A Good Löyly in a Traditional Sauna

Finding Strength in the Heat: My Journey Through Sauna, Cold Plunge, and Löyly

The temperature gauge reads 190 degrees Fahrenheit, just a few degrees above an uncomfortable August day in Texas. My towel I have been sitting on for 30 minutes is completely soaked with my sweat and my heart rate is hovering around 130-140. Right as I am debating whether or not to stay in this place of discomfort for one more second, the oldest person in the sauna pours another cup of peppermint-infused water onto the heated rocks. I hear water simmering, feel the steam rise all around me, and then my ears start to tingle along with my nose, I consider moving lower in the sauna to find “cooler” air, but opt for a towel over my head instead. I think about people doing Yoga in this heat and I smile at how ridiculous that would seem to me now.

A few minutes later, I’m staggering out of the sauna and showering off the accumulated sweat on my body to quickly plunge myself into a jet-propelled tub of 37-degree water. In an instant, I go from fatigued and overheated, to wide awake and sitting comfortably in water that no sane person would voluntarily spend time in. As I sit and wiggle trying to avoid the jets that make the water “bite”, I see that my heart rate is resting at 50-60 and my eyesight has become incredibly sharp with colors seeming more vivid. All of my senses are now activated as I settle into my 3-minute soak in frigid water. For me, a cold plunge has stages: first, I feel comfortable and replenished. Next, I feel unbearably cold and my mind begins to tell my body to flee. Then, I gain control of my breathing and I overcome my mind’s alarm bells. Finally, I settle in and my body becomes numb to the point that I’m no longer cold and I think I could stay in the water far beyond my 3-minute timer. What a wild ride sitting still!

As I walk with confident steps back into the sauna, the temperature gauge now reads 194 degrees. I sit down on the alder wood and look out through the large glass window of this custom home sauna onto a starlit night shimmering off of the pool, and I am as comfortable as I have ever been. This feeling of warmth and comfort lasts about 10 minutes and then I begin to sweat. The sweat flows freely now and I can tell that I’m pushing toxins out of my body that I don’t usually access in a normal workout. The discomfort heightens and I decide to join in on the conversations in the room, feeling vulnerable and wanting to take my mind elsewhere. Something happens in that room with those people in those conversations within the “yoyoing” of the sauna and cold plunge that takes me to a place in health and fitness that few other workouts with friends can take me. The closest I have felt to this experience in the sauna is sitting around a campfire with friends after an adventurous day of hiking through the mountains together.

I like to end with a thirty-second cold plunge to finish feeling awake and invigorated. Others prefer finishing with the sauna to feel relaxed. But we all finish with a good löyly (luoy-lu), a Finnish word that translates to the hot steam that rises from the sauna’s stove. However, löyly means far more than this throughout Scandinavia and the Baltic countries that have long-standing sauna traditions. For centuries, the people of these regions have developed a culture that views one’s löyly as more closely tied to a spiritual experience in relation to the health of one’s soul, life force, personality, charisma, or luck (Miika Vanhapiha 2022). Since spending time in a Hälsa custom-built sauna and cold plunge, the health of my body and spirit has improved with better sleep, less joint pain, a sharper mind, stronger cardio, and faster muscle recovery. In addition, each Hälsa Saunas session with friends and family is filled with positivity, productive conversations, and growth within those relationships in ways that are both surprising and fulfilling. I hope you can join me sometime.

Otha Graham