The Halvarm Journal

Heat, cold, and the stories behind them.

Research read from the original papers, with every number linked to its source — and the history of the rituals we build for.

Science · 8 min read

The Finnish study that made doctors take the sauna seriously

Twenty years, 2,315 men and one deceptively simple question: how often do you sauna? Here is what the Kuopio research actually found — numbers, caveats and all.

History · 7 min read

Smoke, stone and löyly: a short history of the Finnish sauna

From pits dug into hillsides to a UNESCO listing, how a room full of smoke became the heart of a nation — and how a country of 5.5 million came to have 3.3 million saunas.