Useful items in a sauna:
- Large towel – to wear
- Towel – to change and sit on the bench
- Bathrobe
- Waist apron, pareo, kilt, cap – apparel that makes the sauna sessions more comfortable, for wrapping up in natural materials (linen, cotton) only
- Flip-flops – must be worn for walking around the area, under the shower and in walkways for hygiene reasons
- Cosmetics – shampoo, shower gel, skin moisturising lotion
- Water – drinking water, best if mineral to supplement ionic compounds and minerals
What is not needed in a sauna?
- Swimsuit, swimming trunks, slippers – the main component are chemical substances (organic chemistry) petroleum derivatives. Due to high temperature, harmful chemicals are released. They are afterwards easily absorbed by the body and emit odours. Going to a sauna in a bathing suit results in the destruction of the apparel and the possibility of skin burns through heat accumulation.
- Jewellery, watches – because they can cause skin burns
- Phones – can be irreparably damaged, the time spent in the sauna is for you and you along so and why not just leave your problems behind?
Why no swimsuit in the sauna?
- Tradition – this is the way sauna enthusiasts and experts have been using saunas from ancient times
- Health – better disposal of heat, toxins, improved breathing of skin. You do not poison yourself and other persons residing in the sauna with substances released from the costume
- Comfort – the body does not overheat, you can spend more time pleasantly in the sauna, gas exchange as well as sweat and toxin excretion are even and conducted over the entire surface of the body
- Economics – you do not destroy your swimsuit, which, as the name indicates, is meant for swimming and bathing in the pool.
Remember
- The main principles of using a sauna:
- Plan your sauna session in advance to set a fixed date
- Do not enter directly after a meal or on an empty stomach, come rested and in good mental and physical condition
- Take your time and do not stress
- Respect others’ privacy and right to relax
- Take a shower and then dry your body
- Use the sauna without a bathing costume, you can wrap the body in natural fabrics (linen, cotton)
- After leaving the sauna, take a shower to get rid of sweat and start the cooling process
- You want to rest and relax – others do too, so do not disturb others and behave inconspicuously
- Sit with your whole body on a dry towel to protect yourself and others from sweat secreted during the session and sweat on the benches
- Rest after each session, at least as much time as you have resided in the sauna
- If using aromas while pouring water on the stones, always ask other people for permission
- The higher you sit the greater the temperature
- Breathe slowly
- The session lasts for 15 minutes, usually up to three sessions interspersed with cooling and relaxation breaks
Rules for using a steam sauna:
- Take a shower before entering the sauna
- Enter naked, optionally in an apron made of natural materials (linen, cotton)
- Rinse your seating place with water both before and after use
In the sauna, avoid:
- Entering with a swimsuit and/or flip-flops
- Entering without a customary greeting
- Sitting directly on the bench without placing a towel underneath
- Loud conversations and comments in both the sauna and tepidarium
- Peeping, looking through the glass
- Entering for a moment and then leaving, thus airing the sauna
- Entering the sauna, banya or the cooling pool without taking a shower
- Pouring water on the stones and benches in the steam bath without prior permission of the other guests
