SaunaScape

My answer on Quora to: How hot is too hot for a shared sauna to be? http://qr.ae/76ws

My answer on Quora to: How hot is too hot for a shared sauna to be? http://qr.ae/76ws

“Come on in and get some clean Scandanavian modernism” is the look that Seattle architects Build LLC brought to this sauna space they recently completed for a client.

More interesting though is the level of detail they’ve shared about the construction. If you’re looking to build your own sauna in your house, their information, plus their recommendation of the Finlandia website,  is a great starting point.

It’s a beautiful look. Something we’ll keep in mind the next time we remodel our bathroom.

Build Blog

“Come on in and get some clean Scandanavian modernism” is the look that Seattle architects Build LLC brought to this sauna space they recently completed for a client. More interesting...

Timo Kaukonen recovering from his injuries. Photo by Helsing Sanomat

“I should have quit earlier. I wouldn’t have wanted to do this to myself. A sauna competition is not such a serious matter.”
– Timo Kaukonen

This year’s Sauna World Championship surviving finalist and prior champion Timo Kaukonen has just been transferred back to a hospital in his hometown of Lahti, Finland according to two articles published this week by Finnish newspaper Helsing Sanomat.

Kaukonen has been in the hospital since early August when he was extracted during the final round of the World Sauna Competition held in Heinola Finland. The other remaining finalist, Vladimir Ladyhzensky, died that day. The competition sauna had been heated to more than 110°C (230°F) and ½ liter (about 2 cups) of water was being sprinkled on the stones every 30 seconds. Kaukonen and Ladyzhenski had spent more than 7 minutes in the sauna.

More than 70 per cent of Kaukonen’s skin suffered burns. The worst affected were his legs, which were close to the stove. His respiratory system suffered, and finally his kidneys failed. Physician Jyrki Vuola did not expect Kaukonen to survive. The Lahti native nevertheless fought on. He was kept sedated on a respirator for six weeks. In late September it was already possible to reduce the medication. “It is a mystery how the man pulled through this”, Vuola says.

Recovery from his burns will take at least a year, though he is expected to be able to return home for Christmas. Kaukonen does not hold a grudge against the competition organizers, but does not plan to compete in any more competitions.

The future of the Sauna World Championships still remains uncertain. A criminal investigation is ongoing.

Asked if he would sauna again, he replied, “I’ll go as soon as I can. I like the sauna so much”.

Helsing Sanomat

“I should have quit earlier. I wouldn’t have wanted to do this to myself. A sauna competition is not such a serious matter.” – Timo Kaukonen This year’s Sauna World...

They’ve become extensions of us. Our cell phones, smart phones, Blackberries, iPods, iPhones, iPads, mp3 players, Zunes and the like. They’re always there, holding the latest Facebook or Twitter updates, that critical email, or entertaining us with a limitless supply of music or a game like Angry Birds. They’ve redefined our work life, and also how we relax.

So when you’re relaxing in a sauna, can’t you bring your electronics in with you?

Sure you could. But it’s not very good for them.

Temperature:

All of our modern gizmos are designed to perform best when they operate as close as possible to room temperature. As you increase their temperature, things start to deteriorate, and quickly.

Batteries are the most susceptible. You’ve probably noticed that a device when it’s brand new lasts a lot longer than one that’s a year old. When you get to about two or three years old, those things barely work unless they’re constantly plugged in. That’s because the insides of the batteries oxidize or rust. This is especially true for lithium batteries common in today’s electronics. As the temperature goes above 105°F (40°C), that rusting kicks into overdrive, dramatically shortening the battery’s life. As shown in the graphic here, Apple likes you to keep your devices under 95°F (35°C).

Batteries aren’t the only things though. The display can also be damaged by heat. Most of these devices have either LCD or OLED display screens. When the temperatures of these exceed 158°F (70°C) things start to get ugly, with fading, dead pixels, or worse occurring.

When things get hot, they get bigger and when they cool down they shrink. Bridges are designed to grow and shrink with the change in the environment, but circuit boards usually aren’t. They’re also made of lots of different things that grow and shrink at different rates. Just getting something hot and cooling it down again can stress one of the thousands of interconnections in your gadget to breaking.

Humidity:

Electronic gadgets don’t like to get wet. Water corrodes their insides, discolors displays, and generally turns them into paperweights. Everyone knows that. That’s why almost all of them have those little color change labels on them that let that Nerd Herder tell you, “Sorry. You got it wet, which voids the warranty. You can pay us a thousand dollars to fix it, or go buy a new one.”

