Today’s episode is smokin’ — literally! That’s because we’re talking about the original Finnish sauna: the smoke sauna, or “savusauna” as it’s known in Finland.

While the modern saunas we’re familiar with today have only been around for the last 100 years, smoke saunas date back to the 9th century — over 1,000 years ago.

So what exactly is a smoke sauna and where can you find one? To answer these questions and more, we’re joined by Saija Silen, a smoke sauna historian and chair of the Finnish Sauna Culture Association.

Saija tells us about the origin of smoke saunas, how they work and the incredibly multi-faceted role they’ve played in Finnish life — and in Finnish spiritual beliefs — for centuries.

She also talks about her important work preserving the 24 historical smoke saunas at Sauna Village in Jämsä, where visitors can enjoy an authentic smoke sauna experience for themselves.

We promise we’re not just blowing smoke — it’s a fascinating episode and you don’t want to miss it!

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Mentioned in this episode:

Sauna Village in Jämsä, Finland

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Have a question, comment or an idea for a future episode? Email us at alan@kivia.ca.