Well, I have gone several times since I've been here and it is an incredible experience. As much as I enjoy my baths, steaming kicks baths to the curb (there are still moments which require a nice long bath, but I digress).
What is a steam? A steam is a cleansing method. Steaming is an alternative to taking a shower or a bath. In my village the community doesn't have running water so showering and bathing isn't really an option so people steam.
The setup:
Steam houses are small stand alone building built for the sole purpose of steaming. There is usually a small door to enter from the outside. The door is small because the entire building is small. I am not quite 5" and I have to duck to enter the steam house. There is an inner room and an outer room. The outer room is where you dress, undress, cool off between steam sets (a term I just made up to better explain the process), and store all your belongings. There are usually a small bench on either side of the room to sit. The inner room is where the steam actually takes place. However, I would consider the entire process "taking a steam".
There is a small door connecting the inner and outer room. The inner room is also divided: the section closest to the door is where people sit to steam. There is a bucket of cold water. The far side of the inner room is where the wood stove sits below floor level. The wood stove is covered with rocks to hold the heat. There is also a bucket of water on/near the stove to heat for hot water.
Supplies:
1 rubber mat (to sit on in the inner room while steaming)
1 basin (to have cold water while steaming to keep cool and to add hot water once it is time to clean)
1 scrub (a special steam scrub that really does the job)
1 wash cloth (to use to keep cool during steaming, to cover the mouth to not get so hot, and to use to rinse during the cleaning process)
1 cotton mat (to sit on in the outer room between steam sets and after the steam)
towel, shampoo, soap, etc.
(I stress the supplies because I certainly did NOT have the proper supplies at the start of the year. Thankfully people loaned me what I needed so I could steam. The rubber mat is important for two main reasons 1)not to burn your bottom and 2)as a barrier. Steam houses are a very warm environment and sometimes can be a hot house for bacteria. ***They don't have to be, but can be so having your own supplies is ideal.
The process:
Men and women steam separately; however, women steam together and men steam together. Once you undress, and undressing is essential. No clothing/ no towel allowed in the inner room. N-A-K-E-D is the only way to go. So in you go with your naked self, a basin, a rubber mat, and a wash cloth. Then you sit on the rubber mat and fill your basin with the cold water. You then stay in the inner room and steam until you cannot tolerate the heat anymore and go and cool off in the outer room. This is repeated several times. For those with more tolerance, you can "splash" the stove for an even more intense experience. After the final steam set and cooling period you go back into the inner room and wash, first your hair and then your body.
Wow! After a steam you know you are clean and so relaxed. It takes about two hours (give or take). It is more than just a way to clean up; it is also very social. I sleep so well on the nights I steam. In fact, they really wipe me out so I have made a policy of only going on weekends because of how wiped out I still am the following morning.
The last day of school before Christmas break was our community gift exchange and for I was given everything I needed to steam. I am so set! That night I was invited to steam with Daphne and so I suited up with my steam gear and off I went. Below are some pictures of my steam spots (or burns as I was told). No lasting scars.
