Why Saunas Are Gaining Popularity In Maine's Cold Winters

Did you know more Mainers than ever are turning up the heat? How? By stepping into saunas. Here’s why this steamy trend is taking off across the state.

Our winters are cold, long, and dark and we have now figured out a better way to combat the cold. We do this without turning on our showers and steaming up the bathrooms.

According to an article in Down East magazine, over a dozen new sauna businesses have popped up across Maine just to feed the need and demand of this surge.

This shows a shockingly fast-growing wellness trend. However, this ancient practice of sweating in a box, has been around for thousands of years.

And now, public saunas are quickly becoming more popular and common to visit.

Many of us remember visiting a home when we were younger and being in complete awe when they showed you they had a private sauna. So, private saunas have been around for decades but the new rise of public sauna spots have popped up everywhere from Portland to the Midcoast.

This hot spots range from wood-fired cabins in the Maine woods to bathhouses in the cities that offer you a good old steam. Oh and get this!

There are even mobile saunas, from Cedar Grove Sauna, that park at Popham Beach in the fall!

So what’s behind the surge of Saunas in Maine?

The owner of the mobile sauna says that she wanted to create a space for folks to connect and come together during the lonely winter months saying, “I’m really just trying to make ways for people to come together in the winter,” NewsCenterMaine

Other business owners showcase the health benefits of what saunas offer.

Where Did Saunas Come From?

Sauna originated in Finland, as per Onsen, thousands of years ago. It began as earth pits with heated rocks and over time they changed into wood-built “smoke saunas” and became a big part of Finnish life for taking a bath as well as health and connecting with people.

The Finnish people then immigrated and brought the culture of saunas with them and shared it with the rest of the world.

So yes, many more Mainers than ever are adding sauna sits into their daily lives. And honestly? It makes perfect sense.

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