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would you feel relaxed sitting in a room, naked, surrounded by your also naked family and friends-or even strangers? If you were Finnish, taking a sauna, the answer would most likely be yes.

Relaxation is largely a matter of what you are used to. Different cultures have different standards; one reason why travel so often changes peoples perspectives.

Most cultures can agree on on this, however; sleeping is relaxing. That is why so many cultures take a siesta, a short nap of about 15-30 minutes meaning literally "the sixth hour after dawn". Siestas are generally taken after lunch, during the hottest part of the day. This practice is common in the Iberian Peninsula, which includes Spain, Portugal, Andorra, and Gibralter, and in Italy and Greece. School children in China and Taiwan nap after lunch, while some Japanese offices include napping rooms. Other napping countries are the Philippines, India, Croatia, Malta, and North Africa.

In Finland, there are over 2 million saunas for 5 million inhabitants, an average of 1 per household. The oldest type of Finnish sauna is a log cabin with a stove in the middle. Water thrown over hot rocks covering the stove produces steam (called loyly). To stimulate muscles, the skin is lightly beaten with a silver birch bough. In summer, Finns jump in the nearest body of water when the heat of the sauna gets too intense; in winter, they climb into a hole cut in ice or roll in snow.

Saunas are mentally relaxing because they are time spent with familiar people(especially home saunas). In public saunas, expect only pleasant conversations to occur-arguing or controversial topics are frowned upon. Physically, saunas lower stress by making people feel healthier. Some benefits are burning calories, improving circulation, and preventing colds.

Saunas are taken in numerous other European countries, Korea, and Japan, while Native Americans have sweat lodges.

Many forms of relaxations newly discovered by the West originate in the East. Eastern forms of relaxation often contain a spiritual element as well. Tai Chi, one of the United States and Canada's fastest-growing activities, began in 12th century China and is a Mandarin term for "supreme ultimate fist". As a martial art, Tai Chi doesn't meet force with force-it turns the aggressor's force back against them.

Although the Yang, Wu, and Chen styles of Tai Chi have fast movements, the training forms, which are slow can be compared to a type of moving meditation. The Chinese practice the forms every

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