Let’s start from basics.
An everyday sauna experience is accidentally meditating, maybe swimming between sauna sessions, little talking about everything between heaven and earth, just sprawling in the sauna. Traditionally, finns use to go in sauna totally naked. In public saunas there might be advice to use swimsuit, especially if there is option to dip in the lake. In private traditional sauna sessions, it is ok to be naked. Sauna is safe place, everyone are equal. And on the other hand, if you want to experience healing vihta treatment, the less you have fabrics between leaves and your skin, it feels always better.
Löyly
Without löyly, sauna is just a warm storage. Löyly is not just steam, if it is translated like that, you get it completely wrong. It is experienced in many levels, and it can be feel in different ways. Sometimes it is mellow, sometimes iti is strong and intensive. The next point is important: You can enjoy the löyly as long as you want. Just listen yourself, and when ever you feel so, you can sit on lower bench orgo outside and breath fresh air.
Green fellows – vihdat
Vihdat or Vastat are just one lovely green aspect from the world of herbal medicines. There is plenty of variations, how different plants enrich the experience in the sauna. The birch vihta is an old classic, but sauna healer with just one birch vihta is rare thing. Vihdat can be made almost any type of trees. Vihta can be used by yourself, but it feels best when someone does the treatment for you. To get in touch with your relationship between nature, and most of all, relaxing time in sweet löyly, try healing vihta treatment!
Spirits of the sauna
Then there are things that enable a deeper, more conscious sauna experience. Spirits of the sauna. Sauna has its own spirit, but then there can be other spirits, such as sauna gnomes or other spirits of nature and forests. They have their own, old wisdom about how the sauna moment can help people to find their inner peace.
In the sauna, the senses and inner voice can be more easily sensitized, and it might be possible to sense things of other levels. Sauna songs and spells can help the mind to open for invisible things.
Who can enjoy sauna?
Sauna is suitable for almost everybody. Kids, adults and elderly are welcome. But if you have a fever or if you have an acute inflammation in the body, you should avoid the sauna. Sauna should also be avoided if you are recovering from a heart attack or other acute illness.