Viking Cruises

48 | Viking Explorer Society News THE BALANCING ACT Wherever you are in the world, enjoy wellness rituals and equilibrium on board. It is believed that the sauna was brought back to the Nordic countries more than a thousand years ago by exploring Vikings. On their way to Rome, while passing through Kievan Rus, they were inspired by the banya and subsequently built wooden sauna houses wherever they settled. Today, spa rituals are as important as ever, and a key part of the wellness offering on board Viking ocean and expedition ships is The Nordic Spa. ANCIENT SCANDINAVIAN RITUALS The people of Scandinavia, especially the women, are often described as being naturally beautiful. In ancient times, this natural beauty was attributed to three things: saunas, birch leaves and honey. Women would gather to take saunas a few times a week, after which they would wash themselves using fresh birch leaves. They would then cover their entire body with fresh honey and return to the sauna in order to moisturise, deeply nourish and soften the skin. BIRCH WHISKS AND NORSE MYTHOLOGY Nowadays, every year in June, just before midsummer, thousands of birch branches are cut and then bound together into whisks. These are then dried or vacuum-packed to be used throughout the year to brush the body in the sauna, which increases circulation and cleanses the body as well as the air within the sauna. The leaves, sap and bark of birch contain avonoides, saponides (natural cleaning agents), vitamin C and tannins, but birch also plays an important role in Norse mythology, which holds that there were magical powers in the wood. AUTHENTIC NORDIC TREATMENTS On Viking ocean and expedition ships, you will find authentic Nordic treatments in The Nordic Spa, including the Snow Grotto. The idea is to alternate between the heat of the Sauna and the cold of the Snow Grotto to awaken the senses, ease the muscles and revive the skin. Alternating quality time between a hot sauna and a cold dip in an icy lake or mound of snow is one of the many ways to engage with Nordic nature. It is performed to not only ensure a long, healthy life, but also to find a deep sense of inner peace and relaxation. THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE SAUNA It is said that difficult decisions are best made in the sauna. The Latin expression in sauna veritas translates as "in sauna there is truth." Traditionally, discussions will start outside of the sauna, but the final decision will always be made in the sauna and is the one that will be honoured; it is believed that anger and irritation cannot survive in the heat and steam of a sauna and will be cleansed from the body. And since everyone is equal in a sauna, consideration toward others is a necessity to be able to fully enjoy the health benefits of these peaceful places.

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