Trying to Like Sauna in Finland

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Ok, I've tried! I've tried really hard to like sauna. But I just can't! No matter how hard I try, I just don't enjoy sitting in a sauna. And I know, it is a national tragedy to not enjoy sauna in Finland, but I just can't get with the program. Sauna is basically part of Finnish identity. It is so engrained in their culture that everyone here loves sauna. And foreigners love it too! Well, everyone except me. But I guess in some cases, it is enjoyable, so here are some tips on how to survive it.

One way that the Finns enjoy doing sauna is to go in and out during the session. They go inside the sauna, sit there for a few minutes, then go outside and get some fresh air and cool down. Then they go back and do it again. They will usually do this a few times before they are done. This makes sitting in a hot steamy room so much more bearable because you can actually take a break and breathe fresh air!

Some people love throwing steam on the heat, but I think that's the worst part of the sauna. Instead, if it is your first time. Try to do steam little by little to see how much you can tolerate. It makes it so much harder to breathe, so its better to ease yourself into it. But the Finns love steam, so beware if you go in with Finns for you first try!

Finns love sauna because it cleanses the mind and the body. It relaxes the mind and it detoxifies the body. So if you're like me and sitting there miserably because you hate sitting in hot steamy rooms, focus on how good your body will feel after and try to calm the mind. After that, sauna actually becomes enjoyable!