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Sauna
Dec 18, 2010 21:09:53 GMT 2
Post by Nordis on Dec 18, 2010 21:09:53 GMT 2
I'm pretty surprised there isn't any discussion about one of the most crucial things in finnish culture. After all there's a lot of people interested in finnish stuff on this forum What's so special about a small room or cabin that's heated to an infernal temperature, and why we enjoy it so? First of all, it's not just for bathing. Sweating pushes the dirt out from your skin pores, so sauna supposedly makes you a bit cleaner than plain shower or bath, but there's way more to it. Sauna has always had a strong spiritual meaning: back in the day people were born in it, and after their death their bodies were washed and stored in sauna before the burial. Both spiritual rituals and physical healthcare were carried out in sauna. It's really meditative to listen the crackling of fire and the hissing of water that turns into steam, while enduring the heat that takes your body to it's limits. The electric saunas that many people (like me) use nowadays aren't anywhere near the real thing, but they're a good substitute if you happen to live in a city. Even though nudity is a taboo in the western world nowadays, a lot of finnish people still go to sauna with their friends of both sexes. Ofcourse there are lots of people who would never do that, but there certainly isn't anything sexual to it even some folks imagine so. It's just a natural thing to do So, discussion about sauna If there's any questions, I try to answer them with my best knowledge.
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Sauna
Dec 18, 2010 22:01:02 GMT 2
Post by Deleted on Dec 18, 2010 22:01:02 GMT 2
This reminded me of..''if sauna, vodka and tar won't help, the disease is fatal'' . The only one I didn't try , but which is on a must list is exactly sauna. A short offtopic here: tar soap is great! Ok, back to topic: the only let's say fear I have concerning sauna is that precautions are needed for those who have heart problems (there was a talk once that these people aren't allowed to enter one, and that they need to do a check before). So, are there such restrictions there? Or it just depends on a person if he/she knows that has a condition and just stays away?..
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Sauna
Dec 18, 2010 22:21:12 GMT 2
Post by Nordis on Dec 18, 2010 22:21:12 GMT 2
This reminded me of..''if sauna, vodka and tar won't help, the disease is fatal'' . The only one I didn't try , but which is on a must list is exactly sauna. A short offtopic here: tar soap is great! Ok, back to topic: the only let's say fear I have concerning sauna is that precautions are needed for those who have heart problems (there was a talk once that these people aren't allowed to enter one, and that they need to do a check before). So, are there such restrictions there? Or it just depends on a person if he/she knows that has a condition and just stays away?.. There's two schools on that one. Others say that you should avoid sauna if you have heart problems while others recommend it as the heat makes blood veins expand and helps circulation. My grandpa's had two strokes and needs daily medication, but he still goes to sauna weekly and he's perfectly fine after it. I guess it's ok unless you have really bad and acute condition
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Sauna
Dec 18, 2010 22:25:39 GMT 2
Post by Arivse on Dec 18, 2010 22:25:39 GMT 2
Never heard that people would skip sauna because they have hearth problems, they just spend less time there Or atleast thats the way our family does it. In our family 3/4 people have some kind of hearth problem, but still they go to sauna. Some say it can eaven help with the problems. But I guess it just depends of the people, you have to know your limits, and if you have never went to sauna it can be some kind of a shock at first, so my advice is, take your time, listen your body, don't try to over do it. As for me, I love sauna, with good people and lots of cool drinks I can sauna as long as I want, I just need to keep myself over the limit of dehydrated. And cooling outside helps allso, my "record" is something like 5 hours. And sometimes I like a little competition, but nothing serious
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Sauna
Dec 18, 2010 22:58:39 GMT 2
Post by Deleted on Dec 18, 2010 22:58:39 GMT 2
Thank you for explaining , both. And it's nice of you to give an insight from your own families, that I appreciate even more. Then... it all lies in the measure of things, just take it easy and adapt to your own body and its limits. Got a third opinion earlier also, and feels better having reassurance.
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Sauna
Dec 19, 2010 3:10:09 GMT 2
Post by Esteban on Dec 19, 2010 3:10:09 GMT 2
Never tried it.But it would be interesting.It's turkish saying is "finnish hammam" .And I learned that some competitions are held for sauna.Had I known,a russian man died in final last year :S .
