Hot wooden planks press into the skin of my back. I pinch the edge of my felt hat, and pull it down as I feel sweat beading down my arms. Right now, wearing it is crucial, as it will prevent my head from overheating. I look around at the other felt hat-clad women, all wearing swimsuits, like me. Some of their hats have colorful folk designs, or Cyrillic text emblazoned across the front. Mine and my mother’s are plain ivory. The other women are sitting against the wooden walls, talking with a few friends, or quietly meditating as the heat gradually turns their skin blush pink. It’s rather dark, but I know my skin is probably, by now, lobster red.
Waiting for my mother to give me the signal, I stew in the heat so thick it almost feels solid, which ranges from 150 to 190 degrees Fahrenheit. On the ground, there are two wood-burning stoves, or Kiuas, the traditional Finnish term, heating the room. The closer you sit, the hotter it gets, and my mother always claims the spot closest to them. Every so often, a middle-aged Russian woman will come and spray the stove fire with an elixir that smells deliciously of pine and spruce, and for a moment I will forget that I am in heat-induced agony.
“It’s all worth it,” says my Russian grandmother, who is sitting next to me. I can tell she’s getting hot too, but she’s used to it. “I’m telling you. Back in Russia, we did this all the time. I remember once, someone said to me, ‘Olga, your skin is so smooth and beautiful, what kind of makeup are you using?’ And I told her, ‘there’s no makeup. I am only going to the sauna.’”
This is the same message my mother and grandmother have been telling me for years, attributing their good health and mood to their sauna and cold plunge sessions. My mother, grandmother, and I journey to the sauna and cold plunge center together once a month, although my mother goes by herself more frequently. It’s a common excursion in Slavic culture, and has been a part of Finnish culture for thousands of years.
When my mother’s wristwatch, which by some miracle withstands the heat, beeps, it means we’ve been baking in the sauna for twenty minutes. It’s time for the next part of our ritual. I am usually the first one to leave the sauna, but I am far from relieved to be out of the intense heat, because in a few moments, I will plunge into a vat of frigid ice water. There are two massive wooden tanks right outside the sauna, with little steps leading up to them. From the top step, you’re meant to carefully lower yourself into the container of ice water.
Bracing myself, I plunge one foot, then the other, into the water. As quickly as I can, per my mother’s instructions, I sink down all the way to my shoulders. There is a jolt that lasts about two seconds, as going from extremely hot to extremely cold immersion is predictably a shock to the system. I wrap my hands around my upper arms, and curl into a ball. To distract myself from the jarring blast, I hum a song. Once, I saw a woman watching Netflix on her phone while submerged. I have yet to try it. I probably look incredibly silly, like a mushroom on ice with my bell-shaped felt hat. My mother follows behind me, quickly submerging in the container next to mine. She, being the most precise person I know, sets a timer for two minutes. I usually don’t count. Since she gets in after me, and we emerge from the ice at the same time, I am definitely in there for longer than two minutes.
When I rise, it is the most glorious feeling. I feel almost new. I am shivering, but somehow, I feel I am at the perfect temperature. My heart is pounding, and sometimes, impressed newcomers gawk at the boldness my mother and I have to shock ourselves like this. Cold plunging takes a lot of courage, and it’s common to see others giving up halfway through. It gets easier with practice, but some people opt for a cold shower instead, as it feels less jarring and intimidating.
In Russia, saunas and stream rooms are referred to as “banya”, which is what my grandmother calls it. She has been going to some form of sauna her entire life, from St. Petersburg (formerly Leningrad) in the former Soviet Union to Boston in the United States. The sauna is a shared memory of many Slavic people, and it’s common to hear them talk about how they wished they had a sauna in their own home.
The benefits, frequently echoed by my family members, are expansive. Sitting in a sauna is great for your health, according to Mayo Clinic, and can reduce the risk of diseases such as
“high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease (CVD), stroke, and neurocognitive diseases”, as well as “common flu…as well as pain in conditions such as rheumatic diseases and headache.”
Sauna usage also has potential benefits for the skin, which my grandmother and I especially take notice of. Some sources, such as Dermstore, agree that the sweat caused by the sauna’s heat opens your pores, which “helps loosen dirt, oil, and debris trapped in…which can make your skin feel cleaner and refreshed.” The same source mentions, however, that “it’s important to cleanse your face after a sauna session to avoid re-clogging pores as sweat and impurities cool and settle.”
The cold plunge that accompanies the sauna has its own benefits, especially for those who are physically active. Mayo Clinic says “research indicates that icy water may have a positive effect on recovery after exercise by reducing inflammation and soreness” and that “it also may help build resiliency, restore balance to the nervous system and improve cognitive function and mood.”
We repeat the sauna/cold plunge cycle three or four times within two hours, and take breaks to drink water or have a brief interlude in the steam room . After we’re done, we take showers. My grandmother reports feeling more alert and awake, while my mother and I report feeling more relaxed and calm. Sometimes, it’s the other way around. Every time, however, we marvel at how clean our skin feels afterwards, and how more people seriously need to try this out.
We go to Kelo Spa and Steam, a Finnish style sauna experience in Newton, Massachusetts. It costs $69 for a three-hour reservation if you book ahead of time. I have also been to Spa Light in Lincoln, Rhode Island, and enjoyed their diverse sauna temperature rooms, as Kelo only has one. Korean Spas have a similar atmosphere and are very enjoyable, too. Many gyms contain saunas, which are just as good as a spa location. There may not be a cold plunge tank, but a cold shower will suffice. I highly recommend the sauna/cold plunge cycle for teenagers, as adults mostly populate the sauna scene. Athletes will especially find a pleasing experience, especially when in pursuit of physical recovery.