Have you ever sat in a really hot room and then jumped into freezing-cold water? In Sweden, some people do this as part of their sauna and cold-plunge tradition! Last week, I got to experience it myself during my psychoneuroimmunology class, where we learned about how this tradition may benefit our health.
I learned about the tradition of going between a hot sauna and cold water. In Swedish, a sauna is called a batsu. I visited Tanto Bastu, a public sauna in Stockholm, where wood is burned to heat the room. Inside, there are hot rocks on to which you can pour water to create steam if you want the sauna to feel even hotter and more humid!
Usually, people spend a few minutes warming up in the sauna before jumping or stepping into the cold water. After that, they return to the sauna and repeat the process a few times. Brrr! When I tried it last week, it was only 35 degrees Fahrenheit outside! That might sound freezing, but people in Sweden enjoy saunas and cold plunges even in the winter, when it can be much colder. Can you imagine jumping into cold water when it's snowing outside?
