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7 sauna rituals for body and mind

7 sauna rituals for body and mind

03.03.2023

The wellness revolution continues apace, with individuals increasingly devoting time and attention to seeking self-care activities that can promote personal health and happiness. Along with other spa and pampering activities, a visit to the sauna is a great way to boost well-being by leaving us feeling refreshed, relaxed and cared for.

Here are some ideas how to enhance your sauna experience and turn it into a truly invigorating wellness ritual.

1. Using a sauna whisk

For some, the idea of slapping yourself with a bunch of wet leaves while in a hot room might sound too much like self-flagellation – but for many, it’s a great source of enjoyment.

Sauna whisks, which are traditionally made from birch leaves, are said to bring the blood up to the surface, promoting circulation and helping to relax the muscles while also exfoliating the skin.

 

2. Applying a mud mask

Mud may be dirty, but it’s also full of minerals. And that’s the secret to its skincare benefits – among others, it contains potassium, magnesium, calcium and sodium, all of which offer health-giving properties for your skin. Mud masks have the ability to absorb excess oils, remove toxins and impurities and clear pores, and they have been used to treat a range of conditions including psoriasis, dermatitis and acne – with some even claiming they can smooth out wrinkles. And as an added bonus, mud is also a natural product that doesn’t contain any man-made chemicals.

 

3. Exfoliating with a salt scrub

While mud is ideal for the face, salt is wonderful for exfoliating the body due to its coarse texture, which helps to remove dead skin cells and leave your skin feeling silky smooth – and it offers other benefits too, like increasing circulation and reducing blemishes.

Another thing that’s really great about salt scrubs is that they’re cheap and easy to make at home, with loads of guides online for different versions you can try that incorporate various carrier oils, essential oils, colorants and other ingredients. There are many different salts you can experiment with, with Dead Sea salt, Epsom salt and Himalayan pink salt all being favorites among proponents.

 

4. Using sauna honey

Sauna honey is a product that’s quickly gaining popularity, with producers promoting its exfoliating effects, especially when applied in the warm environment of the sauna where its absorbency is increased.

The product can be used to create a “honey mask” that leaves the skin feeling clean, soft and nourished because it promotes sweat production and encourages the pores to open. It’s also claimed that sauna honey can speed up the healing of wounds and relieve inflammation and joint pain – and as you’d expect, it’ll leave you smelling delicious too!

 

5. Taking an ice bath or shower

Plunging into an ice bath isn’t everyone’s idea of fun, but “Iceman” Wim Hof has helped to make the cold more popular in recent times by highlighting its benefits for immunity and stress reduction.

The practice of submerging oneself in cold water is also heavily associated with the sauna, and knowing there’s somewhere lovely and warm to go afterwards can certainly make it more bearable. Raising your core body temperature in the morning will leave you feeling great for the rest of the day and counterintuitively, a quick splash in a cold shower or bath will do this, as your body compensates for the cooling effect on your skin.

 

6. Using aroma oils in the sauna

The benefits of aromatherapy are already well known, and when heated and released into the air essential oils like peppermint, tea tree, eucalyptus and lavender offer various benefits including improving mood, relieving stress, increasing energy levels, improving digestion and promoting healing and pain relief.

So why not combine those benefits with a nice sauna session? Adding aroma oils to the stones is a great way to give yourself a different sauna experience that will leave you feeling even more refreshed and relaxed once you’re done.

 

7. Drinking water

Staying well hydrated is one of the most essential things you can do for your physical and mental health, and it’s particularly important if you’re active or spending time in a hot place like the sauna.

To make your water more refreshing and interesting, you could try infusing it with basil leaves, berries, citrus fruits or cucumber (or anything else you can think of!) There’s lots of guidance around on how much water to drink every day and the best way to do it, and the advice is often conflicting so it’s certainly worth doing some research and coming to your own conclusions – just keep in mind that what’s best for you will depend on your lifestyle, health, activity levels and the climate where you live.

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