“But wait a minute,” you might be saying, “I’m going in a dry sauna, and that’s got only 5% humidity. That’s at the bottom end of my device’s operation specs.”

That is true, a typical dry sauna has about a 5% relative humidity. Even if you’re throwing water on the rocks, the humidity rarely gets above 25%. Remember that as the temperature goes down, the humidity goes up. So when you cool that 5% humidity air at 180°F (82°C) down to 71°F (22°C), you’ll exceed 100% humidity and the water inside will start to condense. If someone threw water on the rocks, you’ll get liquid water at 125°F (52°C). Colorado State University has an online dewpoint calculator.

Another thing to remember is when you were in the sauna, your device got hot. Maybe not a lot, but a little. That will cause the air to expand and rush out of your device. When you get outside the sauna and things cool down, outside air will rush in, even in waterproof devices like watches. Think about the area surrounding your sauna. Many are placed near showers or pools where the humidity is already very high.

Normal waterproofing for a device won’t cut it. To keep the steam from condensing inside, you need a sealed waterproof case.

Your Sauna Companions:

If it’s your own private sauna, of course you can do whatever you want in it. However, most people take saunas in a health club, spa, or other public venue where others will be with them. The sauna is a place for relaxation and quiet meditation. It’s difficult to achieve when someone is tapping away on a device next door, or your soothing sounds are leaking out of your earbuds into the space around you.

Don’t forget about privacy issues too. Sure you may just be sending text messages to a friend about where to have dinner later, but how do I know that you’re not taking pictures of me?

So do us all a favor, and when do you take a sauna, leave those electronics outside.

They’ve become extensions of us. Our cell phones, smart phones, Blackberries, iPods, iPhones, iPads, mp3 players, Zunes and the like. They’re always there, holding the latest Facebook or Twitter updates,...

On October 17, the second annual Sauna WM or Sauna World Cup was held at Therme Aqualux in Fohnsdorf, Austria. Unlike the Finnish version that ended in tragedy this year, this competition in the words of the organizers,

Pleasure is the main goal, the enjoyment and indulgence, and the technique of waving the towel in the sauna. The best fragrance, the right dosage, the matching comment, maybe also a good joke at the right moment – all this and much more can create the best Sauna-Aufguss. We are looking for the most enjoyable Sauna Aufguss, the best “Wachler” (waver) or most talented Saunameister, we are looking for the Sauna world champion.

The competition was open to anyone in attendance at Therme Aqualux. Judging was carried out by the normal patrons in attendance in the sauna. Each member of the “Sit and Sweat Jury” in the sauna while the Aufgussiers were performing was given a full cup of water. Each jury member could pour as much of their water as they wanted into a measuring cup for the Aufgussier. The one with the greatest volume of water was declared the winner.

Italian Andreas Kofler was given the World Cup. Second place went to Benjamin Gaudreau from Germany. In third place was Günter Huther from Austria. There were 25 competitors in total.

A second competition was also run: Who could generate the most wind from a spinning towel. The winner among the 230 participants was Christian Govi generating a speed of 11.79 meters per second, or over 26 miles per hour. To ensure fairness, a local university brought their instruments to measure the speed.

Of course, as is customary in the saunas in a German-speaking region, the entire competition done in the nude.

Sauna WM via The German Herald

On October 17, the second annual Sauna WM or Sauna World Cup was held at Therme Aqualux in Fohnsdorf, Austria. Unlike the Finnish version that ended in tragedy this year,...

Ganban-Yoku, or  bedrock bathing, is a style of heat bath that was imported to Japan from Thailand. It was originally introduced to Japan in 2001. There are now more than 1500 establishments in Japan alone, attracting 11.6 million visitors in 2008.

In a Ganban-Yoku, bedrock stones are embedded in the floor in a special room. These stones are the size of a single bed, and usually made from a granite or silica and heated to between 102 and 114°F (39-42°C). The room is air conditioned to keep the temperature slightly below the temperature of the stone beds, and the humidity is controlled between 50-75%.

If you go to a Ganban-Yoku, you are instructed to change out of their street clothes, shower, and then dress in a special cotton garment. You lay a towel on your stone bed, and then lie on your stomach for about 5 minutes, and then on your back for 10 minutes. After this, you are encouraged to get up, drink water, and recover for an equal period of time before repeating as necessary. Blog Tokyo, Kawaii, etc. has an informative first-person account of a first visit to a Japanese Ganban-Yoku.

