Asher Woodworth had been to the little sauna in his gym in college, but his first experience at a more traditional bathhouse was at the Russian and Turkish Baths in New York City, which date to the 19th century. He liked the experience of doing something that people have been doing together for hundreds and even thousands of years.

“It’s very intense and elemental,” he said.

He was hooked. Woodworth now owns Washington Baths in Portland with Izabel Nielsen. Their business is just one of the saunas that have fired up in recent years in Maine. Still, the process might be intimidating or just unfamiliar for those who have never tried it.

Every sauna is different, and you should check the website or call the one you plan to visit for their specific guidelines. But if you’re sweating the details, these basics will help you get started.

Why sauna?

Sauna is an ancient practice across the globe. The body of scientific research is still growing, but devotees will tell you that the practice has many physical health benefits, such as increased blood circulation, immune support, body detoxification, skin rejuvenation and sore muscle recovery. They also find mental and spiritual benefits as they use the sauna to clear their minds, meditate and relieve stress.

Emily Blau is the director of Nurture Through Nature, an off-the-grid retreat center on the back of Pleasant Mountain in Denmark. The property includes a wood-fired sauna, which is open for public reservations. The word she uses to describe her own relationship to the sauna is “reclamation.”

“I recently finished a breast cancer journey,” Blau said. “Because of that, my relationship with my body changed in ways that I wasn’t expecting. It was learning to trust my body again after it attempted to kill me, and to feel at home in it in the sauna really helped me do that.”

Woodworth said he and Nielsen started Washington Baths in part because they believed in the benefit of a sauna as a gathering place.

“It’s a public space, but it’s also a space of vulnerability to a degree,” he said. “So the tension between these two things is a good thing to have in our lives. It’s creating an alternative social space, a space that’s not oriented around drinking where a whole range of social interaction can take place.”

Are there different kinds of saunas?

Saunas look different in different places and cultures. Many of the businesses that are popping up in Maine are inspired by Nordic traditions. The sauna room and benches are usually made of wood. The heat source is often a wood stove topped with rocks. The stove heats the rocks and the surrounding room. Bathers can pour water on the rocks to create steam and increase the humidity in the space.

Rich and Karen Gadbois own Driftless Sauna in Saco, which rents and sells saunas. He loves the experience of the wood stove in a sauna.

“I’ve always loved the fireplace and firepits and outside fires growing up,” Rich Gadbois said. “I love the crackling of the fire, the wood stove. A wood fire engages all your five senses.”

How hot is a sauna?

Temperatures vary, even within the saunas themselves. But the businesses operating in Maine are usually somewhere between 160 and 200 degrees Fahrenheit.

What about the cold water? What’s the point of a cold plunge after a hot sauna?

A sauna session isn’t just about the heat. The cold is just as vital. You might pour water over your head or take a cool shower. Some offer a cold plunge in a pool, stream, pond or even the ocean.

“The contrast therapy is very important,” said Ashley Baldwin, one of the owners of Waterstruck Wellness in Newcastle. She said the full circuit of hot and cold maximizes the benefits such as blood circulation. “You’re shocking your system in two different ways.”

So where do I start? How do I cycle between hot and cold?

This answer will be different for every person, and saunas don’t require you to do the cycle in a particular order.

“You really can’t do this wrong,” Woodworth said.

But most suggest the following cycle to start: hot, cold, rest. You might repeat the cycle two to four times over a couple hours. That third step is really important, to allow your body to reset between each round.

“I recommend that people spend as much time resting as you spend in the sauna,” Woodworth said.

How long should I stay in the sauna?

Saunas usually advise first-timers to try to stay in the heat for five to 10 minutes. That time might increase with experience. But the most important metric is not the clock. The advice was the same across Maine: “Listen to your body.”

Stay in the sauna for the amount of time that feels good to you. Pay attention to your pulse and your breathing. Leave if you feel lightheaded, dizzy or ill.

“I really hate giving people numbers,” said Jackie Stratton, owner of Cedar Grove Sauna in Montville and Phippsburg. “Because I do not want them to stare at their watch.”

Should I pour water on the rocks in the sauna? What does that do?

Saunas usually have hot rocks in the heater or stove, and pouring water on them generates steam. Make sure to follow the guidelines at the sauna you are visiting, but most do allow and encourage this practice.

