Saturday, December 23, 2006

What's most important in Finnish sauna or Russian banya?

If anybody says that number one for bania is the “venik” you must to know its bullshit. Number one is the bath spirit, delicate aroma of special herbage. Moreover you must have an easy breathe. If you are gasping it’s not a bath, it's a gas-chamber. To have these conditions Master Boris ventilates the steam chamber and it is a long process. He opens window leaf and doors, switch on the air-exhauster and breaks into the heater about 20 liters of hot water for three times. There are near 15 ton of red-hot pig-iron in that heater. Then he mixes thoroughly the steam, closes the door in the steam chamber and breaks into the heater his special extracts. He does it so slowly, so solidly. And we are waiting, waiting, waiting… When we hear his magic words: “those who wish to warm themselves” we carefully come into the chamber. The floor and walls of this cabin are covered (it’s very important!) with aspen 6 inch beam! We lie down to special bath rags and wait again. And he is coming. He seats in the center of the wood bath floor, takes his great “venik” and begins to heat us. This is a groovy moment: if somebody like Britney Spires comes in we can’t notice her. His large fan - oak “venik” – blows the hot air to us and we are happy! Next time we are so happy only when he stops and we can run away to the cold water pool or the contrast shower. Four times with Boris and you are ready for a space travel. Then you can have a relaxing massage or a good dinner with many drinks for your health. Now you know – Moscow can be a great place not only during the military review.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Take a sauna after you work out. Also take a shower before, and going in the nude is best, as a sauna will open the pores in your skin. Do not stay in the sauna any longer than 15 minutes and if you have high blood pressure, avoid it altogether. After your sauna have a shower with cool water to close your pores.