How to sauna, Wisconsin style.

Light the stove about forty-five minutes before you want to sit. You're aiming for somewhere between 160 and 190°F, measured at head height on the upper bench.

Rinse off first, then sit high, where the heat is. Breathe through your nose and let your shoulders drop. After a few minutes, ladle a little water onto the stones. The rolling wave of steam that follows is löyly, the soul of the Finnish sauna. It should feel soft and enveloping, never sharp. A ladle at a time is plenty.

Stay until you're properly warm through, usually ten to fifteen minutes. Don't count heroics. Leave when your body tells you to.

Step out and cool down quickly: a cold plunge, a cold shower, or, from December to March, a snowbank.

The contrast is the point. Ease in, keep your breathing slow and steady, and don't stay long. A minute or two is enough, and thirty seconds in a snowbank will feel like an achievement. In summer, a garden hose or a swim off the pier does the same job.

If you're new to cold water, start with a cool shower and work your way down over a few weeks.

Wrap yourself in a towel or a robe and sit somewhere quiet. Outside, if you can.

This is the step most people skip, and it's the one that makes the evening. Your heart rate settles, your skin tingles, and steam lifts off your shoulders into the cold air. Drink some water. Look at the trees. Say very little.

Go around again. Two to four rounds is typical, and most evenings end about ninety minutes after they began.

Add a log between rounds to keep the stove lively. Finish on a rest rather than the cold, have a long drink of water, and sleep better than you have in weeks.