Infrared Sauna & Steam Sauna News

They say you learn something new each day - we’ll I’d like to think I lean more than just one thing but that’s besides the point - I just learnt that there is such a thing as the Sauna Gnome!

Actually I should clarify - I just learnt about the sauna gnome of fairy-tales, the legend. This isn’t breaking news that the real sauna gnome has been discovered so don’t get your hopes up.

Saunatonttu is his name and this roughly translates as sauna elf. Apparently he’s the sauna police - if you behave badly in the sauna, he’s gonna come down hard on you. Bad things will happen. If you’re caught doing any of the following in the sauna then you should be affraid - sleeping, playing games, arguing, being noisy, anything else which might cause your mother to blush. Oh - and you should feed him too! Leaving it outside is ok apparently.

If anyone has any more on the origins of Saunatonttu, then please leave some comments as I’d love to learn more about the little guy.

If you’re looking for that extra special sauna then there’s a guy in Canada who might be able to give it to you. Luc Beauparlant, of Création Sauna Inc., builds bespoke saunas using a variety of natural materials and styles. One was made in the form of a whales rib cage. He mainly uses cedar wood from the structure as this commonly has a natural curve which lends itself well to the style of his saunas. The Monteal Gazette has a feature and a couple of nice photos.

As for the cost - well his saunas range in price from $20,000 to $100,000 - not sure if that’s Canadian money or US. Either way - you need to start saving sooner rather than later.

If you have some spare change and are on business in Dubai - why not book yourself into the Monarch Dubai Hotel.

The Palace Suite, located on the 32nd and 33rd floors, features two Majlis, dining room, private movie theatre and library, three en-suite bedrooms and an extensive outdoor area with private terrace, pool, steam room and sauna.

Now that’s what I call sauna-ing in style! Apparently the view are spectacular too, overlooking the length of Sheik Zayed Road.

It won’t be the cheapest sauna you’ve experienced though - a one night stay will set you back the best part of $1000, and that’s forone of their excutive suites - heaven knows how much the Palace Suite will cost. A massage in the Mandara Spa will cost a further $260 roughly.

A recent article in the Salt Lake Tribunetalks about how a cop believes a causal link between the meth labs and police illnesses has been established. Al Acosta feels that pulling apart between 300 and 400 meth labs during his career with the Utah Bureau of Investigations narcotics unit has cost him his health. Apparently fellow cop, Kelly Call, has been living on ibuprofen to deal with the systoms of meths exposure for want of a better word. But since enroling on a course of saunas he’s not touched the stuff.

Call is one of eight retired and current Utah police officers undergoing an Orem clinic’s detoxification treatment, which is based on Scientology teachings where toxins are sweated out of the system.

Experts are skeptical of the prospect of saunas fixing the problems cause by meth exposure but the officers undergoing the detox programme are convinced it’s working.

The treatments invove the officers sitting in a sauna for hours at a time. They exercise and eat a diet high in anti-oxidants and other nutrients that boost the excretory system. Officers claim they can smell the chemicals leaving their body. The officers are being recommended that they continue with the diet and visit a sauna a few times a week but warned that the detox should not substitute conventional medical treatment.

For more information visit the tribune.

This years annual Sauna World Championship was held in Finland with 101 participants competing from 17 different countries. Temperatures reached a swealtering 110 C. The winner of the competition is the last person to leave the sauna without outside help.

Leila Kulin from Finland defended her championship victory for the second year running after Natalia Trifanava from Belarus was escorted from the sauna after 10 minutes and 31 seconds.

In the men’s final, six local Finnish men dominated the competition with Timo Kaukonen staying in the heat for a lengthy 12 minutes and 26 seconds to take victory.

Well done Tim and Leila.

We’ll you can if you really want as it appear the Playstion 3 can stand the heat. Apparently the guys at PS3 Vault were curious about just how tough the PS3 is. They ran a PS3 for 108 hours straight in three separate operating conditions: a typical family room, the back of a freezer van, and a sauna.

Well apart from a slight burning smell whilst in the sauna, the box came out unscathed. I’m sure they ran the tests in a responsible and safe way - so kids - don’t try this at home.

If you find yourself in california and your feeling the need to sauna then why not pop into Gardena Sauna, Gardena CA. Oh, and you’ll also have to be female to enjoy the facilities. It’s perfect for women who would rather not share with us fat sweaty men and host a load of other women friendly stuff like body scrubs, tanning rooms, chinese herb therapy and foot massages. It has a salon as well.

Regarding saunas side of things it has 4 jacuzzi, heated stone therapy (you can sleep on it! and lose as many calories as a 20k run - not sure about that), dry sauna, hot sauna, cold sauna?!, warm sauna, salt sauna (interesting) .

And to top it all - $15 admission! Visit Gardena Saunas

Now what would be the male equivalent sauna retreat? - aside from those seedy massage parlor types.

The verteran ice hockey star, Chris Chelios, who at the age of 45 is still playing top level ice hockey has an unusual fitness regime. Whilst most peers of his age have long since retired, Chris is still going and is considered an athletic marvel by his ‘younger’ teamates. The fitness secret Chris has long since employed is the use of saunas during his workouts. Chris regularly sits on his stationary bike whilst in the saunas and sweats it out for up to 45 minutes a session. As you can imagine this causes his to excrete vast amounts of sweat and no doubt give him quite a cardio workout.

Remember Chris is a professional athelete and it’s perhaps not the wisest exercise routine for those starting out with saunas - but who knows - maybe this will catch on. Might have make saunas bigger - or maybe just turn of the air-con in the gym!

Sauna were in the mainstream news recently. The British newspaper The Sun went with a story of a Muslim woman who took a sauna whilst dressed in full robes and her hijab. After enduring a sweltering ten minutes in the sauna, she cooled off in the pool for a further ten minutes, again in full robes and jihab. Staff didn’t highlight the dress code as they were apparently too worried about offending the woman. The sauna was populated with other users in normal swimming cozzy attire. Some pointed out the dress code but their comments when unregarded.

The incident took place in a David Lloyd fitness club and it’s not clear whether the womans motives were recreation or political.

The nineth sauna world championships are being held in Heinola, Finland this year on the 3-4 August 2007. Apparently some of the great names of past competitions will be competing. The entrance fee for this years event will be 50 euros. Doctors certification is necessary prior to being accepted into the competition. Certifications need to be submitted by 11th May 2007. Expect temperatures in the region of a steamy 110 degrees C. More info can be found at www.saunaheinola.com