Have you ever heard of a snow sauna? Taking a sauna is great at any time of the year. Especially if it is a traditional Finnish sauna built from cedar and heated by a wood-burning sauna stove. It seems that all the stresses and strains of the day are drawn out of the body by the radiant heat of the sun that was stored in the burning wood. Once the stove rocks are hot, the dry heat penetrates deep into your body and flushes out all the toxins. Then it’s time to turn up the heat by pouring water over the rocks in the stove with a loud hiss. As humidity increases, sweat increases, removing all dirt and toxins.
A good traditional sauna is usually located near a lake or river. When the heat of the sauna is almost unbearable and the toxins are on the surface of the skin, you open the door of the sauna and head to the cold water of the lake. A quick soak in the water rinses all the poisons from your skin. Now you are clean, refreshed and often without energy. Just a snow sauna will make you cleaner and refreshed.
If it’s winter and you live in the Snow Belt along the southern shore of Lake Superior, you have a great opportunity to enjoy the snow sauna tradition. Winter lasts a long time in these great snow areas where in some years there are still snowbanks in the cedar swamps on the 4th of July. Claustrophobia is a common problem due to the cold and darkness of winter and early spring as the months progress. The snow sauna is a great way to purge the body and mind of this annual affliction.
In some places, like the Keweenaw Peninsula, the snow starts to fall early. November snowpacks will exceed the total annual snow depth for many northern cities. However, the snow sauna season usually doesn’t start until around Christmas time. The timing of the snow sauna season is related to the depth of the snow. In general, the snow sauna season begins when the local snow depth is greater than 24 inches.
A snow sauna starts with a normal sauna. However, that is where the similarity ends. Once you work up a good sweat, instead of heading to the lake to take a dip, just jump into the cold, clean snow. It is important that the snow has a good base, especially at the beginning of the snow sauna season. Powder snow won’t support much weight and your snowpack can end up with a crash landing. It’s also important that the area you’re skipping isn’t covered with rocks, brush, sticks, and other hazards. An additional hazard can come from hard snowpack after the January thaw or during the spring thaw period.
As we said, a good snow sauna ends with a good jump or flop in the snow. After falling and getting covered in snow, be careful to watch the area where you landed. You will be surprised to see dark deposits in the snow. These are the result of the dirt and toxins that were in and on your body before the sauna. A true snow sauna enthusiast will do several flips and falls before re-entering the sauna to break a sweat again. A good snow sauna will make your body feel more alive and clean than ever. All the symptoms of cabin fever will disappear, especially if you take a snow sauna with family and friends.
There is nothing better than a snow sauna to improve your health and well-being. You haven’t really lived until you’ve run out the sauna door and jumped into 3 or 4 feet of snow.