Stratton has traveled to Lithuania, Latvia, Finland and Sweden to study sauna culture. Different cultures favor different humidity levels in their saunas, she said, but Europeans generally consider it an integral part of the experience. The Finnish word “löyly” translates to mean the steam itself, but it also refers to the spirit of the space.

“Without steam, every single Finnish person would say it is not a sauna,” Stratton said.

When Washington Baths first opened, Woodworth said the staff used to pour water on the rocks every 15 or 30 minutes. Now, their regulars know how to do it themselves and often teach others.

“There’s a sense that everyone participates in creating that good steam,” he said.

What do I wear? Am I supposed to sauna naked?

Check the rules at the sauna you plan to visit, and respect their policies. Many public saunas require bathing suits, but some allow and even encourage you to try a nude session. Stratton operates one sauna at Popham Beach near a restaurant, and bathing suits are required. But Cedar Grove Saunas has another location tucked into the woods in Montville, and guests who book a private session can go naked if they so choose.

Stratton herself likes to wear a felted woolen hat in the sauna to protects her head and ears from the intense heat. She said it helps her stay inside for longer.

Are saunas gender specific? How do I find a sauna that feels safe and welcoming to me?

Many saunas in Maine are small and do not have separate spaces based on gender. They also often offer the option to book a private session for you and your group. Some, including Cedar Grove Sauna and Washington Baths, offer queer community days.

Washington Baths offers drop-in hours for the public and does not take reservations. The locker rooms and saunas are gender-specific and clothing optional. The outdoor courtyard and pools are open to all, and bathing suits are required in all common areas. Patrons are welcome to use whichever locker room and sauna they are most comfortable in.

“We see the bathhouse as a community space,” co-owner Izabel Nielsen told the Press Herald this winter.

What do I bring with me?

You should bring water, a bathing suit, a towel, sandals and a comfy change of clothes for after. You might want to leave your metal jewelry at home because it can get really hot.

Can I drink water while I’m in the sauna?

Yes! You should hydrate before, during and after your time in the sauna. You can leave your water bottle right outside the door if you don’t want to bring it inside. Another tip: If you bring a water bottle into the sauna, make sure it isn’t metal.

Can I bring my phone into a sauna?

Your phone will probably overheat and shut down in the sauna. Leave it behind, and consider the sauna a place to disconnect.

“We’re in this toxic digital world, and we’re so stressed out and so constantly connected digitally on our phones, and I think we really need to rest our nervous system,” Stratton said. “Our biggest needs is just to slow down and chill out. It’s the only place I can go where I can turn my mind off.”

Can I talk in a public sauna?

Yes. Some, such as Cedar Grove Sauna and Washington Baths, offer dedicated quiet hours if the silence is important to you or makes you feel more comfortable in the space.

Why does the sauna ask me to take a shower before I even get sweaty?

Some saunas, especially public ones, require or suggest that guests to take a shower before they enter. This step helps keep the space clean, and it also helps you remove any oils or lotions from your skin that might cause irritation. Sauna owners described detailed procedures for cleaning, such as regular power washing.

Can children use saunas? What about pregnant people? When should I not use a sauna?

This is a question for your doctor. Experts warn that children, older adults, pregnant people and people with medical conditions shouldn’t sauna without checking with a physician. Many saunas will ask patrons to sign a liability waiver.

Can I sauna right before or after a workout?

Sure. (Again, make sure you’re drinking lots of water.) Waterstruck Wellness, for example, sometimes offers a yoga class before or after a sauna session.

How much does it cost?

Prices and booking options vary at businesses across Maine. Public sessions are often less expensive, while  a private session will usually cost more.

How often should I sauna to see the biggest benefit from the practice?

This depends on you. Some people sauna weekly. Others go three to five times a week.

What should I do after I sauna?

Keep drinking water. Eat a snack. Stretch. Take a nap. You can even shuck and eat an oyster if you’ve been to the Sauna at Glidden Point in Edgecomb, where the cold plunge is an empty oyster cage on the farm’s dock.

“Feast,” Stratton said. In Finland, a favorite snack after the sauna is a grilled sausage with a robust mustard. At home, she likes to set up a charcuterie spread with cured meats and cheeses.

Wow! Now I love to sauna. Can I have a sauna at home?

More businesses are cropping up to let people to rent, buy or build saunas at home. Gadbois said he started his business because he wanted one in his backyard.

“I built my own and learned a lot,” Gadbois said. “I figured I could start building my own customer saunas.”

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