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Sauna
Dec 19, 2010 5:04:35 GMT 2
Post by Bartbär on Dec 19, 2010 5:04:35 GMT 2
I haven't had a proper sauna in agesssssss. And even then it sadly never involved a jump in a cold natural spring afterward. But saunas are my favorite things in the world.... nothing beats the smell of cedar when it's bathed in hot steam. And nothing feels as good as sitting in such a room. I love saunas so much, and the fact that it's the ONLY Finnish loanword we have in English, that I pronounce it the way you Finns do, which always confuses my fellow English speaking natives who think I'm pronouncing it "wrong". I can't even bring myself to pronouncing it the way I used to, because it just sounds horrible that way. To my Finnish friends: when I come to your country, PLEASE invite me to a sauna! I need a proper one, and where else to get a proper sauna treatment than in Finland? Health benefits, cleaning benefits, etc. I don't know if these have truth or not, but even if saunas were bad for your health I'd still gladly risk my health for the experience.
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Sauna
Dec 19, 2010 7:13:34 GMT 2
Post by Arivse on Dec 19, 2010 7:13:34 GMT 2
And I learned that some competitions are held for sauna.Had I known,a russian man died in final last year :S . Thats true, but for me that thing what they call sauna at the competition.. It aint sauna, its tortureroom. Since there isn't anything to enjoy in that. Its constant 110 degrees celsius, every half minute they pour half liter of water on the stones and you just try to avoid getting burned. And yes there was a this unfortunat death this year, but what I read about it, it seems both the two last ones were using some kind of pain killers to last longer and neither of the passed the medical test and still was somehow able to compete. And what I ment about competition, was with friends. Its called silence competition, none is challengeing nor is any bets taken, but at some point the guy with the water bucket raises the speed of throwing water and the last man in the sauna "wins" or gets burned but to tell the truth, some times it can get kinda stupid, usually if most of the people are drunk And thats allso true, I've had sauna with my girl friends (Note that I spell that word like that So no girlfriend but opposite sex friends ) And there isn't anything sexual on that, most of them are dateing or engaged and still we go to sauna with them and with their BF and husbends, its just normal thing to do E: And usually the girls are using bikini, but the "daring" ones are without. But it doesn't matter that are you using or not, as long as you enjoy the sauna and the company of the people there And to Anwend, you don't need to ask a Finn to warm the sauna when they have invited you to their place, its tradition that you welcome your guests with hot sauna and cool beer (or other drinks) Or atleast thats the case when you live at the country side ;D
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Sauna
Dec 19, 2010 8:12:33 GMT 2
Post by wolferin on Dec 19, 2010 8:12:33 GMT 2
I've enjoyed sauna several times. It's really purifying for the body and soul. After a rest, the sauna makes you cheerful and full of energy for the day. If you do it from time to time and you are not used to, you must be careful. The first time I went I didn't listen to the precautions and fainted after that. Then I was sticking to the recommendations and all was very well and pleasant. I'm afraid to jump in the cold basin after the hot cabin and use cool shower. I know that for people with heart problems and high blood pressure is not totally forbidden, but they must make more pauses and not to jump in the cold water, but use shower, because the stress for the body from the great deference of temperature can lead to heart attack. For the nudity here the sauna is divided for men and women, small cabins where you can go alone or with someone close or if common, people go with swimming suits. In the recent years it gets so-so accepted "mixed" for young people, mainly single. The last time I went to sauna, was two years ago in a mountain hotel. It was a small cabin and we went with my husband. Battlemage didn't dare and said he didn't want to become a soup. ;D ;D ;D
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Sauna
Dec 19, 2010 11:57:08 GMT 2
Post by Nordis on Dec 19, 2010 11:57:08 GMT 2
Never tried it.But it would be interesting.It's turkish saying is "finnish hammam" .And I learned that some competitions are held for sauna.Had I known,a russian man died in final last year :S . Heheh, here the steam baths are often called "turkish sauna" Yeah, the russian guy died and the finnish guy was burnt so badly that he just got out from ICU some weeks ago. Those competitions are just insane, the heat goes up to and over 150'c which burns you almost instantly. I prefer it somewhere around 80'c, it's moderately hot but still pretty enjoyable. If you have too hard löyly (that's the name of the heat and atmosphere in sauna), you might get "löylystruck" which is pretty unpleasant feeling. I guess it comes from the lack of oxygen which makes you dizzy and from too high heat that doesn't quite burn your skin but turns you red all over. A bit like deep cooking
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Sauna
Dec 19, 2010 14:23:09 GMT 2
Post by Mighty Croc on Dec 19, 2010 14:23:09 GMT 2
We Russians enjoy saunas too, but we don't call them so. Lots of countryhouses have a sauna near them.
