Banya Time

This weekend I was able to find some time to kick back and enjoy some spa time at a Russian sauna, or a banya. For anyone who doesn't know the wonders of saunas, you should definitely give it a try. If you don't believe me, then listen to the science. It's said that regular sauna use can decrease all-cause mortality by over twenty percent. I don't know about you, but that's amazing to me.

I tend to always to go Russian sauna, mostly out of tradition. I'm Armenian myself, and our sauna rituals and setup are quite similar to that of the Russian style. The actual sauna room is made of wood and there's rocks that you can splash water on to great some more steam and heat in the air. Protection first, though. It's tradition to wear a little felt hat to protect your head from the heat. Another fun part of the experience is the dried leaves and branches available in the rooms that are used to massage each other or circulate the air. The massage is mostly you just hitting your friends on the back with the dried leaves, but it's fun nonetheless! And if you want to keep it traditional, the leaves will be eucalyptus since it smells great and really opens up the sinuses to help your breathing.

The next part of the bath house experience is taking little breaks between your sweat sessions. Typically, there will be a small pool kept at cold temperatures you'd think were inhumane if you hadn't felt like you just came out of a volcano. After whatever period of time you can last in the actual sauna, you get to come out and jump into some freezing cold water to cool off before your next session. If you don't want to just jump in, there's usually a lever-operated bucket with equally cold water you can dump on yourself to cool down. This is also a great time to grab some brews or rehydrate with your drink of choice. It's also quite fun to make it a game with your friends to see how long you guys can last in the heat of the sauna, but make sure to stay safe and not to overdo it. After all this, rinse and repeat!