Help the development of the site, sharing the article with friends!
Sauna is defined by specialists as hot therapy for the body and soul. And for good reason. Regular use of the sauna not only ensures beautiful skin, but also effectively reduces everyday stress and fatigue. Find out how the sauna works and why you should use it.
Sauna"takes away anger and dries bile" that has accumulated in our body during the day - say the Finns, the greatest admirers of using the sauna.
How does a sauna work?
A session lasting several minutes in a room heated up to 100 ° C, warms our skin to 42 ° C, and increases the body temperature by one degree. As a result, the internal organs feel a slight "fever". This is what it is all about. This condition increases the production of immune cells in the blood that effectively kill viruses and bacteria. So if we have a slight runny nose or feel a bit cold - after the sauna all these ailments will surely disappear. On condition, however, that immediately after the session, we initially cool down in the fresh air, and then use alternating hot and cold showers. This hot-cold sauna game activates blood circulation and relaxes tense muscles. And by the way, it guarantees a great mood.
Sauna - where did it come from?
In the beginning there was a "bath of sweating stone" - already in the Stone Age, hot air baths were used in pits dug in the ground or clay huts. In these places, stones were first placed, set on fire, and then poured with water. Evidence of "he althy sweating" can also be found in the writings of the Aztecs, among the Guatemalan Indians, Eskimos, the people of Korea, Japan and Asia. Hence, two thousand years ago, the fashion for the sauna reached Finland, where it settled for good. Initially, saunas were built of stone or in the form of tents sealed with hides and furs. With time, wood began to be used - and it has remained so to this day. Old Indian records report that in the old days, herbs were additionally placed on the hot stones to release aromatic compounds that heal the body. Today, the stones are sprinkled with water with a few drops of essential oils.
Sauna: classic, steam, hamam
Apart from the classic sauna, heated to 100 ° C, there are several othershot therapy variants:
- Biosaunais simply the "soft" version of the classic sauna. Here, the temperature does not exceed 50-60 ° C, and the air humidity also increases. The advantage of biosauna is that we sweat much faster in it, and if we have sensitive skin - we can withstand the session much better than at 100 ° C. Biosauna has a gentle effect on the circulatory system and helps to normalize excessively high blood pressure. A session in such a sauna is often combined with light therapy - special lamps are installed in the room (then called the tepidarium), which change color every few minutes.
- Steam bath- the temperature in this room does not exceed 40-50 ° C, and the air humidity reaches almost 100 percent. The body sweats effortlessly, almost instantly. A perfect complement to the steam bath is enriching it with essential oils that relax and induce a good mood (lemon) or relax muscles and facilitate breathing (eucalyptus, mint).
- Hamam- this is a kind of Turkish bath. In Turkey, it is treated not only as a "sweat squeezer", but rather as a perfect place for social gatherings during which God, the world and family are discussed. Sometimes there are even birthday parties in Hamama. Visits to this place follow a specific ritual. First, we enter the so-called Sogukluka, a room heated to 30 ° C, intensely fragrant with herbs. Here we pour water on ourselves. Then we go to Halvet (45 ° C), where we start to sweat. The last stage is soap massages and mud treatments.
Sauna sessions
An inseparable part of a visit to the saunarium are the so-called sauna sessions, which the Germans aptly call "aufgussami" (from the word to pour). An increased amount of steam is then produced, which has an excellent inhalation effect and helps to clear the upper respiratory tract of viruses and bacteria. The most popular are fragrance sessions, during which essential oils are used - mint, fruit, anise, vanilla, etc. S alt aufgussy is also fashionable, during which the hot skin is rubbed with s alt from the Dead Sea. This unusual peeling makes the body smooth like a baby's, and the skin becomes colored. As part of fruit sessions, the body is pounded with orange and lemon slices, and additionally tasted with pieces of mango, kiwi, grapes and apples, as well as frozen fruit juices served in the form of miniature ice cream. Tea "Aufguss" allows you to try at least a few different flavors of iced tea, and ice cream - frozen fruit juices. Screenings are very popular in Bulgariahoney, during which the body is smeared with slightly crystallized honey and inhales vapors of flower oils for 10 minutes. In the rejuvenating sauna, you can not only listen to relaxing music, but also breathe in pure oxygen supplied to the body with the help of a special device. In the peasant sauna, spruce branches lie on the ground, sheaves stand in the corners, and hay is on the shelves (the airways have a beneficial effect when heated). There are checkered curtains on the windows, creating a homely atmosphere. It's just that everyone is sitting naked.
Important- before entering, dry yourself thoroughly with a towel, then the skin sweats much faster
- after the session in the sauna, go to the fresh air, then take an alternating hot and cold shower, and finally rest for at least half an hour
- repeat this series up to three times
- use the sauna once (maximum two) a week
- Spend an average of 8 to 12 minutes in the sauna, and 15 to 20 minutes in the bath
- before entering, do not drink alcohol, do not overeat, but also do not enter on an empty stomach
- if you want to use the solarium additionally, do it immediately after the sauna - the pores are then open and the skin absorbs the tan more easily
- avoid the sauna if you have broken blood vessels, are pregnant, have a strong flu or have heart problems