of cardiac, all-cause mortality
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/02/150223122602.htm

Frequent sauna bathing reduces risk of stroke
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/05/180503101635.htm

Frequent sauna bathing may protect men against dementia, Finnish study suggests
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/12/161216114143.htm

Benefits of Cold and Heat Exposure

There are scientifically proven and established health and immunity benefits of both cold and heat exposure in nature, but it takes no more than a brief experience to inherently know that it can help you feel balanced, refreshed, adventurous and energized with good vibrations. Your sleep quality (cellular recovery) will skyrocket, your lymphatic system will get a workout, and your brown fat (good fat, adipose tissue) will start to expand with its many health benefits. These days, we tend to dislike winter weather but that’s only because people are spending too much time on screens indoors living in fear and have forgotten the simple joys of spontaneous, soothing, harmonious, healthy, outdoor winter activities with family and friends in nature, like how healthy human beings were meant to live.

There are many saunas in Helsinki, Finland that enable you to hop into the seawater afterwards, such as Sompasauna.

Have you ever wondered why you feel so much better at the beach or near the sea? In addition to the benefits of sauna, the natural health benefits of swimming or even just wading in ocean water are something that the whole of humanity can benefit from. Of course, avoid drinking it, but the benefits of sea water exposure include, but are not limited to:

improved skin
improved absorption of a healthy balance of naturally occurring trace minerals
better circulation
antiviral and antibacterial benefits
all the benefits of earthing/grounding with earth’s Schumann Resonance
boosted immunity
helps you feel and look healthy
all the benefits of outdoor sunlight exposure on bare skin
and it can be rejuvenating and calming!

Allas Sea Pool is a public sauna in Helsinki with a refreshing outdoor pool of pure unchlorinated seawater (see the darker pool on the right). Avoid the chlorinated pools though!

You can even breathe better just by floating in seawater. It’s an abundant gift from nature that (in itself) costs nothing. Water moves and nature purifies itself. Microplastics notwithstanding: the benefits far outweigh any potential drawbacks of the ancient eternal remedy called ocean water. Even the sea air comes with health benefits of its own, which partly explains why the global Blue Zones of longevity tend to be around coastal areas.

You don’t even need to swim in the winter to reap the benefits; even just the cold water in the summer will make all the difference for renewed energy, movement and vitalism, and it’s exactly what happened when I got to Helsinki. I felt more alive than I’ve been in the past decade or so.

Cold and heat exposure help to innervate dopaminergic and noradrenergic activity, and dopamine is mediated by natural light from the sun. You can get this by doing things like swimming in natural bodies of water outdoors (oceans, lakes, rivers, pools), having alternating cold/hot showers, ice baths, being outside in the snow, and of course, sauna! Sauna combined with cold plunging in water (especially with red/IR light in the sauna) is one of the most fun ways to enhance this activity and energize all aspects of your life.

Just a note though: if your goal is muscle hypertrophy, avoid working out too close to cold exposure since this can backfire and hinder your muscle-building goals. Try to separate your cold exposure from your workouts by 2-3+ hours to preserve your gains.

One of the teachings of the sea is that life is not linear; it goes beyond good or bad. Life moves and grows, and the more you sit back and trust this, the easier it is to create and live the life you want. At the end of the day, almost anything will give you more benefits than sitting in your house for long periods indoors, isolated on the computer for years on end.

Types of Saunas

There are 2 main types of saunas that are most common today, electric saunas which are rocks heated up electrically, and wood burning saunas, which can either be a wood-burning sauna with a chimney, or a more traditional smoke sauna which is a bit rarer. In terms of sustainability, I’d be curious to see the current electric saunas powered by wind.

Traditional smoke saunas are like the original Finnish sauna, and most saunas are no longer made like this. They take a bit longer to heat up, but require less constant burning of wood. Since most smoke saunas do not release the smoke, they can get a little heavy on the lungs depending on the sauna you go to.

Kotiharjun Sauna is a wood-burning neighbourhood sauna in Helsinki’s Kallio district. Nudity was the norm here, so sweating felt more natural than ever.

In Kotiharjun Sauna, this is what the wood burning stove looks like. Pour water with a ladle (not sea water) onto the rocks in the stove to create löyly, improve your sweating, and cleanse the energy spiritually.

Sauna Rituals

There are many things you can do to enhance and maximize the health benefits and enjoyment of saunas, and the more you learn and explore, the more you can customize your routine to your needs for a unique, healthy, and memorable experience.

If there’s room in the sauna, engaging in simple stretches or yoga poses (just like hot yoga) can boost detoxification and improve flexibility. The sauna brings a lot of good stress on the body, so some light exercises can help you prepare prior to getting in. Digestion-boosting yogic moves like cat-cow and knees to chest can get the blood flowing and boost detoxification, and gentle pranayama (nostril breathing) and surya-namaskar (sun salutation) can also be rad.

