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”.
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
Assembly of Traditional Bathing 2023
Remember last year when we met at the Assembly of Traditional Bathing has taken place in Kaunas on 28-30? Which revealed the rich tapestry of bathing traditions across cultures? It's fascinating to think about how these rituals have evolved. Bathing isn't just about...
Latvian Pirts and Wellness Festival 2023
Pirts and Wellness Festival will take place 19– 23 July in Tērvete, Latvia, amidst a beautiful pine forest and on theshore of the Tērvete Reservoir (precise location: ….). PIRTS AND WELLNESS FESTIVAL 2023. This will be the ninth Festival, organised by our Association....
World Sauna Aid Moment
On Saturday 11 March 2023 the International Sauna Association (ISA) is inviting private sauna owners all over the world to host a sauna party and collect donations for Sauna Aid. Sauna Aid is a multicountry initiative, sponsored by the ISA to provide...
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.