People who use the Ganban-Yoku report soft skin and a feeling of relaxation. To study this further, researchers at Hamamatsu University School of Medicine conducted a study in 2008 of the personality affects on 68 women who used the Ganban-Yoku. They found a significant improvement of the moods of the women before and after their stone sauna sessions.

Stone saunas are beginning to make an appearance in North America at Japanese and Korean saunas. We’ll be adding a field to the database in the coming days for this.

Video found via Gaijin Life

Ganban-Yoku, or  bedrock bathing, is a style of heat bath that was imported to Japan from Thailand. It was originally introduced to Japan in 2001. There are now more than...

Glenn at Sauna Times posted today about how a sauna fits into his hair care regimen:

I used no shampoo for 74 straight days.  I took a sauna 3-4 times a week.  Each sauna, I took 3-4 rounds, jumping into the clear cool lake water between rounds.  That’s it.

His solution is simple: Wet your hair before going into the sauna.

For those of you who sauna hotter, there are a few more solutions. You can get a felt sauna hat as is popular in the Russian Banya. These are made from sheep’s wool get a dunk in cold water just before going into the sauna. They are available in a staggering amount of different styles.

The other option is to put a damp towel on your head. If you don’t want to look like the Gumbys, you can roll your towel in the Korean style, and look a bit like Princess Leia. See the video below.

[Sauna Times]

Glenn at Sauna Times posted today about how a sauna fits into his hair care regimen: I used no shampoo for 74 straight days.  I took a sauna 3-4 times...

October 20, 2010 is the second annual National Sauna Day in Belgium, put on by the Sauna Association Belgium (SVB). It even has its own website, http://www.nationalesaunadag.be/ (in Dutch). Last year’s event drew nearly 9,000 visitors.

The purpose of the event is to help educate the public about the use of the sauna as a mini-vacation or evening out. According to their website, “The modern sauna establishment offers the visitor a range of possibilities, such as swimming pools, whirlpools, hot tubs, massages, facials, etc. Many have restaurants as part of their offering.”

If you’re going to be in Belgium, you can register for a free admission to a public sauna, or visit a private sauna for a free tour. They have a directory of the member saunas on the site.

http://www.nationalesaunadag.be/

October 20, 2010 is the second annual National Sauna Day in Belgium, put on by the Sauna Association Belgium (SVB). It even has its own website, http://www.nationalesaunadag.be/ (in Dutch). Last year’s...

It seems that a rite of passage among budding Czech architecture firms is to build a sauna on an abandoned concrete structure above a body of water. This one was built in April by H3T Architects.

The structure it hangs from is a flood-control weir that was decommissioned in 1972. To access the sauna, you need to travel by boat underneath of the sauna, and enter it from the bottom. In their notes, the architects caution that the currents in the area are quite strong.

Unfortunately, the sauna is probably already gone. H3T expected it to last about two weeks. More photos are available of it at Planet Mag.

This is the second sauna designed by H3T. In October 2009 they built a floating sauna on a lake in Podebrady.

via Tall Bridge Guy

It seems that a rite of passage among budding Czech architecture firms is to build a sauna on an abandoned concrete structure above a body of water. This one was...

Editor’s note: The following is a guest post by Stephen Colmant, PhD. Dr. Colmant is a licensed psychologist for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Health and Medical Division and has more than 15 years experience working with people with a wide range of treatment issues in a variety of settings. This is an excerpt from his upcoming book, “Sweat Therapy: A Guide to Greater Well-Being.” You can read his other works on his website, PsychSymposium.com.

Intense heat exposure can be therapeutic and it can be deadly.  Like a powerful drug, it is the way in which it is used that makes the difference. The context, preparation, helpful aids, temperature, rest periods, and recuperation time are all important. That does not mean that there is just one way or even “a best way” to do it.

Sweat practices are not unique to any one culture, have existed throughout the world for thousands of years and continue to be developed. Culture is not static. The integration of cultures occurs constantly and is a natural consequence of human interaction, particularly over time. The question, “Should new and better sweat procedures be developed?” is irrelevant. New sweat procedures integrating ancient traditions with new technologies are regularly developed. A better question is: “How should new and creative sweat procedures be developed?”

You can intensify your sweat practice by adding another dimension to it with meditation, music, aromatherapy, exfoliation, and close interpersonal interaction. These activities are common adjunctive practices used in many ancient forms of sweat practices and integrate well with sweating.

