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"Here the mind goes as blank as snow." Elina Jylhän smiles from ear to ear, squinting her immense blue eyes and unable to hide the intense blush of her cheeks. Crowned by a wool hat with a bulging pompom, she wears a dark swimsuit and goes barefoot. With great care, he closes the wooden door of a small house that looks like something out of a story by the Brothers Grimm.

He grabs his towel, wipes his sweat stubs and prepares to get into a frozen lake. "It's at a temperature of about four degrees below zero," she says, as she submerges without blinking at the change in temperature, while the audience looks at her covered with layers up to her eyebrows. She sings a popular song and swims in just one square meter. You have to hold long enough for shock therapy after the sauna to work. The snowy landscape that forms an idyllic postcard picture outside its living space is pure ice.

A typical traditional Finnish wooden sauna.

It could be a specific episode in Finland, however, this ritual is part of the daily life of its 5.5 million inhabitants (according to data from the last census of 2021). "There is no Finn without its sauna. If we do not have it in our own house, we share it with neighbors just a few meters away, "corroborates Jussi Kiiskilä, CEO of the Ukkohalla hotel, next to the highest ridges of Arctic Lakeland, which divides the Nordic country in half.

A ski and spa resort where they boast of their nine types of sauna, each with its respective temperature and health benefits. "It's the secret of happiness, part of our culture," says Kiiskilä.

THE SERENITY OF THE SAUNA

Steam Sauna at Ukkohalla Sauna World, Finland.

Precisely, the European country leads the ranking of the World Happiness Report for the sixth consecutive year. "We are first since 2018 and that is undoubtedly due to our lifestyle, in contact with nature, and to a daily space of meditation with oneself and without mobile phone or screens that is our sauna."

He compares it to bars in Spain. A meeting and conversation point where you can drown sorrows and live in the present. "After work, we reserve this moment for ourselves. We came out sweating, we looked at this green dyed white and we breathed one of the purest airs in the world," he describes looking at the picturesque lake Syväjärv, a painting to frame the different Finnish saunas, both indoor and outdoor.

The Shingle Sauna, a cabin at 65 degrees of temperature.

"In the old days, people were born in the sauna and it was also the place to take care of the sick," he adds. A Finnish guide to the resort, at his side, agrees with him: "It is a sacred place for us, where we purify the body and mind. We go with colleagues and family, but we also make new friends."

The core of the experience is based on löyly, a vapor released by hot stones when sprayed with water. "We usually leave one person to handle it, not just anyone. When that löyly sprouts, it humbles you and you press your chin against your chest. What a purifying experience, it's spiritual!" the guide continues as she shows how it's done.

THE NINE SAUNAS

A Karelian sauna, which offers an even more relaxing experience.

Most of the inhabitants have a typical Finnish sauna, the Finnish Sauna, made of wood, where the logs have been stained black, as there is no fireplace. That's why their hair smells like smoke when they come out. Some people get naked, but the usual thing is to wear a bathing suit and a towel. "It has been the place of relaxation and purification for centuries. They beat each other with branches and took cold showers, he was like an ancestral physiotherapist. That's why we appreciate the peace and quiet in our 70°C sauna," he explains.

Cave Sauna, built as a cave, is a spectacle for the senses.

Number two, Karelian Sauna, shares its name with its typical sweet, the Karelian cake. Raise the temperature five degrees, to sweat more. "It's more relaxing, thanks to a feature dim lighting it has mental health benefits." The third, infrared and 50 degrees, "increases blood flow and accelerates metabolism." It is excellent for pain relief and recovery, hence it is the most prescribed by doctors. "It's the most healing, by increasing blood flow in tissues."

The infrared sauna is one of the most beneficial.

The saunas in caves, the fourth type, have views as spectacular as the construction itself. The fifth connects with a hot tub at 60 degrees. The wooden, and older, rises to 80 ° C and offers a soft heat with exfoliating benefits for the skin. In the Smoke float aromas because of smoke and tar, with fronts in sight to escape.

When they include panoramic views it is easier to escape.

The pebble (Shingle), at 65 ° C, is a barrel full of tiny stones that massage. And the steam gently caresses body and mind at 50 ° C. "In general, they all bring vitality and improve the immune system. Despite the cold, we don't catch a cold!"

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