Going to the sauna can be important to people for many different reasons. For Finns, it is almost in our DNA and regardless of our location, we love to enjoy the soft heat with good Löyly.
This is a story of the Koivuniemi family and how sauna is not only a habit but a way of life for them.
Getting to know
Mika Koivuniemi is one of the most successful bowlers in the world. Mika has been selected to the Hall of Fame not only in Finland but in the United States as well. He has made history in being the first European and so the first Finnish bowler to make the Professional Bowlers Association’s Hall of fame in the US.
Mika´s wife Leena Koivuniemi is a physical therapist and a trainer who knows the importance of physical and mental recovery in not only professional sports but in everyday life as well.
Why sauna?
Already back in the 70´s Mika used to go to the sauna regularly at his parents’ rental apartment in Tampere, Finland. Later when he became a professional athlete, sauna became an important piece of a puzzle in his recovery process after workouts. Sauna had part in not only helping the muscles to relax but it also relaxed his mind. When the Koivuniemi family moved to the United States from Finland, they wanted to make sure their home had a sauna in it. “Sauna is part of the Finnish culture and something that stays with us no matter where in the world we are.”- says Leena.
When first moving to Michigan, Mika and Leena decided to build their own sauna in the basement of their home. The first sauna and the two saunas in their other homes after that, Mika built them mainly by himself with help from professional contractors. In their last home, they had a smaller two-person module sauna.
Most of the days Mika used to enjoy the Finnish sauna twice a day. In the morning after weight training he used to take sauna to relax his muscles. In the evening they would enjoy sauna together with his wife Leena. After the sauna they would either swim in the swimming pool or roll in the snow during the Michigan winters.
The Finnish sauna experience was a mystery to many of Mika´s American bowling opponents, but after trying the Koivuniemi family´s sauna, some of them even became huge sauna fans. “Us finns we have always known the health benefits of the Finnish sauna and I´m glad to see more and more people being interested in it.”- Mika says.
Four homes and four saunas later, they now enjoy the Finnish Löyly in Dubai.
Life in Dubai
As the Koivuniemi family now lives in Dubai, Leena enjoys her daily sauna experience in the rooftop sauna of their apartment building. She often gets asked why on earth would she want to go into a hot room in the middle of the desert, but she is quick to answer that question. “Sauna is a place of relaxation. I take a sauna after a workout and stretch my muscles in there. I also like using etheric oils in the Löyly water and meditate inside the sauna. It truly is a place for me to calm down both the body and the mind.”- says Leena.
Finnish sauna around the world is a series of stories around the world and how finnish people enjoy sauna regardless of where they live now. Do you know someone you would like us to write about? Send us a message to [email protected]