Meditation

Meditation naturally emerges while sweating.  The intense heat promotes introspection and deep relaxation while the participant cultivates an attitude of calmness and self-regulation.  This can grow to include the development of other mental qualities such as concentration, love, or wisdom.  As is true with any discipline, to become skilled in meditation takes time and practice.  Yet anyone can meditate.

Here are some thoughts and reflections to consider for a sauna meditation:

Sitting erect but not rigid, lean against the back of the sauna, placing your hands comfortably in your lap.  Let your body and mind rest and relax and get into the heat.

When you feel comfortable with it, allow your eyes to gently close.  Tune in to the feeling of the breath moving in and out of your body, allowing yourself to breathe mostly through your mouth as the hot air stings the nostrils.  Focus on the sensation of the hot air moving in and out of your mouth.

Let your body relax and as you sweat, think about the stress leaving your body.  Negative energy leaves your body as you sweat.  As the sweat leaves the pores of your skin so does anger, frustration, and tension.  Relax and enjoy the heat.

Just become as comfortable as possible.  The intense heat of the sauna is gentle at first, providing a very warm, relaxing feeling.

Some people sweat immediately and others take longer.  Notice how your body reacts to the heat.  As the sweat begins coming to the surface of your skin, notice the feeling of your body.

Feeling relaxed and calm, the intensity of the heat grows.  You may begin to struggle slightly as the heat works its way through your body.  As the heat intensifies, so does the amount of stress and anxiety that is released.

Each time that you find your mind wandering off, simply bring it back to your breathing.

Music

The effects of music may be profound relaxation, a peak experience of joy, or a depth of understanding or insight. From research with music therapy, we know that music is associated with a decrease in depression, improved mood, and a reduction in pain, stress and anxiety. Music therapy has also been shown to improve various aspects of social interaction.

Musical preference has been identified as one of the most important factors mediating the beneficial effects of music. Music has a very personal and intimate meaning for each individual and may have a either a calming or a stimulating effect. Most music therapy studies have focused on reducing anxiety. Characteristics of the type of music found to reduce anxiety include simple repetitive rhythm, predictable dynamics, low pitch, slow tempo, consonance of harmony, no percussion instruments, string composition, and recognized instrumental and vocal timbre. Others found that slow, quiet, nonvocal music lowered physiological responses associated with stress, whereas faster music generally heightened the physiological responses.

When I have friends over to my sauna, soft rock/acoustic rock is the big crowd pleaser. I use Sirius Satellite Radio and usually have it on the Coffee House on channel 30 (XM 51, Dish network 6030, DirecTV 848). It seems to have a good balance of being not too intense and not too laid back. The SPA channel is great for meditating (Sirius 73, XM 72, Dish Network 6073, DirecTV 856). It can also be fun to choreograph your sweat session by matching the type of music to the type of experience you would like to facilitate. As the heat is experienced as more intense toward the end of the round, more intense music fits well.

If you don’t own your own sauna, you can bring music into your sweat session with the use of a hand-held personal audio player with headphones. I have used several types of personal audio players including digital music players inside saunas and have not experienced any problems with the sauna conditions causing damage to the music players. One reason for this might be that the heat exposure is relatively brief (about 15-minutes before taking a break). However, if you are still worried about possibly damaging your audio player, you can insulate your audio player simply by wrapping a towel around it.

Aromatherapy

Some common traditional uses of aromatherapy include incense and smudging for cleansing, purification, protection of physical and spiritual bodies, banishment of negative energies and creation of sacred space. Many believe that incense or smudging releases the energy and fragrance of the herbs and botanicals so they can heal and promote well-being. Today, aromatherapy — the therapeutic use of essential oils and plants — is a multimillion dollar business. Proponents claim that aromatherapy can stimulate the immune system, improve concentration, relieve pain, muscle aches, and act as an aphrodisiac.  Some claim that aromatherapy can be used for a multitude of purposes from curing athlete’s foot to bringing enlightenment and everything in between. The clinical research, however, does not support such claims.

What is not in doubt is that smell is a powerful sense. The olfactory system, the apparatus responsible for our sense of smell, has a pathway in the brain closely associated with the limbic system. The limbic system contains the amygdala and the hippocampus parts of the brain which are closely associated with emotion and memory respectively. The sense of smell is especially powerful in triggering memory. So if you want to use a symbol as part of a ritual that gets everyone’s attention, the sense of smell is hard to beat.

