ACHIEVE ULTIMATE HYGGE VIBES WITH A SAUNA

Saunas are all about the art of relaxation. Unwinding in a traditional sauna can feel liberating, with only the warm glow of the heat, the earthy aroma of wood, and the sound of your breathing to keep you company.

While a sauna is used for health reasons, the ambiance within also matters. The perfect lighting, temperature, interior design, and other accessories can make or break a sauna's ambiance.

How can you create a relaxing sauna ambiance that gives you all the cozy feels?

We have one word for you: hygge. 

This guide shows you how to create a cozy sauna retreat for you and your loved ones with calming hygge vibes. 

What is Hygge and How Does it Relate to Saunas?

Pronounced as "hoo-gah," the concept of hygge dates back to 18th-century Scandinavia. Dark, gloomy winters in the region prompted the desire for warmth, togetherness, and safe spaces. 

Thus, the hygge philosophy was born, helping natives create a personal escape from the bitter cold. 

This meant adding elements to your space, such as:

• Warm lighting

• Fuzzy textures such as warm blankets, rugs, and pillows

• Warm beverages

• Company of loved ones

• Comforting knick-knacks to soften the atmosphere

  
  

Creating a hygge lifestyle rewarded one with feelings of contentment and peace. Hygge soon made inroads into the wellness realm. It dictated the inclusion of soothing and comforting elements to enhance mood and relieve stress. 

Saunas inspire similar benefits by engaging in fundamentally relaxing processes. Simple tasks in sauna preparation promote a meditative experience. 

Examples include: 

• Gathering wood

• Lighting the fire in the sauna cabin

• Prepping essential sauna accessories

• Taking a shower

  
  

Even actions within a sauna session, such as laying back and dry brushing with vihta or brush twigs, focus on mindfulness and are deeply therapeutic.

When the sauna and hygge wellness principles combine, you can achieve heightened levels of peace and relaxation. 

How to Create Hygge Vibes With Your Sauna

You can choose certain sauna materials and accessories over others to create a comforting, hygge-style sauna lifestyle in your home.

Choose the Right Wood for Your Sauna

Nothing spells cozy like wood's natural grain and rustic finish. The great news is that most saunas are constructed from wood, transporting you to far away Finnish cabins that also employ this natural resource. 

Your sauna will work as an ideal heat trapper if it is clad in the right type of wood. This ensures no cold air escapes, leaving you with the ideal amount of warmth to create hygge vibes.

Will any wood do? Not really. The best saunas are made from high-quality wood, such as:

• Cedar

• Hemlock

• Basswood

• Eucalyptus

• Thermo-spruce, i.e., thermally modified spruce wood

All of the above are types of softwood with beautiful grain and texture. Their most notable attribute is their incredible heat resistance, a must for the optimal sauna experience.

Besides withstanding high temperatures, these wood types do not:

• Warp due to moisture

• Crack, split, or splinter

  
  

While these woods have a luxurious appearance, they are not too expensive and provide exceptional value for money. The result? Saunas that will stand the test of time.

Incorporate Natural Accents in the Sauna

Most saunas are clad entirely in wood. However, you can personalize the internal cladding by adding another natural accent. Using more than one natural material in the sauna boosts the sauna's rustic appeal. 

You can use natural stones like granite or quartz to create an accent wall in your sauna. If you prefer uniformity on the walls, you can choose stone-clad flooring to add depth and character to your sauna design. 

Wood and stone create an earthy atmosphere, adding to the overall hygge aesthetic. Alternatively, you can use pebble-style cladding for texture or add mosaicked glass tiles to create interest. 

Here are some natural stones and tiles you can use to create natural accents inside the sauna:

• Soapstone

• Quartz

• Marble

• Slate

  
  

One of the best ways to combine natural aesthetics and health benefits is by adding a Himalayan salt wall inside the sauna. These therapeutic mineral walls, with their pale, translucent salt slabs, are common inside saunas. They create a peaceful hygge atmosphere. 

Some benefits include:

• Enhanced Mood

• Stress relief

• Tension release

  
  

Natural accents can enhance the meditative experience inside the sauna and renew you when done right.

