Sweat slowly drips down my legs as I sit on the slatted wood bench and relax. The hot dry heat around me gently fills with the scent of lavender. Outside, it’s a typical chilly mid-February evening but here, inside, I’m in another world. It’s that time of the month: WSN or Women’s Sauna Night. The three of us had talked about doing this already last year but it took until last month for us to find a night and hour to actually make it happen. This is our second time together at our friend’s sauna and it is easily becoming a monthly habit.
So, no matter the weather outside, here in the sauna, it’s hot. We all congregate in the small side room where we slowly shed our layers then take turns at the shower. Wrapped in large towels, we open the door to the sauna, choose spots on the cedar bench and close the door to the outside world. Then we ask each other about our days. There are stories to tell and feelings to share interspersed with laughter. A couple of us take turns on the hot seat, an elevated bench where the air is even hotter. The thermometer reads 150°. It feels good.
Now comes the most important part: we start to sweat and we shed the layers of dirt and toxins that we carry. It feels a little like we’re letting go of old skin. As the sweat drips down our faces and off our hands, there’s a cleansing going on and it feels great. Our bodies relax in the heat, our conversation flows, we reach a comfortable meditative state. Time seems to stand still. It would be easy to just stay here awhile. Before we know it, though, the timer tells us we’ve been in the heat long enough.
From the hot dry heat, I go directly to the shower. The bracing cold revives me immediately. It’s time to wipe myself dry and put my clothes back on. One of us puts her pajamas on already so she’ll be ready to unwind as soon as she gets home. We linger over a few more words, then give each other hugs before heading off into the dark February night.
I’m already looking forward to next month’s gathering. It’s a treat to spend time together in this way. Love comes in many forms, not the least of which is loving one’s self. WSN is one way we can show love to ourselves and each other. In the middle of a midwestern winter, that feels good.