The Founders' Story: Benefits of Using a Sauna
My Personal Benefits of Using a Sauna
My 1960’s San Francisco apartment complex is a treat, come for a visit you’ll likely experience déjà vu, or an acid flashback to a time you shacked up at motel 8 somewhere in the desert; just a crash pad for the night between long days behind the wheel. The building is shaped like an L, all the doorways facing the courtyard pool. The pool is 15 feet by 25 and 6 feet deep, in the 1960’s when everyone was smoking joints and tripping on LSD, I can imagine this pool rocked the neighborhood to sleep. I’ve lived here two years, the only people using it are my neighbor Bob and his kids, I can’t believe its not been filled in.
The one redeeming aspect to my motel home is the sauna. The architect who decided to install the sauna is a gentlemen and a scholar who deserves only the best this world has to offer. The sauna has become my personal sanctuary. All that was required was the creation of a few mental blocks against the horrible visuals I experienced of the funky business that went down in the 60’s. With a typical interior all wood box, complete with hot rocks heating unit, 15 minute sand timer, and temperature gauge I can’t think of anything to make it more perfect. The light doesn’t work but a small square window in the door lets in just enough to see once your eyes have adjusted. This dreamy environment adds real cognitive benefits to the sauna sessions.
Putting aside all the health benefits of the sauna which you can read about some place else, great things have come out of the sauna. In a dark room above 200 degrees strange things happen to conversation, I’ve listened to first hand refugee camp stories, how to roast the perfect coffee bean, discussed many life goals, business concepts, and epic adventures on a number of occasions. The sauna forces your body to survive in extreme temperatures and maybe this makes people want to discuss what makes them feel most alive? I couldn’t be positive but it sure seems that way. I’ve shared so many great sauna sessions over the last few years, and I can say with certainty some of my best thinking, most honest, and exciting conversations happened in there.
