Kaavinkoski Silence Center
Sauna is a Finnish-Sámi word. The heart of the sauna was a pile of heated rocks around which bathers sat under a temporary cover, just as the native Americans did in their sweat lodges.
It is possible that sweat baths similar to saunas were known as long ago as the Stone Age some 6,000 years back. The stoves in the dwellings at that time were round, shallow fire pits, with two or three layers of smallish stones at the bottom.
A smoke stove, a dome-shaped rock stove, was the original hearth in the sauna and it is still in use today in modern smoke saunas. It was excellent for heating the dwelling and the sauna but not so good for cooking and baking. In the 11th century, a closed-top oven for baking and a stove placed in front of the oven for cooking therefore became commonplace. Thus there were two different types of hearth: one for heating the dwelling and another for the sauna. This allowed the sauna to develop into a bathing house although some of the domestic chores continued to be performed in the sauna.
In the past, a sauna bath gave people a chance to clean themselves thoroughly at least once a week, and more often if necessary.A good sweat and a shower cleanses the skin better than normal.The old people proverb "If sauna, liquor and tar don’t help, your condition’s fatal" does not of course mean that these three potent medicines should be taken simultaneously.After the sauna there is no hurry anywhere.The feeling is blissful. The sauna relaxes the body and soothes the mind.It is excellent for unlocking tense negotiations and producing good, unanimous decisions.
Health effects of the sauna:In the old days, people used the sauna as a place to treat illnesses. In the sauna, folk healers could concentrate on their work in peace and quiet and patients were receptive to treatment because there were many deeply held beliefs and a certain respect connected with the sauna. The belief in the healing properties of the sauna remains strong even today, although we now know that sauna bathing does not prevent or cure long-term illnesses.Sauna speeds up the heartbeat, improves the breathing and circulation, raises the body temperature, stimulates the metabolism and may, at least temporarily, lower the blood pressure.
Medical science believes that the sauna has considerable health benefits. Sauna bathing toughens the body and pacifies the mind. Expertise in the beneficial effects of the sauna is rooted in traditional Finnish-Karelian folk medicine, the skills of cupping, bloodletting and spinal manipulation.
Kaavinkoski Silence Center
Kaavinkoskentie 590
71200 Tuusniemi
Pohjois-Savo - Itä-Suomen lääni
Finland
Tel: +358(0) 400674351
Description of way
Kaavinkoskentie 590
71200 Tuusniemi
Pohjois-Savo - Itä-Suomen lääni
Finland
Tel: +358(0) 400674351
Description of way
