There was a sauna on Saturday instead of Sunday, which broke tradition for the first time in a long while. Sunday seems like the right day to sweat it out and start fresh for the week, although I would definitely not consider myself to be fresh right after a sauna. In fact, this is the time in my life when I most emulate the qualities of a skunk.
I was thinking about the health benefits and all that stuff that a sauna is supposed to do for you, but those things aren't really why I go. I love the chance to just sit there with your friend or dad or kid, although the kids don't usually last that long. You get to sit there with this person and just be together, sweating in unison. There are no distractions like the TV or the radio or the iPad to pull you away from what you have to say to each other. I guess because there are so few times in my life that I am ever alone or free of those distractions, this time is all the more precious. I'm not sure that anything ever gets solved in the sauna but it sure is worth it to try.
The times where I have occasionally been stood up in the sauna have been few, but have also had their own special luster. It's like the water-free version of a soak in the tub where you can read your book or do some yoga as long as you don't fall off the bench and burn your hair on the stove. It just may be one of my favorite things.
A few weeks ago I had an idea to post the funniest thing that was said in the sauna for the week. One of the regulars was a bit concerned about the rule that "what happens in the sauna stays in the sauna," so I said I would be sure to change the names of those involved so no one was incriminated. That makes it sound like we are up to some serious shenanigans in there! I promise, we're not. Usually.
