I went to a social sauna for a party, and it was nothing like I expected

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2 days ago

I went to a social sauna for a party, and it was nothing like I expected
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Mobile Saunas on a roll at Rhode Island beaches
Kayla Sibilia, the main steward of Altaer Sauna, brings her mobile saunas to Rhode Island
LONDON — When I received an invitation to a birthday party at a social sauna, my first thought was: "Do I have to be naked?!"
The answer (thankfully) was no, although some sauna traditionalists would prefer otherwise. All I needed was a swimsuit, sandals and two towels to attend a 90-minute session at Community Sauna Baths, a nonprofit communal bathing site in London's Hackney Wick neighborhood. The community is among a crop of social thermal experiences that have opened in recent years abroad and in the U.S. And, as people look for low-cost, high reward summer fun, these saunas are reporting a boom in popularity.
Sauna as you've never steamed it before
Following a hectic 6 p.m. commute on public transit, the tranquility of Community Sauna Baths was welcome. Approachable attendants had our group sign a waiver (saunas may not be safe for those who are pregnant, have low blood pressure or some heart conditions) while we sipped a rose-infused tea. We traded sneakers for flip-flops and professional clothes for swimsuits and dipped in a quick cold shower before entering one of the wood-fired saunas.
Coming from 65-degree temperatures, the heat was stunning at first. The community keeps its chambers around 175 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit (note to monitor your body for signs of heat exhaustion). While I had tried a sauna before, it was usually a smallish closet tacked on to a gym or hotel locker room. I'd never experienced this kind of setting — a place where sauna was distinctively the main event. Larger chamber design is key factor of the social sauna movement, widening the physical space to invite more individuals to collectively feel the heat.
"It's the only place in London I can think of where I just strike up a conversation with a complete stranger," said Charlie Duckworth, one of the directors at Community Sauna Baths. It's "bizarre" for Duckworth to imagine this level of intimacy possible at a fitness class, where people typically rush in and out of the studio. Here, strangers sit on rows of wooden benches, no phones, sweating together.
"It's the intersection of community and recovery," said Evan Galante, co-founder of LÖ-LU Nordic Sauna in Nashville, Tennessee. When he works the front desk, he says he has "no idea" what conversations are happening inside the chamber but loves to hear business partners, parents, neighbors and friends streaming out mid-conversation.
And this formula is working: Community Sauna started in late 2021 and now sees about 400 visitors per day on a weekend, and 2,500 per week and has six locations with a seventh opening later this summer. Galante said LÖ-LU was born out of a "few friends" meeting in his backyard that is now a 40-person sauna, a 20-person cold tub, a relaxing lounge area, a coffee shop, an outdoor courtyard, and more.
Importantly, sauna is nothing new, said Emma O'Kelly, author of "Sauna: The Power of Deep Heat."
"It seems like it's everywhere now," said O'Kelly. These spaces replicate a Finnish sauna model, which dates back thousands of years, she said.
Jumping between extremes
I would describe myself as "not a heavy sweater," but the lemongrass-infused steam did me in. Dripping, I made my way back to the showers (this rinse keeps salty sweat out of the fresh baths) and then to an array of cold plunges, varying between 35 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit. With as much gumption as I could muster, I stepped into the cold water. I felt my neck constrict and shoulders seize to my ears.
The trick was to have a buddy. My friend, the birthday girl, and I counted "1,2,3" and submerged.
I immediately proclaimed "Nope!" and jumped out, but contrasting hot with cold is an important tool for sauna practice, Galante later explained to me. In order to work our bodies out of "fight or flight," the cold aids regulation. Drawing deep belly inhales and exhales helps the parasympathetic nervous system tell our bodies not to panic, he said. "You have that initial shock, but long term, it's actually calming you down."
"It almost forces you into a meditation," said Myles Farmer, co-founder of The Othership, "a new age bath house" with locations in Canada and the U.S. "Before this ... I couldn't meditate. It has changed my whole attitude and my happiness has gone up ... I can't see it being not part of my life at this point."
This hot-to-cold routine has major benefits, Famer said, from reduced risk of dementia to increased brain efficiency.
'In the sauna, inhibitions are lowered'
At the phone-free sauna, I thought about how many times I would have checked social media had the party been at a bar. Instead, my friends and I laughed and spoke candidly.
Achieving satisfying levels of connection is a common reason people return to saunas, Farmer said.
Duckworth recalled this "delirious" feeling of intoxicating bliss after an 8-hour day of sweating with strangers last month at The Saunaverse, the UK's first sauna festival, hosted by Community Sauna Baths.
"In the sauna, inhibitions are lowered similarly to drinking," he said.
These social saunas offer a gamut of sessions to find friends and fun, from sauna for diverse identities to DJ Fridays (LÖ-LU is even hosting a wedding party in coming weeks).
"We've been in the [saunas] on a Friday or Saturday night and the energy is quite akin to a local dive bar," Galante said. "People are laughing, it's loud, music is playing."
However, traditionalists might reject sauna going mainstream, said O'Kelly, including the requirement to wear swimwear instead of going nude (neoprene "mutes" the steam cleanse, she said).
"If you mention this party stuff to Fins, they're horrified," said O'Kelly, adding it's important to take such events as an "entry point," but not to lose the "deep contemplative" elements the practice provides.
Low spend, high personal reward
This delirious-in-a-good-way-fun comes at a range of price points, too, attracting an array of customers at a time when many Americans want cost-effective recreation with high personal reward. For roughly $29.90 each, my group spent about half the money per person we would have at a typical restaurant birthday party.
"It should be accessible to as many people as possible," said Duckworth.
After dousing and dipping, it was time for one final rinse off. I left waving at the attendants who had aided us. I would definitely go back, maybe with more buffer time before to get my breath prepared. As I tucked into bed that night, I remembered something Duckworth told me: "You'll sleep like a baby after your first sauna." He was right.
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