Commonplace amongst both Western and Eastern medicine practitioners, heat therapy is a major component of the sauna experience. Despite totally different perspectives of the human body, experts from all around the globe recognize the unique and powerful ability of heat treatments. High temperatures signal your body to increase blood flow, thus speeding the healing process. Saunas, sentos, banyas, and hammams all utilize heat therapy in different cultures around the world. Some of the many forms of heat treatment include steam rooms, steam baths, and hot rocks or towels. For example, hot rocks or towels are great if you want to pinpoint the treatment of an injury and apply more of your body’s healing focus to that region. The warmth will soothe and relax your muscles, and help to relieve any tightness or tension that is present.
While the Finnish sauna experience may be the most similar to that of the Western sauna experiences, the practice and use of saunas is common globally, and standards and traditions built around the sauna experience differ between countries. Japan, Russia, Finland, Iceland, and Turkey each possess their own unique behaviors regarding the use of saunas and heat treatment in their cultures. Let’s take a closer look!
Japanese Onsen and Sento
Usually called onsen or sento, hot baths are extremely common in Japan. Baths serve multiple purposes including healing, cleansing, and socializing. Onsen use natural hot springs to create bathing houses. Sento, scattered throughout the streets of Japan, are public bathing houses that do not use spring water. The tradition of public bathing goes all the way back to the Heian Dynasty (794-1185). Although the tradition is old, modern sentos offer state-of-the-art healing practices including electrical pulse baths.
Russian Banya
The Russian banya has been an integral part of the culture for centuries. A traditional banya is a Russian sauna or steam room, although some more closely resemble a bath house. Sauna rocks on a wood stove heat the room, and soft tree branches, or venik, are used to clean the body during the sauna experience. There is often an individual working the banya who will assist in the practice.
Finnish Sauna
The sauna culture in Finland is by far the most popular sauna culture in the world. Heat therapy is a crucial element of daily life in Finland, and saunas have been around for thousands of years. Resembling modern, contemporary saunas, Ancient Finnish saunas were made of wood with a stove known as a kiuas used to heat the space. Saunas are perfect for those seeking an escape from cold temperatures, and the climate of Finland has helped to solidify the importance of saunas in the country’s culture.
Credit: Jeff Sheldon
Icelandic Sauna
Iceland has a strong outdoor culture including heat therapy provided by natural pools. Volcanic activity in the region naturally heats mineral-rich water pools across Iceland—a favorite tourist attraction. e The world-famous Blue Lagoon is even popular with locals. Iceland saunas and spas are somewhat rare in North America, but they tend to mimic the natural settings of Iceland.
Turkish Hammam
A Turkish hammam, also referred to as a Turkish bath, is a Middle Eastern tradition. Considered a form of public bathing, cleansing, and relaxation, hammams have been around since the fifteenth century Ottomon Empire. The Roman style of public bathing merged with the Islamic style and resulted in the hammam. Traditionally, a Turkish hammam begins with a room to warm the body before the participant moves to another room to wash and cleanse. The final room is cooler to lower the temperature of the body.
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