Sauna going into the New Year

Happy New Year everyone! I’m marking the entry into 2026 by pausing and taking a sauna today. I was born in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan which has a strong Finnish heritage. One of the many gifts the Finns brought the U.P. from their culture was the sauna. Yoopers (aka inhabitants of the Upper Peninsula) have embraced the sauna and saunas can be found across the region, from camps deep in the Northwoods to cabins overlooking shores of Lake superior.

In 2021, after moving around quite frequently in my previous vocations and settling down for a while, I decided it was finally time to embrace my Yooperness and build my own sauna. I researched for over a year, reading about sauna history and methods of construction, and watching how to build-your-own sauna videos on Youtube. In the summer of 2022, I pulled the trigger and ordered a 6’x4’x7' Canadian red cedar interior kit which included knotless cedar for the interior walls and benches, a foil vapor barrier, electric stove, light, and a control panel.

I had to supply all the rest of the materials needed for the exterior of the sauna though. I started by framing sauna with 2x4s, lining it with formaldehyde-free fiberglass insulation, running the conduit for the wiring, and sealing the interior with the vapor barrier and the exterior with plywood paneling. Each piece of the interior cedar provided had to be cut to fit the design. Finally, a permit was required and an electrician had to connect the stove and light to the control panel, and run a separate line to the electrical panel. It took me seven straight weekends but the project was finally completed just in time for my parents’ arrival for Thanksgiving in 2022 and the “grand opening” of the sauna.

Below are some pictures of my build stages. It’s not the most luxurious build but it is mine, and I am reminded that traditional Finnish saunas were simple and functional. The project is definitely one of my favorite accomplishments and I try to sauna 3-4 times a week. It provides me a place to recover from my physical training and also a place for quiet and meditation as part of my spiritual practices plan. The tradition of the Finnish sauna has deep roots in pre-Christian spiritual traditions. The Finnish word for the steam that rises from water thrown on the hot sauna stove rocks is called löyly, which is considered the "spirit" or "soul" of the sauna. This steam creates the cleansing environment for the participants and in a special way the sauna is a spiritual sanctuary.

Good luck with your dreams this year and follow your passion!