The Finnish sauna has long been a source of wellbeing, with proven health benefits for both body and mind.

“Sauna bathing can reduce excess stress in the body,” says professor Jari Laukkanen, who has been studying the health effects of sauna bathing. “Sauna improves vascular elasticity and therefore lowers blood pressure.”

The benefits are strongest among active bathers – those who sauna four to seven times per week. “Notably, combining exercise with sauna can lower blood pressure even more than exercise alone,” Laukkanen explains.

The sauna is also a good ally for caring for your mental health: research shows sauna bathers are generally positive and often cheerful. They report a higher quality of life than those who avoid the steam.

As Carita Harju of Sauna from Finland puts it: “In the sauna, we forget the phone and take a moment for ourselves. I always say sauna is meditation without the meditation practice.”

A list of sauna health benefits is featured on Kotona.com, a Finnish lifestyle site covering homes, design, crafts and everyday living in Finland. (Kotona means “at home” in Finnish.)