A little history (and why the sauna is not a trend)
The word sauna comes from Finnish and means "house of heat," which was originally heated by fire. Unsurprisingly, most saunas are found in Finland, where there is one sauna for every 2.5 inhabitants.
Today, you can choose how intensely you want to "suffer."
Choose according to your own preferences:
- Finnish sauna: A traditional dry sauna with a temperature of 80–100 °C and low humidity (5–20%). Ideal for detoxification and muscle relaxation.
- Steam sauna (hammam): A humid bath with a temperature of around 40–50 °C, which moisturizes the skin and helps clear the respiratory tract.
- Infrared sauna: A modern type of sauna that uses infrared radiation to directly heat the body. Temperatures are lower (40–60 °C), which is suitable for more sensitive individuals.
- Bio sauna: A combination of a Finnish and steam sauna with a temperature of 50–70 °C and higher humidity. More pleasant for beginners.
We could all list the effects of sauna bathing, which is primarily why we endure those few minutes (or repeated few minutes). The body's defenses, dilation of blood vessels and support of blood circulation, stimulation of endorphin production, detoxification, and subsequent better sleep. But what makes the sauna interesting is not just the heat—it's the ritual. And the silence.
Silence is a partner. Not an enemy.
An integral part of the sauna is not just the heat, steam, and people in towels. It is what we may all fear and enjoy at the same time after a day at work or at home—silence.
No one is talking to you (or shouldn't be), it's just you, your inner struggle with an (un)comfortable situation, and your own thoughts, which you will either focus on or try to push out of your mind as much as possible and relax. What to do with a mind that won't shut down?
- Breathe slowly and consciously. Focus on your breath, and your mind will follow
- Focus on the feeling of warmth. Mentally focus on something small that affects you and changes over time.
- Don't chase away thoughts of external reality. You will never really get everything out of your head, but you can at least try.
- There is no "I must." I must endure, I must stop thinking about it, I must write it down later. No, at this moment, you just have to be.
It's often about inertia. When, after a day filled with notifications, meetings, conversations with colleagues, or a flood of emails, you suddenly find yourself sitting in the middle of nowhere, it's perfectly normal for your mind not to be able to switch off immediately. In the silence, things from a few hours ago still linger. And it takes a while for them to fade away.
And often it's also about unfamiliarity. Not having your head full of thoughts. Not being on guard. Not planning your next move. And maybe it's also a little fear of what will pop up when you stop thinking about the presentation you have to finish.
Where to go to the sauna or water park thanks to benefits?
- You will find wellness facilities including a sauna, salt cave, and large lake on the premises in Plavecký Štvrtok at the Spark wellness hotel.
- In Prievidza, stop by the RM Hotel**** Wellness & Congress, which offers saunas as well as wellness facilities.
- A short distance from Banská Bystrica, in the village of Selce, you will find the Horský hotel Fuggerov dvor, an ideal place for winter skiing, but also for relaxing your body.
- If you prefer entertainment as well as relaxation, water parks are the right place for you. With Benefit Plus, you can use the services of the AquaCity Poprad complex or the Hotel Senec Aqua Resort.
Finally, just a small detail – the body can relax faster than the mind. And the sauna is one of the few places where you can teach them to relax at the same time.
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