The ritual of taking a sauna consists of several phases. From preparation to relaxation, every phase has its own special meaning. In this blog post, we focus on one of these phases and give tips on how to cool down your body after the sauna.
Lake water / sea water
The summer in Estonia is in full swing, the water in lakes and the sea is warm, and diving into it after taking a sauna is the best way to cool down your body! Tip: take special pleasure from that very first dive of the sauna session as your body is not used to the variating hot and cold yet and the first jump into the water creates especially enjoyable tingles!
Rolling in the snow
Cooling oneself down with snow and ice is especially popular during winter times. To do this, the sauna taker should roll themselves in snow that is deep enough and as clean as possible. This pleasantly stinging method for cooling is sure to draw everyone quickly back to the heat of the sauna!
A bucket of cold water
A special bucket filled with cold water that is hung on the wall just beside the sauna. After the sauna, it can be toppled to pour all the water onto the sauna taker, cooling the body quickly and intensely. Tip: the sauna taker who dislikes ice cold water can also use lukewarm water to fill the bucket!
Garden hose
Garden hose has become very popular among many sauna goers. The most ordinary garden hose without any nozzle, from which cold water pours without any pressure, can be used by the sauna taker to rinse themselves from head to toe or work their way slowly up from the feet.
A pool or a tub
If the garden has a pool or a tub, jumping into it after being in the sauna cools the whole body relatively quickly. Tip: if the sauna taker is not overly fond of cold water, the tub can be heated for a few hours before jumping in so that the water is warmer.
Gentle cooling – by air
For those less than enthusiastic about a cold shower, pool, rolling in the snow, or lake water, or to whom they are contraindicated, one of the most efficient ways to cool yourself is by just being outdoors. A short amount of time is required in winter, it takes a bit longer in summer, but the important thing is that the body gets cooled down after the hot sauna!
In the end, it is up to the sauna taker which method for cooling their body they prefer, may it be with the help of ice water, a tub, snow, air, or seawater! Generally, cooling should not take too long and after the time in the sauna, the sauna taker should have a phase where they just relax and let their body calm down!