Although saunas are a great way to keep warm and may help improve circulation or have other health benefits, I believe that the most important part of sauna for Finns is quiet and relaxation, two factors that are highly valued in Finland.
Many people here will tell stories of how young they were when they first came to sauna; one of my favorite stories is of a sauna expert now, who said her father took her in a little bath with water to sauna for a few minutes when she was a baby!
Saunas have a rich cultural history in Finland, and now that we have many saunas in the United States, I'm quite happy that they've shared it with the world!