I've been there a lot of times, when I was younger and we used to have a house in Mordovia, which's in deep Russia.
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Sauna
Dec 19, 2010 15:02:22 GMT 2
Post by Socke on Dec 19, 2010 15:02:22 GMT 2
I love saunas so much, and the fact that it's the ONLY Finnish loanword we have in English, that I pronounce it the way you Finns do, which always confuses my fellow English speaking natives who think I'm pronouncing it "wrong". I can't even bring myself to pronouncing it the way I used to, because it just sounds horrible that way. Actually that reminds me that there is exactly one (Finnish) person I know that pronounces the word in an English way when he's speaking English. The first time I heard that I thought it just "slipped" as it often happens when you use foreign words while talking another language but the au of sauna is repeatedly pronounced like in "laundry" in his speech. Though then again I do the same when I'm speaking German, I adapt words like that to German pronunciation rules as it would just sound geeky otherwise. And now that Arivse mentioned people wearing bikinis, actually I've come across that only in one public sauna in Kuopio and I think those were some Russian girls. Back then I've been wondering how that can be comfortable. But then I'm maybe not the right person to ask since it also bothers me if I have to wear stuff for swimming etc.
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Sauna
Dec 19, 2010 15:31:37 GMT 2
Post by Deleted on Dec 19, 2010 15:31:37 GMT 2
Nicely is that here the pronunciation is identical to the finnish one; including accent, so it's like the word is somehow ''pure'' , untinted. wolferin: Master and the Mastermind in sauna... ;D A poem of purification and faints , haha.. I have a lower BP too, so I guess for laughing now will pay with a faint later. Though, sometimes my BP is just playful , so I never know. Must say, I see no nudity in therapy, so... OH, and I love the birch branches part! Will say no more.
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Sauna
Dec 19, 2010 16:05:46 GMT 2
Post by Arivse on Dec 19, 2010 16:05:46 GMT 2
And now that Arivse mentioned people wearing bikinis, actually I've come across that only in one public sauna in Kuopio and I think those were some Russian girls. Back then I've been wondering how that can be comfortable. But then I'm maybe not the right person to ask since it also bothers me if I have to wear stuff for swimming etc. Hmm my brain froze when I went outside and don't get this one When you say public sauna, do you mean a public public where there are boys and girls at the same time, or do you mean public saunas where girls and boys have their own sifts (turns)? Since when it comes to mixed saunas (both sexs at the same time) Girls usually have bikinis on and when it comes to sift saunas they don't. Atleast thats the case here on south, I guess the girls at the north are more "daring" or the culture is different. But it doesn't matter are you at south or north boys are allways on their birthday suit. But for me it doesn't matter do you were or not, except when you use swimsuits at swimming hall saunas the chlorine smell is just awfull and can give you a nasty headache. OH, and I love the birch branches part! Will say no more. Oh how could I forgot the Vasta/Vihta which are the branches They are just the best, those help your blood circulation and the pleasant smell from the leaves is just awsome
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Sauna
Dec 19, 2010 16:07:00 GMT 2
Post by Bartbär on Dec 19, 2010 16:07:00 GMT 2
Americans are just lazy, rather than change the word we just Anglicize the pronunciation. (I always preferred the Finnish way: imported words are made to sound Finnish. At least that's what I've read and heard for the most part). I suppose it makes sense for him to pronounce it the English way when talking with English natives. Just as my French friend always seems to try and pronounce French loanwords the "English" way rather than giving his perfect French pronunciation of them. In regards to the nudity taboo: I guess I don't really understand that taboo. It's ironic that the more developed a society seems to become the more prudish they become also, at least in terms of sexual acceptance. Of course the body can be sexual, but it isn't always at a sexual state and being able to enjoy things while naked should just be natural. I admit that since I've grown up in America I have a little bit of that inhibition since it's been a part of my environment, but I don't agree with that nature and must fight it whenever it will arise, which in America is never. I don't think we here have ONE single event which is done nude: sure there are nudist colonies and people when they are locked up in their own house and have all blinds shut will do things, but in terms of a public situation or a group gathering it is a huge taboo. If I were to hold a sauna party and be naked in the sauna EVERYONE would jump out and never talk to me again. haha *note to self: good way to break communication with unwanted people*
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