Infuse Your Sauna with Cozy Lighting and Relaxing Music

Saunas nowadays are conscious of the experience they want to provide. When choosing a sauna, you can select one with ambient lighting and built-in music. Warm, comforting lighting is critical to the hygge experience.

You can even set your sauna to play calm, melodic music to help you relax inside. Most saunas have Bluetooth and AUX controls inside.

Choose the Right Sauna Heater for Cozy Vibes

Kiuas, or the sauna heater, is the essence of the sauna. Saunas were initially heated by wood-fired heaters, with excess heat expelled through a chimney. This created a classic hygge experience – the warm, crackling fire, the scent of wood, the delicious heat on your body, and the company of loved ones. 

While wood-fired heaters can reproduce this experience, modern saunas provide something more practical while preserving the feeling of hygge.

Traditional saunas make use of an electrical component to generate heat. When the heat is turned on, it warms up a pile of stones on the heater. Ultimately, the heat emanates across the room. 

Electrical heater sauna designs, though modern, retain a rustic quality about them, thanks to the use of natural stones. The glowing red embers on the stone, with the comforting heat, create a definitive hygge ambiance.

Then, there are infrared saunas, which use light to generate heat. Instead of heating the room like traditional saunas, they heat the body directly. These are highly effective, thanks to their controlled sauna temperature. They aren't the best choice if you wish to create an authentic hygge experience.

Traditional wood-fired Finnish saunas create the most effective hygge experience. Electrical saunas come a close second, saving you both money and time.

Enhance Your Sauna Experience with Aromatherapy

Imagine basking in the warmth of a sauna with a soothing scent wafting through the air. Aromatherapy can foster mindfulness and help you focus, besides adding a touch of hygge to your sauna experience. 

Essential oils are a great way to achieve aromatherapy benefits inside the sauna. Be mindful that different oils provide different benefits, so select the one that best meets your sauna goals.

Most oils help ease tension and induce meditative states while enhancing your mood. 

To boost hygge vibes, use these oils in the sauna:

• Ylang ylang

• Lavender

• Chamomile

• Tea tree

• Citrus

• Peppermint

  
  

Add the Relaxing Element of Löyly

The Finnish sauna experience would be incomplete without the addition of löyly. Löyly refers to the relaxing waft of steam that rises when hot water is poured on the pile of heated sauna rocks. 

The above describes the actual phenomenon, but sauna purists know löyly is a more mindful experience. The entire process is deeply therapeutic, from ladling the hot water from the bucket to pouring the water and watching the steam rise. Basking in the steam from löyly enhances the hygge experience, as you feel relaxed and at peace.

This seemingly simple task produces a joyous feeling, and is the essence of the hygge experience that you should add to your sauna use. 

Add a Window for Natural Substance

Natural features are essential to the hygge experience. What better way to achieve this than to bring in a slice of the outdoors inside your sauna? A window is the best way to accomplish this. 

Barrel saunas typically have a nifty back window, which adds light and natural substance to your sauna. 

While there isn't a definite best time to sauna, some people prefer their sauna sessions in the mornings. Enjoying your sauna in the light of day, especially outdoors, is a great way to experience the full extent of hygge vibes. The sauna window allows you to do just that. Saunas use double-paned or tempered glass to retain heat effectively.

Best Saunas for the Ultimate Hygge Vibes

You can even bring your phone into the cabin and operate heat controls through an app. An arched window lets daylight into your sauna, creating a natural hygge sanctuary.

Despite its premium features, this barrel sauna is one of the most affordable alternatives on the market, offering excellent value for money.

Key Takeaways: Creating a Cozy Hygge Lifestyle With a Sauna 

Creating a hygge-inspired sauna experience entails a careful selection of materials and accessories. The correct kind of wood lays the groundwork for superior heat retention. To enhance your experience, infuse your sauna with warm and diffused lighting, calming music, and essential oils for aromatherapy benefits. 

The ancient Finnish technique of löyly and adding a window to bring in natural light further enhances the hygge experience. With these tips, you can transform your sauna into a restorative haven where the essence of hygge can thrive.

Acquiring a high-quality sauna that will serve you for years is essential. At My Sauna World, you can choose from various traditional saunas at attractive prices. Please feel free to contact us for more details. We'll be happy to assist you.