After some light research on Reddit, I discovered that some Finnish Reddit users have specific rituals, such as certain phrases as soon as they get to the sauna, or depending on the type of sauna, throwing the last löyly to the saunatonttu (guardian spirit/soul) of the sauna, or even throwing a small amount of beer into the kiuas as a present for the guardian spirit (probably don’t do this in a public sauna, though…).

Etiquette: Do’s and Don’ts of Saunas

Do not:

Enjoy a heavy meal right before the sauna. Just like when swimming, you generally eat afterwards.
Throw beer or other drinks on the stones, especially in a public sauna. In fact, don’t drink alcohol in the sauna at all.
Drink caffeine right before the sauna. Caffeinated drinks, even organic black coffee and matcha, raise your heart rate just like the sauna does, and can lead to issues when combined.
Rush. The sauna is for relaxation and unwinding, as well as mental and physical cleansing.
Be loud and noisy. The sauna is a sacred space for many Finns, so behave in a public one like you would ideally behave in a church: respectfully.
Play music in a sauna. The sauna is a space for quiet, calm, and meditative states.
Bring synthetic fragrances into a sauna. The most you should bring is a few drops of your favourite natural essential oil, but really, simple is best, just the smell of burning wood and fresh birch.
Escape the sauna once you’ve created löyly (hot steam), if it applies to the sauna you’re in. You must endure what you have created.
Bring your hierarchies into the sauna. In the sauna, everyone is equal.
Visit the sauna if you are sick, feeling unwell, or have any serious health issues. Ask your practitioner first.

Do:

Take off all your clothes (depending on the sauna). The benefits of sweating/detox are much more thorough without any garments to block it. A clean pefletti/towel to sit on the bench can help. Unlike in much of Canada with its residual Puritanical, prudish influence, nudity is blissfully unsexualized in Finnish culture. Finns often use the sauna naked, but in many public and more central saunas, the common practice is still to wear a swimsuit or towel, especially if the sauna is mixed gender.
Take off your jewellery, glasses (if they fog up!) and watches. The sauna is not a place for keeping track of time. Just start off with what feels like 5 or 10 minutes if you’re a newbie, or until you begin sweating a little (...sweet, glorious detox). I actually prefer wearing my glasses so I can see (they don’t fog up!), but otherwise, the heat of the sauna may damage some of these items. Don’t bring your phone, either.
Take a shower before entering the sauna. Not only is this for sanitary reasons, but a shower pre-emptively relaxes your muscles and opens up your pores for more effective sweating. Drying off before the sauna can also improve sweating.
Sit down on a bench. The higher the bench, the hotter it is, so you can start off on the lower benches if you’d like.
Cover the area you’re sitting on with a small bench towel (pefletti, or a regular ol’ swim towel). This keeps the benches clean, especially important for public saunas.
Depending on the type of sauna, especially if it’s a Finnish sauna, you might be able to throw water on the hot stones topping the kiuas, the special stove used to heat up the sauna and create löyly. Check the rules of the sauna you’re in, first.
Cool off every 10-20 minutes or as often as you like. Some saunas have designated cold plunge swimming areas so you can alternate hot/cold exposure and feel the sweet aliveness. You could also sit outside in the winter, or roll in the snow like my grandpa did in Sudbury with his Finnish friends.
Drink plenty of water before, during and/or after. Stay hydrated with mineral-rich drinks like organic coconut water, a squeeze of organic lemon in spring water, or a pinch of sea salt or magnesium chloride in spring water. If you’re into biohacking, you probably have your own thing going on that you prefer.
Whip yourself gently with birch twigs (vihta or vasta). Repeat as many times as you like. Your lymphatic system will be happy.
Finish your sauna session(s) with a good final wash with organic/non-toxic soap, more hydration, and some snacks like grass-fed sausages which are often grilled on top of the sauna stove (traditional kiuasmakkara), maybe with organic onions or cold-pressed juice. Whatever feels best and most comfortable!
Cool off before putting on clean clothes. Sweating can continue for some time after leaving the sauna.
Relax, enjoy, get comfortable, and have fun!
Introduce your friends to the sauna! It is healthy and good for almost everybody, even kids, the elderly and babies. Maybe half of the people I’ve seen using the sauna in Finland looked to be over 50 years old. I even saw a mother briefly bringing in her newborn child who was maybe a few weeks old, and then a pregnant mother fully enjoying the sauna! The sauna has even been widely used for giving home births in. Of course, if you have certain health issues like open wounds or heart issues, best check with your preferred practitioner first since the sauna will not be suitable for that.

I hope this was informative and inspiring to get out there, keep an open mind, and explore different ways of enjoying life. Take the leap, and life will support you. Here’s to an inspiring, invigorating, and healthy sauna experience anywhere in the world. Have you experienced the benefits of sauna? Comment below!

KELLY SAMANTHA