Designing Your Daily Ritual Wellness with Sauna Therapy

People have begun to recognize the value of a daily ritual for wellness in recent years. This can mean a daily yoga routine, a jogging discipline, or basking in the therapeutic heat of a sauna daily. It's true daily sauna therapy is a scientifically proven wellness regimen that offers many long-term health benefits. 

When sauna therapy is paired with the outdoors, where nature thrives, it promotes a greater sense of well-being in both the body and mind. Of course, not everyone has access to an outdoor sauna, but that doesn't mean you can't transform a part of your home into a sauna haven. 

With just a few key elements, you can harness the power of the outdoors to create a personalized sauna wellness oasis in your backyard. This article reviews the basics of what you need for an at-home traditional sauna setup and how to design one.

Key Elements to Incorporate in Your Ritual Wellness Sauna Oasis

Here are some elements to incorporate in your outdoor sauna setup.

Outdoor Saunas

Of course, the outdoor sauna unit is the most integral part of any sauna setup. To maximize your natural atmosphere, invest in a cedar-hewn outdoor sauna that can withstand the elements.

Preferably, choose one with a glass door so you can still view the outdoors from your interior perch. You can add more elements to your sauna unit based on your preferences, such as:

• Himalayan salt panel for better air quality and blood circulation

• LED mood lighting for an atmospheric sauna experience

• Bluetooth speakers to listen to your favorite tunes during sauna therapy

A traditional wood-fired sauna is ideal if you seek an authentic experience, replete with the quiet crackle of flames and the woody aroma.

You can also personalize the size and style of your sauna to meet your specific demands. Some people like communal sauna experiences, so inviting friends and family to join them is a given. 

If this is the case, you'd be better off with these sizes:

• four-person sauna

• six-person sauna

• eight-person sauna

If you prefer solitude, a one-person or two-person sauna will provide the quiet retreat you seek.

Plunge Pools

Getting out of a sauna and diving into a frozen lake sounds great. It's the most authentic Finnish sauna habit you can practice, yet it's impossible to replicate in your garden. 

For those who don't have access to your private frozen lake, fret not. Manufacturers now provide smaller plunge pools in various sizes (ranging from eight to twelve feet wide) that can fit into any yard, large or small.

Plunge pools are available in two types

1. Heated: best for water workouts or unwinding

2. Non-heated or cold: for cold therapy

The icy plunge pool is ideal for cooling off between sauna sessions.

However, wouldn't it be easier to jump into a regular swimming pool to cool off?

Yes and no. While it is quicker to cool off in a pool, standard pools do not provide the same therapeutic benefits as a plunge pool. Temperatures in cold plunge pools range from 45 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Their limited capacity allows you to pack more extreme cold exposure, resulting in benefits such as:

• Enhanced metabolism

• Better immunity

• Decrease in muscle soreness and inflammation

• Better sleep

• Reduced anxiety and stress

Outdoor Shower

If you're not quite ready for the freezing cold of a plunge pool, you can add an outdoor shower to do the same thing. Some people like to break their sauna sessions with a refreshing shower before returning for another session. 

An open-air shower can help your body restore its temperature while providing respite from the intense sauna heat. These outdoor showers are also ideal for getting into the sauna after a workout.

For sanitation, it's ideal to shower off any post-workout grime before entering a sauna. Even if you're not working out, taking a shower is especially customary while sharing a sauna with other people.

Hot Tub

Recently, there has been a growing demand for backyard hot tubs, especially rustic, wood-fired ones that offer health benefits such as:

• Relieving muscle aches

• Improving sleep

• Helping you decompress

Wood-fired hot tubs usually take longer to heat up, but they provide a back-to-basics experience akin to a natural hot spring. They're also a great choice if you live off-grid and don't want to bother about locating a power source. 

Electric hot tubs are efficient but more difficult to maintain because they require regular chemical sanitization to avoid any pH imbalance. Not to mention the cost of an electrical hookup and electric bills, which can add to monthly expenses.

For the ultimate wellness experience, we recommend installing a wood-fired hot tub in your yard. 

Sauna Setup for Ultimate Wellness Goals

Now that you've assembled your sauna components, you need to arrange them in your outdoor space in the most useful and convenient manner possible. 

Here's how to go about it:

Ensconce in Nature

A strong connection to nature characterized traditional saunas. Finnish saunas were often located outside in a natural setting, such as a beach, a lake, or surrounded by mountains.

While it is not always possible to replicate this scenario in our backyard, you can still incorporate some natural aspects into your surroundings. If you already have a flowering or leafy garden, you can position your sauna to get a nice, unobstructed view from inside. 

If not, add a bunch of planters, a small water fountain, some shrubs, and native plants to transform your backyard into a pleasing garden. 

An outdoor sauna surrounded by nature can enhance its therapeutic effects since it engages all of your senses — the sight of your gorgeous garden or ocean view, the feel of the intense heat on your skin, the scented wood, and the twitter of birds in your yard.

Areas for Post-Sauna Relaxation

Post-sauna winding down is just as vital as your sauna sessions. It gives you a chance to rest, recuperate, and soak in the relaxation. Creating such a restful oasis outdoors is simpler than you think. 

All you need to do is to create a nook for unwinding. You can do this by adding any one of these:

• A hammock

• A set of loungers

• A daybed

• A comfortable stone bench

After your sauna treatment, you can retire to these outdoor areas. These nooks will also serve as spots to rehydrate or meditate during your sauna breaks before returning for another session.

Optimal Placement

Your outdoor sauna components must work in tandem with one another. This will allow you to maximize your sauna experience while also increasing overall convenience. Consider arranging your sauna units to form an invisible triangle to accomplish this.

