I’ve recently become a fan of saunas. 

A few times a week I hang out at the downtown YMCA with senior citizens and sweat it out in a 145-degree wooden box.

I like it. 

Saunas have been used for thousands of years by several people groups—notably Slavic and Turkish cultures. 

The intense heat of saunas brings blood to the surface of the skin. This creates a lot of sweat which clears out pores, creating a healthy complexion. The heat also relaxes muscles, creating an overall feeling of calm.

Sauna use accelerates a sauna-user’s heart rate. A 20 minute session is like doing a light cardio workout. Some people say it’s good for seasonal depression.

I think there’s another, psychological, benefit of being in a sauna. When you’re in a darkened sweat box, it’s almost impossible to think. All you can focus on is the intense heat. This creates a meditative state.

While I’m in this state of pure body consciousness I can’t think about laundry or dishes or the future or really anything except dang, I’m sweating 💯. There’s a weird comfort in the suffocating nothingness of sauna thought. 

After I get out of the sauna, I pick up my kids at the YMCA’s excellent child watch program (can I hype this enough? Two hours of childcare per visit). As I emerge from a stifling subterranean pine box into the light of day the air seems so fresh and cool. 

The sun-washed street is startling in its cool blues and brilliant yellows. I feel muscle-tired in a good way and I’ve lost a pint of sweat.

Cathartic!

Besides the YMCA, here are a few places to get the sauna experience in town. There’s Downtown Banya, and there’s a sauna at Forest Park. 

Check them out. See if it’s your thing. If not there are plenty of other places to pursue a healthy lifestyle in this city. 

Do you know of any other saunas in Everett? Or, are you a fan of the sauna? Where's your favorite place to go? 

Richard Porter writes for Live in Everett.