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Finnish sauna is a big part in Finnish culture. Almost every house has a sauna. A sauna is not a luxury to the Finns. Instead, it is a necessity, a place to relax with family and friends. A sauna is a room that heats up to 100 degrees Celsius. In a Finnish sauna, water is poured on hot stones on a special stove that warm the sauna room. When water is thrown on the stones, steam will be released to make the room even hotter. The Finns likes to take immediate dip in a lake after the sauna. This is done even in winter. After cooling down, they would return into the sauna again. This cycle may continue for two or three rounds. Men and women sometimes use the Finnish sauna together in the same room. However, this depends on the relationship and composition of the group. Younger people would less likely want to share the sauna room with older people as they tend to like a hotter sauna. However, there is no fixed rules, and the most important thing is that everyone feels comfortable when using the Finnish sauna. The history of the Finnish sauna is difficult to trace. Some said that the Finnish sauna had evolved from the Europe and Sweden bath houses. Finnish sauna is also popular in Finland due to the availability of wood to be burnt in the sauna stove. As Finland has cold climate, the sauna becomes very popular here. You start a Finnish sauna by taking a shower to clean yourself. Most people take a sauna bath without wearing any clothes at all. However, you may wish to cover yourself with a towel. You may also want to bring along a small towel to sit on. You adjust the sauna room moisture by throwing water on the stones. When the temperature gets too hot for you, simply leave the room to cool down. You can return to the room after cooling down. You may repeat this for few rounds to be effective. When you have finally finished, clean yourself with a shower. Remember to drink plenty of water. You can stay in a Finnish sauna as long as you like. You can also use it as often as you want. The important thing is to slowly adjust yourself. If you have just started to use the sauna, you may want to spend shorter duration. Once you feel that the temperature is getting uncomfortable, just leave the room to cool down. As you use the sauna more often and get more comfortable, you can then increase your session and duration gradually. Tim Bird had published his personal experience on the Finnish sauna in Blue Wings in 1997, and those who wish to learn more about Finnish sauna can search for that article and read about it.
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