It's hard to imagine a Russian banya without a fragrant biting broom. Connoisseurs know that visiting a steam room is not just a way to wash, but a whole ritual that improves he alth. Massage with a birch broom at high temperature creates an amazing effect of cleansing the body. After the bath, the metabolism normalizes, the work of the heart improves and the general tone of the body rises.
If you want to know how to properly take advantage of a birch broom (where to get it, how to steam it, what to do with it in a steam room), this article will be informative and interesting. And even if you are a sophisticated bath attendant, you will find useful information here.
Properties
Birch broom takes first place among other bath brooms. And there are two reasons for this: firstly, birch branches carry the magical healing benefits of the trees themselves, and secondly, birch is widespread, and it is not difficult to get such a broom.
Birch leaves contain vitamins, essential oils,phytoncides, tannins and antibacterial substances. Properly prepared brooms retain these qualities and, when used properly, bring great benefits to the body:
- immunity boost;
- respiratory disease prevention;
- improvement of skin condition, cleansing of infections;
- promote circulation;
- removal of toxins from the body;
- relieve pain in muscles and joints.
Birch brooms have practically no contraindications, but the concentration of tree resins can negatively affect the kidneys and stomach, so you should be careful with colitis and infections of the gastrointestinal tract.
Correct birch broom
In order for the procedures in the steam room to be pleasant and as useful as possible, you need a high-quality broom, and the mere fact that it is made of birch is not enough.
Signs of an ideal birch broom for a bath:
- leaf size up to 3 cm;
- leaves are even, not twisted, have a green color and persistent aroma;
- broom light, comfortable in hand;
- thicker branches in the middle, thinner around;
- the broom is dense, durable, the leaves do not crumble.
If you have a broom in your hands that does not fit the description of the indicated items, it means that the technology of its harvesting is violated: it was cut at the wrong time, incorrectly shaped and dried. Its use is possible, but it will not work to achieve the maximum benefit from the bath procedure.
To be sure of the quality of the broom,with which you are going to bathe in the bath, it is better to prepare it yourself. It is not difficult at all, and the preparation process can deliver no less pleasure than the soaring procedures themselves.
How to make your own brooms
To prepare the right birch brooms, you need to know when to do it, where and how.
Brooms are harvested from the second half of June to mid-summer. At this time, the leaf ripens and its maximum filling with essential oils, but this period does not last long, only until the earrings appear.
For harvesting choose a dry day and time around noon. This allows you to collect raw materials for brooms, which have good moisture indicators. If you collect brooms in wet weather or in the morning after the dew has disappeared, then it will be much more difficult to dry them.
Choose a forest away from the city, roads, dust and emissions. Find birches with flexible falling branches and even leaves. Preference is given to young birches that have not bloomed before, their leaves are more tender.
Cut branches 40-50 cm long, you can do this with a sharp knife or secateurs. The harvested raw materials are loosely tied and hung in a dark place for pre-drying. Brooms are formed after 7-8 days.
Brooms are knitted in two forms: a fan and a broom. When forming a fan, the branches are stacked on top of each other, creating a flat shape. In the second method, thick branches are used in the center to form the middle of the broom and thin ones along the edges.
Brooms are tied very tightly in two, three places. For thisuse strong synthetic twine or thin rope. The handle of a broom about 15 cm is completely cleaned of leaves, it can be wrapped with a cloth so that it does not rub corns when used.
After that, the brooms are sent to dry in a well-ventilated dark room, excluding direct sunlight. The best option is to hang brooms under the attic roof. Dried brooms can also be stored hanging or folded, but at the same time periodically swapped and ventilated. Fan-shaped brooms are dried and stored folded and specially crushed to give the appropriate shape.
How to steam a birch broom
A freshly prepared broom does not require any additional processing, you can safely go to the steam room with it and it will bring maximum benefit. If you have not tried steaming with a fresh broom yet, you can fix it, evaluate the merits and benefits.
Dried brooms must be prepared before use, that is, steamed. This procedure softens the branches and makes them flexible. Inexperienced attendants think that it is enough just to pour boiling water over a broom, but this is not entirely true.
Sequence of actions for proper steaming of a birch broom:
- rinse the broom with warm water;
- put in cold water for 3 minutes;
- pour warm water, leave for 5 minutes;
- send broom to boiling water for 10-20 minutes.
To enhance the aroma before use, you can hold the broomhot stones.
Quick steaming method
How to steam a birch broom easier and faster? There is an express method for those who are in a hurry or lazy. The broom should be dipped in a basin of hot water, and then laid out on a hot stove. Outgoing steam helps to soften the branches. This procedure must be repeated 2-3 times. When using this method, take precautions: use gloves to avoid burning yourself, and be careful not to leave leaves on the stove, which can smell like burning or ignite.
How to steam properly
It is better to go to the bath with a broom together. One lying down enjoys the massage, the second works as a bather, then you can change places.
Broom in the bath serves as a fan, pumping hot air to the body. Painful blows are useless, soft pats on the skin are enough. Massage is performed with a wet broom, for this it needs to be additionally moistened. The broom can be pressed tightly against the body, driven along the body, lifted and shaken, forcing hot air, whipped and even used as a washcloth. The intensity of the procedures and the number of repetitions is selected individually.
Follow the simple rules of harvesting and using birch brooms, enjoy and get the most out of the bath.
We wish you a light steam and pleasant wellness treatments!
