One experience that should be on everyone's must do list. This is no ordinary sauna.The Russian banya is the bigger and stronger brother of the sauna. Defiantly an extremest sport and not for the faint hearted.
Its been a part of Slavic culture for centuries and in ancient writings Herodotus said that "no Hellenic bath from Greece could compare."
Right from my first encounter, the Russian banya cast it's alluring spell over me and started a love affair of unquenchable thirst. I just can't get enough!
The actual banya process is riddled with tradition and involves quite a few steps.
Firstly it must be said that the banya is not just a new age health fad, that many in the west associate with the sauna. This is a social outing, a networking occasion, a place where friends can come together eat, drink and relax. It is well known that many a business deal, (whether legitimate or not doesn't matter), has been accomplished in the confines of the banya.
On entering a banya your first stop is the parilka (steam room), butt naked of course. Here a pechka (oven) heats the rocks on which you throw the water. Now I remember cranking up the temperature to 75 degrees in the sauna at Lennard's Hotel in Brisbane and creating quite the uproar. Well get this, over here anything below 100 degrees is just soft!
The initial procedures are pretty standard. Crank up the temperature, throw water on the rocks (sometimes there is a little bit of eucalyptus or pine scent on them) and then sit for as long as you can tolerate. Then head for the snow, ice covered lake, plunge pool or bucket of icy water and drench yourself. Repeat 4-5 times with regular intervals of sitting around eating and drinking the ever present vodka. Champagne, beer and kvas also complement the experience wonderfully.
Once the body has attained a very crimson tone with unusual white spots, only achieved by going to hell and back, out comes the venik, a bunch of birch branch's used for whipping.One then lies prostrated out on the insanely hot banya benches, where you are beaten for as long as you can stand. You may think this is bizarre, but in fact it is surprisingly pleasant. Russians firmly believe in the many advantages of receiving a good beating with a venik: from enhancing blood circulation and killing bacteria to inhibiting premature ageing of the skin.
The running outside and rolling in snow, followed by a feed and a drink process is repeated over and over again.Last Saturday a group of us hit the banya. They feeling during and after is completely addictive.
I can't wait for the next outing! Check out some of the pics.
1 comment:
Michael and I are both very jealous.
Lisa
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