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The sauna has been treasured by man since time immemorial, and is still treasured today.  Let’s explore the reasons why saunas continue to have such a strong presence.

A sauna is a small room or dwelling specially designed for bathers to experience wet or dry heat sessions.A bather, or group of bathers, can gather inside of a sauna to experience temperatures as high as 80 degrees Celcius or more. The opening of the pores and sweating make it possible for impurities to easily be removed from the body. In fact, the sauna’s popularity can be attributed to its many health benefits such as stress reduction, detoxification of the body, an improved immune system and other positive changes.

The word sauna simply means a traditional Finnish bath. In ancient times, saunas were small dwellings dug in the bottom of hills and slopes to keep people warm in winter. Stones were heated to very high temperatures and water was poured over them in order to create heat and moisture in the form of steam.The heat would be so strong that often people would undress when this was done.

As time passed, the home sauna evolved and began to feature a metal woodstove along with a chimney. Although the temperature was generally set somewhere between 70 and 80 °C, a traditional Finnish sauna could sometimes get as hot as 90 °C. Spraying water onto the hot rocks helped perfect this experience by adding a soft steam.

Historically, the Finns used a vihta, a bundle of birch branches with small fresh leaves. They would bind the branches together and use it to gently swat themselves and other bathers. The vihta was used by bathers to gently swipe the skin in order to stimulate the pores, enhance cell production and improve blood circulation. Another benefit of the vihta was that it gave off a very pleasant scent that stimulated relaxation in the same manner that many of today’s aromatherapy products work. In fact, the vihta is still used by some individuals in the sauna.

Saunas relieve stress in two ways. Not only do they help you relax from simply spending time relaxing within, but they also help your body relax physically. When the sauna heats your skin, it helps to detoxify your body by making it sweat out more harmful toxins than you would have without its aid. Removing these chemicals helps your body fight stress and feel healthier

The opening of the pores also makes it easier to remove toxins from the body. Toxins travel through your sweat glands and are released with your perspiration. As noted earlier, a sauna creates a high amount of perspiration and therefore is excellent for detoxification

The Finns keep the rich history of the sauna alive today by making it a part of their daily ritual. In Finland, saunas are considered to be a natural and effective way of refreshing both the mind and spirit. The sauna was and continues to be an essential aspect of daily life. Families in Finland traditionally bathed together in the sauna at home. It is interesting to note that Finnish women used to give birth in the sauna.
As more and more Finns moved to other countries, their customs moved with them, including the sauna. Cultures all over the world now enjoy the pleasure of the sauna. Today, many modern saunas have been improved further, from electric saunas to infrared saunas. The popularity of the sauna has only increased, and people from all over the globe now recognize and enjoy the benefits of the sauna.

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Bikram Yoga is intended to scientifically warm up and stretch tendons, ligaments, and muscles in the proper order that they should be performed, with twenty six series of challenging asanas. Designed by Bikram Choudhury, these twenty six series of Bikram Yoga posture exercises methodically move oxygenated, fresh blood to the entire body, to every fiber and organ, repairing every single system to a healthy working condition, as nature has designed it to be; the result, toned muscles, proper weight, great sense of well-being, and an energetic good health.

There are numerous benefits of Bikram Yoga and its twenty six asanas; however, here are some of the most asked about areas on benefits of Bikram Yoga postures:

Pranayama Breathing
This gives mental relaxation, and works on the respiratory, circulatory, and nervous systems of the body, as well as detoxification of the body.

Half Moon Pose
This posture helps ease constipation, lower back pain, bronchi stress, stomach obesity, frozen shoulders, and scoliotic deformities. Other benefits of Bikram Yoga half moon pose include working out the pancreas, colon, and kidneys, as well as working on the trapezius, hamstrings, deltoid, and pectoralis major.

Eagle Pose
The benefits of Bikram Yoga eagle pose includes helping the pelvic area to open, alleviating knee arthritis and joint pain, strengthening the lower limbs, relieving sciatica, and improving flexibility of the ankles and toes. It also works on the deltoids and quadriceps.

Standing Bow Pose
This Bikram Yoga posture boosts circulation to the lungs and heart, perks up spine elasticity through spine compressing, assists with lower back pain, and opens lungs and diaphragm.

Triangle Pose
This Bikram Yoga pose is good for the kidneys, and it helps in chemical imbalances of the system, as well as helping in alleviate constipation, colitis, spondilitis, menstrual disorders, hip and back pain. It also gives cardiovascular benefits, as well as working on the circulatory, immune, muscular, digestive, and reproductive systems.

Tree Pose
The tree pose creates knee and hip mobility, helps alleviate inflammation of the lower back, and releases tension of the abdominals.

Toe Stand
This Bikram Yoga posture creates balance in mind and body, strengthens weak joints and stomach muscles, as well as helps with knee problems, arthritis, or gout problems.

These are just some of the benefits of Bikram Yoga postures which deliver total health through strengthening and balancing every system of the body to prevent injury, illness, and limit the effects of aging.

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