I grew up like a lot of us in the Midwest. Our childhood was filled with activities, such as skiing snowboarding, running cross, country, biking, and doing pretty much anything to get a high. Recovery wasn’t something that most of us thought about when we were young. Usually, it was an older friend that has taken athletics to a serious level, and they had a coach somewhere that emphasized recovery.

American saunas were usually defined as the corner door in the pool room where no one goes in. A place maybe you jump in to see what it’s like or test how hot you can get it. The usual things kids do. 

It’s no wonder it’s taking a while for sauna culture to take off in the US.

Coming over to Europe, life was different. The experiences, the culture. How people spent their time was all different. Sometimes it’s easy to get use to just how much we all center our lives around work—missing experiencing a deeper level of home sauna. Here, it’s woven into everything from the casual Friday morning routine at the bathhouse. to the luxury retreat in the north of Karelia or Estonian back country. 

European and especially Slavic Saunas, are the center piece of community, and  building, strong connections with the people around you.