Seek the Heat: Understanding Löyly

Löyly is a Finnish word that literally describes the steam that is released when water meets hot stones in a sauna – but it also refers to a more abstract sensory and spiritual experience. Löyly is the spirit or energy of the sauna and involves the profound sense of wellbeing one encounters when enveloped in health-promoting warmth and steam. Each sauna has its own distinct löyly.

finnish saunas

Saunas are an essential part of culture in Finland, where there are more saunas than cars. Many Finns use saunas as part of their daily routine, sometimes combined with cold therapy such as jumping into an icy lake or rolling in the snow. Often found in homes and office buildings, saunas are the backdrop for wellness, socialising and family bonding. Until halfway through the 20th Century, they were also used for childbirth.

Finnish sauna culture dates back thousands of years, when smoke saunas were fashioned from logs. Smoke saunas can still be found today, however modern Finnish saunas are usually wood-fired or electric. While steam is an important part of the Finnish sauna, these saunas have low humidity and are considered dry. The Finnish sauna experience often involves the ritual of using a vihta (a whisk made from birch leaves) to gently slap the skin, which releases a pleasant, natural fragrance and helps to promote circulation.

a variety of saunas

While Finland has enjoyed saunas for millennia, many other cultures have their own sauna traditions. Russian banyas are similar to Finnish saunas, although a little more humid.

The steam rooms seen in Turkey and Morocco (named ‘hammam’ and ‘hamam’ respectively) are wet saunas that have played a role in the bathing rituals of these countries for thousands of years. Hammams and hamams both have rituals that involve cleansing and exfoliating the skin.

Turkish hamams are significant social gathering places for women, in particular. With their intense humidity, steam rooms can be particularly beneficial for respiratory health.

Meanwhile, Native American tribes have used sweat lodges – huts made from organic materials and heated by throwing water on stones – in ceremony for thousands of years.

More recently, infrared heaters have entered the sauna scene. These saunas use infrared panels to generate a very dry heat that heats objects rather than the air. Infrared saunas are popular with those who prefer dry heat, or who want to spend an extended period of time in the sauna working up a sweat without being overwhelmed by heat.

At 70 to 100 degrees Celsius, Finnish saunas generally achieve the highest temperatures of any sauna or steam room.

embracing löyly

While löyly is typically associated with the satisfying experience of seeing and hearing water being added to hot stones, it’s a feeling that can be created by approaching your sauna experience with a sense of ritual and reverence.

In Finland, this means observing the proper etiquette of the sauna by staying relatively quiet and respecting the space and the people around you. If you are in a sauna that has hot stones and a bucket of water, you should check with others before creating more heat (and löyly) by throwing water on the stones.

Ultimately, löyly is not only a physical event but an experience with spiritual meaning that dates back thousands of years in Finnish culture and mythology. Saunas offer a range of physical health benefits, from improved circulation and heart health to muscle recovery and pain relief. However, appreciating a sauna’s löyly requires an awareness of what the sauna offers beyond physical wellness: togetherness and community; mental and emotional wellbeing; and a sacred, profound sense of relaxation.

Peninsula Hot Springs features a range of saunas, including traditional, wet and dry saunas and a Turkish hammam in the Bath House, and a traditional sauna, infrared sauna and Moroccan hamam in the Spa Dreaming Centre.