A “sauna” (a Finnish word meaning “bath”), is a chamber that heats occupants for the purpose of relaxation, “de-stressing”, and detoxifying through increased circulation and perspiration.
A sauna is not to be confused with a “steam bath” which uses a steam generator to inject steam into the chamber. It is run cooler and at near 100% humidity. Traditional saunas have deep pockets of special rocks that are heated by electric heating coils or by wood-fired furnaces. The rocks serve to provide a consistent source of heat inside the chamber and to generate small amounts of steam to humidify the air. As water is sprinkled on the hot rocks, humidity is increased to about 30% to aid in perspiration.
Finnish-style saunas are often confused with “wet” saunas because of the water that is sprinkled on the rocks to make steam and increase humidity, however, the amount of water used is not enough to make steam that hangs in the air, as in the case of the traditional ‘Turkish Steam Bath’. It dissipates very quickly and serves to aid in the transferrance of heat and to increases humidity to about 30% to aid in perspiration.
“Sauna” refers to Finnish-style dry sauna that uses heated rocks to radiate heat into the sauna room, and small amounts of water on the rocks to increase humidity, whereas FIR (Far Infra-Red) therapy uses electric emitters to radiate the “bather’s” back with FIR electromagnetic radiation which, while effective at causing perspiration, tends to have hot spots, cannot be used in Canadian outdoors, and cannot be used in the therapeutic vaporization essential oils and inhalants.
The bottom line difference between the two types of treatment is in how heat is created. In FIR treatment, IR panels radiate energy to cause the skin and underlying tissues to heat up, whereas traditional saunas envelope the bathers with hot air as well as IR radiation, heating of the body is by convection and by FIR being emitted from the rocks and the entire chamber as it heats up.
For a sauna to work properly invigorating, relaxing, relieving pain, improving circulation, and detoxifying, one needs to be prepared to spend enough time for the sauna to work its magic. Be prepared to set aside from one to two hours for all sauna-related activities.
There are many varied ways to take a sauna. No one way is absolutely the ‘correct’ way.
Here are some suggestions we hope will be helpful:
Pre-heat your sauna to the desired temperature. The preferred temperature for perspiration is between 80-95°C. Higher temperatures may actually inhibit perspiration. The amount of time needed to heat a sauna to the desired temperature should be 20-30 minutes. Pregnant women and small children should keep the temperature below 70°C. While it’s warming up, take a nice hot shower to open up your skin’s pores, and to keep your sauna cleaner, longer.
Take two large terrycloth towels into the sauna with you; one to rub your skin with to help you to perspire, and the other to fold and sit on to reduce the amount of perspiration going onto the benches. Enter the pre-heated sauna. Relax and allow your body to perspire in the soft dry heat.
Do not throw water on the rocks during the first part of the session. The appropriate amount of time for a sauna session is suggested to be between 15 and 20 minutes at the most. Cool off with a cold shower. Re-enter the sauna and sprinkle water on the rocks. This will increase humidity to about 30% to assist in perspiration. About one cup of water every five minutes should be enough. Too much water will just cool off the rocks and you’ll get less steam. Using hot water will keep from cooling off the rocks as much, enabling you to make more steam with less water. It will also prolong the life of the rocks, as using cold water will cause more cracking over time.
After your sauna session, cool off with a cold shower, or by taking a dip in a lake or pool. Repeat this sauna/cool-off process as often as desired. It is important to hydrate during your sauna session and even to have a light snack. Like bathing in a hot tub, excessive temperatures or exposure times can be harmful to a person’s health. People with poor health should consult their physicians before using the sauna.
THESE ARE GUIDELINES ONLY. ENJOY YOUR SAUNA HOWEVER YOU DESIRE. CHILDREN MUST BE SUPERVISED BY ADULTS.
Rocks. 25lbs of special peridotite sauna rocks are included with each heater. This kind of rock is high in magnesium and iron. They can stand high temperatures and they hold the heat very long time. With proper care they could last 15 years or more. Wooden Sauna bucket with polymer lining and wooden ladle. 120v marine-grade weather-proof light. Wooden plaque sauna wall thermometer. Windows in different sizes and locations. Western Red Cedar: Benches, Floor, Door (with tempered plate-glass window), Sliding Vent, Head Rests handle, towel rack.