 Vasta (also called vihta), made of birch, is used as a whip in traditional sauna-bathing for massage and skin stimulation.
Sauna is an essential part of Finnish way of life. You may see them everywhere: in private apartments, corporate headquarters and even in the Parliament. And this tradition is so strong that even Finns abroad enjoy a good sauna, and that’s probably the reason the Finnish Church in Rotherhithe, London, has its own sauna. Even on peacekeeping missions Finnish soldiers are famous for their saunas; on the UNMEE mission in Eritrea, a sauna was the first building erected.
Finland boasts 187,888 lakes and many saunas are located on their shores. Sauna for Finns is an important part of the national identity and those who have such an opportunity usually take a sauna at least once a week.
You will begin taking a sauna by sitting in the hot chamber, usually warmed to 80-100 degrees Celsius (176-212 degrees Fahrenheit), for some time. The hot stones topping the kiuas, a special stove used to warm up the sauna, are purred with water. And thus a steam, known as löyly, appears, which makes the sauna feel even hotter. Sometimes one may use leafy, fragrant boughs of silver birch, called vihta or vasta, to beat oneself gently. This produces a relaxing effect on the muscles and also helps to calm the effects of mosquito stings. If the heat begins to feel uncomfortable, some usually jump into a lake, sea, or a swimming pool. Sometimes rolling in the snow or even swimming in an ice-hole, an avanto, is used as a substitute in the winter. And after that people typically sit down in the dressing room or the porch of the sauna to enjoy a makkara, or Finnish sausage, with beer or soft drinks.
After cooling the cycle begins again, as one (first) cycle usually has no noticeable effect. Generally one will take at least two or three cycles, lasting from one half to two hours. And if the company is good, numerous summer cottages taking sauna might go on well into the night, especially true in the summer when there is virtually no darkness. In Finland the sauna is almost a sacred place. The session of sauna will end with thorough washing. Conversations here are usually relaxed. Arguments and controversial topics are avoided. Nobody uses their titles or other honorifics in the sauna.
Occasionally men and women can go to the sauna together, but sometimes not. For Finns, the rules are natural but they are difficult to put into words. There are three basic patterns of group structures:
1) Everyone can go to sauna at the same time, 2) men and women may take sauna separately, or 3) each family can go to sauna separately.
Younger adults are more likely to go to the mixed saunas with non-family members, and are quite rare for older people or on more formal occasions. Teenagers stop going to sauna with their parents at some point; younger people, especially men, also prefer hotter saunas than older.
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