menyerään

Menyerään is a Finnish sauna experience where participants expose themselves to extremely hot temperatures, often causing sweating and other physical reactions. This practice is also known as a "fence sauna" or "hot heat" in some contexts. The term "menyerään" translates to "great heat" in Finnish.

In a menyerään, participants typically leave the sauna door open, usually allowing temperatures to rise as high as 60-80 degrees Celsius (140-176 degrees Fahrenheit). This extreme heat can cause severe sweating, dizziness, and even fainting in some individuals. However, many Finns and sauna enthusiasts around the world practice menyerään as a way to cleanse the body and mind.

During a menrerään, participants often lie down or sit with their faces exposed to the heat, sometimes with a towel covering their heads or faces. Others may walk in and out of the sauna to acclimate to the varying temperatures. The experience is meant to be intense and exhausting, providing relief after the ordeal is completed.

Practitioners of menyerään report that the physical and mental sensation can be intense, but also cleansing. Many claim to feel purged of impurities and, mentally, clarified after the experience. But, as with any extreme physical activity, menyerään carries a risk of heatstroke, dehydration, and other health complications. Sauna-goers and medical professionals advise caution when attempting this practice.

Menyerään is often performed in small, wooden saunas or purpose-built climate-controlled chambers. The intensity of the heat is usually managed by regulating ventilation, temperature control, or leaving the sauna door open. Those participating in menyerään usually take rest periods or engage in general relaxation after the extreme heat is undergone.