Want to Increase the Value of Your Home? Add a Sauna

There is nothing more relaxing than going through a good workout at the gym or engaging in a fast paced hour of racquetball or tennis and then soothing those aching muscles with a few minutes in a relaxing hot sauna. There is something about that dark enclosed space and the smell of the cedar wood that forces you to be careful so you don’t stay in there too long and cook. Add a little steam and it’s good for your skin too. And there’s almost something spiritual about it. The Native Americans recognized this by spending hours in their sweat lodges until they had a vision. Many important decisions were made in this way.

There are saunas in practically every country in the world, but if there is any one people or nation that loves their saunas, it’s the Finns. In Finland, there is one sauna for every three people. Even the Finish parliament has its own sauna, where politicians can clear their minds before the important decisions are made that affect the entire country. According to CNN, (ww.cnn.com) a bride in Finland recently had her wedding shower in a sauna. All present poured milk onto the bride’s body to symbolically impart kindness to her marriage and another one of her fellow bathers rubbed salt into her back and then whipped her with a whisk to keep away all of her former lovers. Having a sauna was also the way that many Finns survived, using it for warmth, to wash themselves, and to dry meat.

The basic idea of a sauna is to bask yourself in 160 to 280 degree Fahrenheit heat, followed by a quick cool off. Some enhance the experience by flogging themselves with birch twigs, rolling in the snow, or jumping into a frozen lake.

Unfortunately, a few years ago, some of the saunas here in the United States gained a reputation as being seedy elicit meeting places for gay men, but that image seems to have changed.

So what do you do if you want the convenience of a relaxing sauna right in your own home? There are many different kinds and models to choose from. Some can run a little on the expensive side, (in the $3,000-$4,000 range) but it’s a worthwhile investment that will pay you back with many years of relaxation and comfort. There are indoor and outdoor models and portable ones that can be moved from room to room. There are traditional electric and wood models and new infrared ones that give off a consistent, soothing infrared heat. There are also kits that you can build yourself if you want to save some money, and professionally designed house saunas that can be an important addition to the value of your home. (www.saunas.com)