This way, all your components are equidistant and easily accessible. For example, if you place your sauna unit in one spot, your plunge pool should be at an angle. Your resting area will complete the triangle at the other end.

Other Placement Considerations

Whether you have a private garden or a seaside patio where you want to set up your sauna, you need to know these placement tips for a seamless wellness design.

For many people, a sauna is a highly personal wellness practice, even if they share it with close friends and family. You want to ensure that only you and your fellow sauna users are privy to this experience. Find a location in your outdoor space that is away from prying eyes. If your outdoor space allows it, install your sauna in a location that is not directly visible to neighbors or passersby.

You also want to prioritize safety while installing a sauna or its accessories. Most sauna installations require flat terrain, so look for a spot in your backyard that fulfills this requirement. You also don't want to place the sauna under trees with unruly branches, as these can cause damage.

Depending on the weather where you live, you want to choose a location that will not damage the sauna or its materials. High-end outdoor saunas are weather-resistant, but you should keep your sauna away from direct sunlight to avoid overheating. Alternatively, you can position it beneath a concrete shade to escape heavy rain or snowfall.

Recommendations: Outdoor Sauna Options and Accessories 

Yards come in different shapes and sizes, and so do saunas. If space concerns are holding you back from creating a ritual wellness space with a sauna, don't worry. 

There are several prefabricated and customizable saunas of all shapes and sizes on the market, so you can select one that best meets your demands and space constraints. 

Besides saunas, we also recommend the best sauna-related accessories you can find:.

Almost Heaven 6-Person Princeton Standard Barrel Sauna

This beautiful barrel sauna crafted in rustic cedar is ideal for people who love sharing their sauna experience. With this unit, you can invite your family or close friends into your sauna wellness circle. 

At the heart of this 6-Person Princeton Barrel Sauna by Almost Heaven is a modernized electric heater by Harvia. Unlike wood-fired saunas, you need not wait too long for the sauna to warm up. Within an hour, the sauna emits radiant heat up to 180ºF. If you decide to buy this sauna, you can customize aspects like the:

• Door type: all glass, all wood, or wood-glass combo

• Floor

• Wall type: salt panel, solid wood, or vista window

• Accessories: mood lighting, rain jacket, bucket & ladle, and/or essential oil

Other features include:

• High-tech hardware with stainless steel hinges and fasteners

• Tempered glass

• Ball-and-socket lumber

• Interior LED light

• Free cedar accessory set that includes a robe hook, magazine rack, back rest, and drink shelf

• Sauna stones for the heater

Almost Heaven The Wall Outdoor Shower

This easy-to-mount outdoor shower can be installed onto a wall or fence in your backyard. Its seamless design and durable quality provide excellent value for your money. The shower fixture features three standard elements:

• Overhead rain shower

• Hand wand

• Foot wash

Its unique outdoor design can endure the elements, allowing you to smoothly integrate a shower routine with your sauna sessions.

Other features include:

• Easy, ready-to-use prefabricated setup 

• Stainless steel shower 

• Adjustable shower head

• Optional floor feature

Specifications:

• Weight: 26lbs

• Dimensions of shower mount: 48" x 19" x 10"

Dundalk Leisure Craft Wood-Burning Hot Tub

Saunas and hot tubs provide similar benefits, but both are enjoyable in their own unique way. There's nothing like a long, leisurely soak in a hot tub to soothe the tiredness of a busy day. Get the Starlight Wood Burning Hot Tub by Dundalk Leisure for your backyard and experience a slice of the off-the-grid lifestyle. 

This hot tub is an eco-friendly delight that runs entirely on firewood, making your hot water soak even more rustic and rewarding. The hot tub itself is crafted from sustainable wood, its interior lining is aluminum, and it comes with a handy roll-up cover for when it's not in use

Dundalk Leisure Craft Glacier Plunge Tub

Practice authentic cold plunge therapy after your sauna session with this Glacier Plunge Tub by Dundalk Leisurecraft. The tub is made of clear redwood and has an aluminum interior coating. Its slanted sides make it feel more spacious while also making it easier to get in and out.

You can connect your tub to your garden hose to fill it up or drain it after use. It can hold about 190 gallons of water. Use the roll-up cover to keep the tub closed when not in use.

Additional Considerations While Building a Sauna Wellness Space

• Ensure your electrical hookups are consistent and reliable to shield your sauna from power fluctuations and overheating. 

• Use saunas made with high-quality, sustainable materials that can withstand outdoor temperatures. Durable saunas can help prevent niggling issues and long-term concerns such as mold, moisture, and decay.

• Avoid using hard water since it can infiltrate toxic minerals into the sauna, tub, or pool, causing long-term damage. 

• Condensation damage can trap moisture inside saunas, leading to mold growth and wood degradation. This can cause your sauna to decay faster and can be dangerous to your health.

• Make sure you obtain the necessary licenses (if any) before building a sauna in your outdoor space.

Key Takeaways on Ritual Wellness

Creating a ritual wellness space with an outdoor sauna requires careful integration of various aspects to maximize the experience. The centerpiece, an outdoor sauna unit, serves as the base, with diverse customization choices available to enhance the environment. 

Most of all, you want to purchase your sauna and adjacent accessories from a reliable retailer that understands your wellness needs. My Sauna World is a trustworthy supplier of outdoor saunas, plunge pools, and hot tubs. Browse through our diverse collection to access high-end saunas and accessories. We also offer free shipping!

Don't delay your wellness journey any longer. Contact us today, and we'll happily answer any questions about our products.