First we roasted sausages over an open fire next to a lake. At dusk it was time for the sauna (the only Finnish word in the English dictionary). I had no clue what I was doing, so I followed the Finns. I was 18, had just graduated from high school, and had flown to Finland to visit Hanna, an exchange student who’d lived with my family in California a few years prior.
We piled into a wooden shack heated by burning wood, with way too many people naked under towels. The sweat began to drip down my face, and I could feel my entire body relaxing in the dry heat. Soon we rushed outside and bolted to the lake for a cold plunge. Then back to the heat. This was repeated for hours. And that was my official introduction to saunas. I’ve loved them ever since.
For me, saunas are most enjoyable when you’ve spent all day outside. After skiing or biking in the cold, nothing beats a hot, dry sweat. The medical benefits of saunas are disputed, but I find it’s more of a social occasion. Take a backcountry hut trip in Canada or visit an off-the-grid lodge in Big Sur, California, and you’ll be treated to the weird luxury that is sweating in a confined space with others. But can you re-create that at home? You bet. I called up a few friends who have brought the beloved Finnish tradition to their own backyards for tips on how you can do it, too.