Traditional use of the sauna for hygiene and health in Finland.

Finns have used the sauna for centuries to clean themselves, to maintain their health and even to help in treating a variety of ills. Up to this century the sauna was widely used as a place for childbirth. But the main reason for a sauna is the pleasure of sauna bathing and the craving for the feeling after the sauna. The longevity and effects of the sauna in Finland are linked to the view of the sauna as a holy place; participants have to behave in the sauna as they would in the church. The use of the vihta or vasta (a sauna whisk made of birch branches) has been an essential part of sauna bathing. Beating with the vihta promotes sweating and stimulates the warm skin. Many curative and magical effects have been attributed to the practice. Seldom has the sauna been thought to cause any disease.