The Path to the Sauna
Last summer I attended a sauna talk where several experts in construction were speaking about things such as the type of wood to use, the height of ceiling and benches, ventilation considerations, etc. One remark that stood out to me among all of the technical details was that the path to the sauna is also important . I have thought about that remark since then. In our small backyard where Bad Sauna sits like a Lincoln Log toy house, we have created a path marked with stones in summer, shoveled out of the snow in winter. It is roughly 23 paces from the house door to the door of the sauna. It is a short walk but "private and uncomplicated," which is good, according to Buddhist teacher Sylvia Boorstein who writes about the Buddhist concept of walking meditation. Pick a place to walk back and forth that is private and uncomplicated — one where the walking path can be ten to twenty feet long. If you walk outdoors, find a secluded spot so that you won’t feel self-conscious. If you...
