Taking a sauna is simple: heat, cool down and rest, a few times over. But a few tricks make all the difference – where you sit, when to throw water on the stones and how long to stay in the cold. Here is the sauna ritual step by step, the way we do it out on the raft.
1. Heat: 8–15 minutes
A wood-fired sauna is usually around 70–90 °C. Heat rises, so the higher you sit, the hotter it gets. Start on a lower bench and move up once you're used to it.
Stay as long as it feels good, usually 8–15 minutes. There is no right number of minutes – go out when you are properly warm, not when you have "lasted" a certain time.
Löyly – throwing water on the stones
Löyly is the Finnish word for the steam that rises when you pour water on the hot stones. It is the steam, not the thermometer, that makes a sauna feel hot. Pour one ladle at a time and wait a moment before the next.
Ask the others before you throw water. Not everyone wants the same heat at the same time.
2. Cool down: a cold dip
Once you are warm, it's time to cool down. A dip in the lake is best, but a moment out in the fresh air works too. Get in slowly, breathe out and stay as long as it feels good – a few seconds is enough.
The contrast is what gives the feeling: your skin tightens, your breathing picks up, and then a calm, clear feeling spreads through your whole body.
3. Rest: as long as you like
Sit out on the deck wrapped in a towel, or stand for a while and feel the cold on your skin. Drink some water. Rest is part of the classic ritual, but how long it lasts is up to you – many people soon head back into the heat.
Repeat three to four times
Heat, cool down and rest make one round. Most people do three to four rounds, but listen to your body. You can end the last round with the cold or with a moment in the heat, whichever you like best.
Afterwards: drink plenty, eat something and take it easy. Many people sleep unusually well after a sauna evening.
Sauna etiquette in short
- Sit on a towel – a small one is enough.
- Ask before you throw water on the stones.
- Naked or swimwear? In a private sauna, your group decides.
- Chat by all means, but respect anyone who wants a quiet moment.
- Don't swim alone, and save the alcohol until you're done with the dips.
The sauna ritual at Sjöbastun
At Sjöbastun the lake does the work for you. The raft is moored about 100 metres out on Lake Drevviken, and from the swim ladder you step straight into the lake – all year round. The sauna is wood-fired and hot when you arrive, and the whole raft is yours for three hours. That's enough for four relaxed rounds, with time left to sit on the deck and watch the sun go down.
