Scandinavians learned how to use a sauna quite early on. They use the sauna (http://blog.mybath.biz/the_my_bath_blog/2008/11/7-benefits-of-c.html) for many things; there are many benefits of sauna sessions. Not only is it very relaxing for them (and anybody else for that matter), but it is a social affair as well, just as much as going to a bar or to a close friend's house.

Saunas were (and still are) a daily part of life, where entire families would enjoy each other's company while they bathed in the steam. They were also used for preparation of burial, as well as a place for women to give birth, because water was readily available and the structure itself was sanitary, not to mention the calming atmosphere.

There are two different types of sauna: the regular steam sauna and the dry infrared sauna (http://blog.mybath.biz/the_my_bath_blog/2008/12/how-do-far-infr.html). The infrared type is usually a home sauna, as it is more portable. The steam sauna is more popular in Scandinavian countries because it is more traditional.

The very first known saunas in Finland were basically made from alcoves carved into slopes that were used as winter dwellings. These contained fire places where they would heat stones up and then dump water over the stones, creating heat. The pile of rocks was called a kiuas, and the sauna heat was called löyly.

With the advent of the metal wood stove during the industrial revolution, sauna temperatures were able to rise to 160-180 degrees Fahrenheit, sometimes even up to or exceeding 200 degrees Fahrenheit. The sauna is rising in popularity in western culture. You can almost always find steam rooms or even steam showers (http://www.mybath.biz/typesofsteamshowers.html) at any gym, if not a sauna itself.

If not a sauna, steam room, or any of the other above mentioned items, you will most definitely be able to find a hot tub anywhere there is a swimming pool, whether it is in a residential home or a community swimming pool. The hot tub was obviously inspired by the Finnish sauna; a person soaking in heated water with steam rising up is directly reminiscent of an open air sauna.

However, in Finland the sauna is not intended for weight loss or as a replacement for physical exercise by any means. It is only for refreshment and for healing, as the sauna is known to induce excessive sweating which releases toxins from the skin. It is supposed to be a natural place where gender and age does not matter.

The first sauna is recorded to have been built by the Finns way back in either the fifth or the eighth century. Wood was burned inside of a room and, once the smoke cleared, the sauna goers were allowed in, where there was heat and the natural aroma of wood.