"I journeyed to Finland in search of ingredients that can be found only in the wild there, timing my trip with the ripening of the forest fungi and bog berries. It was amid the dazzlingly clear lakes of Kainuu, in central Finland, that I literally plunged into the country—fifteen times. That's how many full sauna cycles I made it through; in keeping with local custom—though not advisably—almost every one included a shot of vodka and a frozen dunk in a hole cut in the ice on a lake.
After a few rounds inside the wooden room, which was heated to 160° F, my pulse rose to 160 beats a minute and my skin temperature was off the charts. By the middle of this cycle—heating up, then being submerged—my endorphins were going wild. By round fifteen, I had found my life force. Everything about me felt better, and my skin glowed. My life flashed before my eyes, and I recalled a line I'd read before visiting: 'If you want heaven and hell at the same time, go to a Finnish sauna.' "
-- Yael Alkalay is the founder and CEO of Red Flower.
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