WELCOME
International Sauna Association (ISA)
The International Sauna Association (ISA) is an association of national and other sauna societies, organisations and private people. It was founded in 1958 with the office in Germany . After 20 years quite slow activities it was reborn in 1977 in Helsinki Finland and the office was agreed to be in Helsinki.
The founding members were Austria , Germany , Finland and Japan and they are continuously members. Besides those there are 20 other members including all the important sauna countries. The President has been all these years from Finland.
ISA and its members shall pursue the goal of publicizing the sauna and promoting its use on a global scale by rallying supporters of sauna activities in different countries.
This goal is served e.g. by acceptance of the Definition of Sauna recorded in Aachen , Germany 1999 as well as promoting the scientific studies of the sauna from e.g. such viewpoints as social history, folklore, medicine and technology. A particular emphasis is given to the collection and compilation in archives of the results of such scientific studies as well as other written material on sauna.
Sauna aid
Sauna Aid is a multicountry initiative, sponsored by the International Sauna Association (ISA), to provide movable sauna facilities and supportive services to people facing natural and man-made disasters.
During the 2011 Fukushima tsunami and nuclear plant accident, ISA and the Japanese Sauna Society maintained a tent sauna for five weeks and used it for decontamination and cleaning of over a thousand locals.
Sauna Aid is now focused on the war in Ukraine. The sauna, or laznia/banya, as it is known among Ukrainians, is an important part of everyday life and provides a means of hygiene, stress relief, socialization, psychological comfort, and social identity. It is not considered a luxury, nor is it only about cleanliness. It is a social event that brings together the young and the old, the rich and the poor and promotes peace and a common sense of humanity. Ukrainians call the banya their “second mother”.
Sauna – How to take a sauna bath?
Leave your clothes in the dressing room. Also remember to take off your eye glasses because the heath of the Sauna can damage them. Take off your watch also even if it is waterproof – you are here to relax, not to measure the time. You should also have a clean set of clothes to wear after the sauna. Take something to sit on, e.g. a small towel, into the sauna.
Saunaletter 1/2023
Dear ISA members and other sauna lovers ISA News The New Year has started quite actively for ISA. We had a general Meeting in last October where we accepted e.g. the new bylaws. This was giving ISA an option to increase the amount of Board members totally up to...
Saunaletter 1-2/2022
Dear ISA members and other saunalovers The year has started with many strange happenings including still COVID – 19 and the restrictions based on that and then the war in Ukraina. Still the sauna events are postponed from the first half of the year...
SAUNALETTER 6/2021
DEAR ISA MEMBERS AND OTHER SAUNALOVERS Year 2021 is about to end. It has been very strange year like the previous one , too, because of the Covid 19. We were hoping in the autumn that the situation is becoming easier but just now it seems to be worse than ever in most...
NEWS
Smoke Sauna Sisterhood
Smoke Sauna Sisterhood by Estonian director Anna Hints to world premiere at Sundance Smoke Sauna Sisterhood, the debut feature documentary by Estonian film director Anna Hints, has been selected to premiere in the Sundance Film Festival 2023 World Cinema...
REPORTING & MEDIA COLLECTION
REPORTING | MEDIA COLLECTION The 18th International Sauna Congress was in high demand in the press and media world. Various press representatives were present at the congress, others asked for interviews in online format. Newspaper articles Frankfurter Allgemeine |...
The Emerging Science of Saunas
Sweat houses have been used by cultures for centuries. Now research is supporting claims that they’re good for health. Credit: deliormanli/Getty Images By: Sally McGrane - Jun 14, 2019 - 7 min read Finland is a country that boasts over 3 million saunas for some 5.5...
Regarding the sauna and the coronavirus
There is a lot of misleading information circulating on the subject of the sauna and the coronavirus. Here is a statement the International Sauna Association drafted. It has been reviewed by medical experts for accuracy.