Finnish Lapland is a veritable winter wonderland, complete with free-roaming reindeer and the Northern Lights’ technicolor sky dance. The perfect setting for ice bathing, the age-old holistic practice of completely or partially immersing the body in ice-cold water, is provided by its frozen Arctic scenery, pure natural waterways, and long sauna heritage.
To find out more about this sacred self-care practice, we chatted with Finnish ice swimmer Elina Mäkinen. Despite being well-known for setting distance swimming records, Mäkinen emphasizes that ice swimming and ice bathing are recreational activities rather than competitive pursuits. “I only have the need to compete with myself,” she states. “The ice hole is a place to learn about yourself and your reactions.”
