The sauna intimidates more first-timers than any other room in our building, mostly because nobody has ever explained the basic etiquette. Here is the whole thing in four minutes.
What to wear: a towel, or nothing. Our sauna is single-gender and towel-friendly either way. Sit on a towel wherever you sit — it keeps the wood clean for the next person. That is the entire dress code.
Where to sit: higher shelves are hotter. Start on the lower bench for your first five minutes, then move up if it feels comfortable. There is no shame in the bottom shelf; the regulars spend most of their time there too.
How long: ten to fifteen minutes is plenty for a first session. You should feel warm, maybe a light sweat — you should not feel dizzy. The moment you feel light-headed, that is your cue to leave, and that is normal and correct.
The one thing everyone gets wrong: the sauna is not a race. It is not about enduring the maximum heat for the maximum time. A calm ten minutes, done regularly, beats an agonizing twenty minutes done once.
Hydration is non-negotiable — water before, during, and after. And the best part comes after: step out slowly, and let the calm settle in. That afterglow is the whole point.