Try experimenting with different herbs. Sage, cedar, and mountain tobacco are often used in sweat lodge ceremonies. Eucalyptus is also worth trying. [Most Korean saunas are scented with mugwort. We've been in German saunas scented with spearmint, peppermint, cinnamon and citrus rinds. – Ed] Burning herbs in a sauna or sweat lodge is done conveniently by sprinkling some over the hot rocks. A metal pan containing the herbs can be placed in or above the stove, or bags of dried herbs can be hung from the roof of the sauna, as is common in Korea. Remember, it doesn’t take much to create a pleasant aroma. Be careful if you place herbs on the hot surface of the stove — they can burn, making a very unpleasant and noxious smoke.

Essential oils are another option for creating an aroma in the sauna, without the ash that some herbs will leave behind. Small amounts of these oils can be mixed with water and poured the over the hot rocks to produce a scented löyly. Again, be careful, essential oils will burn. Don’t bring the bottles into the hot sauna — dilute them into your sauna bucket outside.

When working with aromas in the sauna, stick to just one, and don’t try mixing dried herbs with essential oils.  Nobody likes an olfactory nightmare. Make sure you ask permission before adding scents to a sauna that isn’t your own.

As for my favorite scent, personally, I mostly stick with sage.

Exfoliation

Exfoliation involves the removal of the oldest dead skin cells on the skin’s outermost surface. The skin is constantly generating new skin cells at the lower layer and sending them to the surface. As the cells rise to the surface they gradually die and become filled with keratin. Exfoliation removes the outer layer to reveal the newer skin beneath. This shedding of the outer layer unclogs pores, keeps skin clean, and helps reduce acne breakouts. As we age the process of cell turnover slows down. Cells start to pile up unevenly on the skin’s surface, giving it a dry, rough, dull appearance.

Traditional use of the sauna, shvitz and bania will often include whisking to promote exfoliation. Whisks are typically made from young birch branches about 18 to 24 inches long and tied together called a vihta in Finnish or a venik in Russian. Whisking includes a process of hitting oneself and others in a careful, caring way. [For more about how to make and use a venik, see Russian Bath, or to make a vihta, see this video on YouTube. -Ed]

[In the Korean Jim Jil Bang, exfoliation is taken to the extreme via the body scrubs given by the staff in the wet area. After loosening up their skin in the sauna, steam rooms, or tubs, patrons lay down on a plastic-covered table, where a staff member thoroughly scrubs their body using a synthetic "italy towel." First timers receiving such a scrub are amazed at the amount of dead skin that is liberated from their body during the scrub. -Ed]

If you want to exfoliate yourself there are various body brushes, mitts and loofah sponges available.

Sauna Parties

One of the best ways to throw a memorable party is to throw a sauna party. Sweating accelerates and intensifies group interaction. The sauna experience helps your guests to loosen up and have fun.

When planning your sauna party, make sure to send out invitations with enough advanced notice. In the invitation, let people know that sauna can be dangerous for people with breathing and heart problems and for pregnant women with complicated pregnancies. I usually say that minimal attire is a bathing suit and ask that guests bring their own towel. Make sure to have plenty of clean drinking water on hand. It is also a nice touch to have sliced lemons and limes for people to add to their water.

Some people like to have the sauna available for guests to use throughout the evening. I prefer to set it up so that sauna is the first event of the evening before moving on to other activities. My rationale is that it is better to sweat on an empty stomach so if you are going to have food at the party, it is better to serve it afterwards. Secondly, alcohol use is safer after the sauna than before. Never let an intoxicated guest use the sauna.

Your sauna can allow for different themes by changing the color of lighting, adding specific scents and choreographing music. I once had a St. Patrick’s Day sauna party with green lights, Celtic music and green beer for afterwards. A beach-theme party can be accented with blue light bulbs, beach music and coconut-lime fragrance oil in the sauna. (Bath & Body Works® offer a wide array of fragrances for different seasons.) One of the best sauna parties I threw was in June. It started with the sauna, then moved to my front porch where we served nachos, beer and cocktails and then music and disco ball on the side porch. The sauna experience seemed to loosen people up so that they were ready to dance. Since they had already been half naked sweating in front of each other, taking a risk on the dance floor was nothing.

Editor’s note: The following is a guest post by Stephen Colmant, PhD. Dr. Colmant is a licensed psychologist for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Health and Medical Division and...