When looking at the statistics of sauna, one will find that all cause mortality goes down in people that use the sauna multiple times a week, with cardiovascular disease leading to death lowering significantly. You will also find that many of our body systems do not seem to be significantly affected by our time in the sauna. We generate endorphins and increase heart rate along with cardiac output, but that is about the extent of major physiological changes. So how does time in the sauna affect us as humans?
Last week at the Badehaus in Norderney, we had the opportunity to experience sauna first hand, and let me just say, it was glorious. You go into the sauna, hit right away by a burst of fire-air all around you. You sit there for a while, taking in the stillness, feeling yourself start to sweat, bathed in the smells of the room itself, and breathing clearer than you perhaps have in years. It is a euphoric experience where you are so grounded and present, which I believe is the point of it all.
In our everyday lives, we are stimulated all the time. This could be having your phone beside you always, recieving a rush of dopamine the second you feel a buzz or hear a ping. This could be rushing from one activity to the next, never taking a pause for yourself to think about how you are doing or reflecting on your days. This could be many a thing, but in the sauna, none of those distractions are there. You are disconnected in that moment, ideally relieving stress from whatever is going on in the outside world and simply giving yourself time to think.
Sauna can be talked of as a spiritual experience, and it is. If you believe in any sort of God, sauna, and the environment it creates, is an amazing place to talk to that being. It gives you a place to be grateful, reflect on the good in your life, the struggles you have overcome and the places to focus your energy going forward. This is the same in the article we read also. The author talks to the trees, as the Fins do, grounding herself and giving herself a sounding board with nature. She claims that the reason the Fins are so happy is because they appreciate the little moments, and do things that force them to take time for those moments even in a chaotic world. This can take many forms, but making sauna, or whatever you believe grounds you, a priority in your life, does wonders for the mind and body, in ways scientists cannot fully comprehend.
I could not agree with this more Caroline! I had an amazing experience in the sauna as well, enjoying every peaceful sweaty moment in there. I really do believe that being still and quiet is so important for your body and mind. I also agree with the spiritual aspect the sauna can provide for you. I like how you explain the importances of these benefits while explaining the lack of scientific data present to back them up.
ReplyDeleteHey Caroline! I completely agree with your point about the saunas being an oasis away from the crazy of our everyday lives. Being in the sauna was such a secluded experience, which help make it the peaceful and calming environment it was. I like your point about how scientist are not quite able to comprehend every detail of the effects of sauna on the body and mind. There is so much learning still to be done and some things that we may never fully understand.
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