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USA Today
3 days ago
- Health
- USA Today
I went to a social sauna for a party, and it was nothing like I expected
I went to a social sauna for a party, and it was nothing like I expected Show Caption Hide Caption 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. What health & wellness means for you: Sign up for USA TODAY's Keeping it Together newsletter.
USA Today
3 days ago
- Health
- USA Today
I went to a social sauna for a party and it was nothing like I expected
I went to a social sauna for a party and it was nothing like I expected Show Caption Hide Caption 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. What health & wellness means for you: Sign up for USA TODAY's Keeping it Together newsletter.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Yahoo
Mobile saunas are the hot new trend at Rhode Island's beaches this winter. Here's why
It's a cold, grey winter day at South Shore Beach in Little Compton, and freezing winds are whipping the coast. Inside Altær Sauna, the temperature is somewhere between 170 and 200 degrees, thanks to a wood-burning stove. Sweaty, swimsuit-clad customers occasionally emerge to plunge into the frigid ocean. Droplets of steam fog the windows. Altær is one of several mobile saunas to pop up in Rhode Island in recent years. Others can be found at Second Beach and Third Beach in Middletown, or will come to your backyard. At South Shore Beach, hourly rentals are in such high demand that Altær owner Kayla Sibilia often struggles to find room for walk-ins. She sees the sauna, which sits on a two-wheeled trailer, as a way for people to enjoy the outdoors all year long. "I wanted people to be able to celebrate wintertime," she said. Go to any Rhode Island beach in the dead of winter, and you'll find people looking out at the ocean while staying warm inside parked cars. "People really want to be down there," Sibilia said. "People want to be at the beach." But unlike your car, saunas may actually offer health benefits. One Finnish study found that men who visited saunas more often lived longer and were less likely to have fatal heart problems. Anecdotally, proponents also say that regular sauna visits can lead to reduced stress and glowing skin. "How often do you spend an hour just taking care of yourself?" said Monika Marketos, who co-owns Westerly-based Bring Me Sauna with her husband, Aaron. "Sauna forces you do that."While many gyms and spas have indoor saunas, enthusiasts say that visiting a mobile sauna allows you to benefit from the restorative power of spending time in nature. The rise of mobile saunas is also closely tied to the increased popularity of cold plunges and cold-water swimming. Typically, saunas park by the ocean or set up a cold plunge tank nearby, allowing customers to cycle between the two extremes. Jumping in the icy water is optional, however. You can still get the benefits of the sauna without doing a cold plunge, Marketos said. Mobile saunas typically fit up to six people, and offer an alternative way to socialize without drinking alcohol or going to a bar. Split among a group of friends, the cost of an hour-long rental can be just $20 per person. "There aren't aren't too many communal spaces that are healthy and can stir those great conversations that you might get to experience while sharing beers," said Matt Marko, a co-owner of New Bedford-based Tranquil Tides Sauna and Cold Plunge, which has popped up at private events in Tiverton and Newport. "Sauna can be a space where that sort of thing happens." If you aren't able to wrangle a large group and don't mind sweating alongside strangers, some mobile saunas also offer shared public sessions. Sibilia calls them "sauna socials." "I've seen so many new friends emerge," she said. "Business deals have happened in my sauna. Conflicts have been mended. It's important, I feel, for society right now." Some mobile saunas have spots where they park every week, but most will also come to you – assuming there's space to safely set up in the driveway or backyard. Marko said that Tranquil Tides often gets booked for parties, special occasions like birthdays, and wellness retreats. "It's kind of like renting a bounce house, for the lack of a better analogy," said Aaron Marketos of Bring Me Sauna. "We show up, set up, and you use it, and then we come get it when you're done." The mobile sauna trend has roots in Minnesota and the upper Midwest, where many residents have Nordic ancestry and it's not unusual to find saunas at lake cabins or in backyards. Minneapolis has a standard permitting process for mobile saunas that want to set up in public parks, Marko said. But in New England, the concept is still new and unfamiliar. Getting permission to park at a public beach often requires seeking permission from skeptical local officials, and explaining exactly what a mobile saunas is. "Some towns have been a little more resistant than others," Sibilia said. "I tried to go to another town in Rhode Island and they said, 'Well no one's asking for this, so we don't really need it. And I'm like 'They're not asking for it because they don't know it exists.'" Mobile saunas often have wood stoves, which understandably raises concerns about fire safety, Marko said. Tranquil Tides uses a propane-powered gas stove, so there's no open flame or hot coals. But the extreme heat may not be safe for people with certain health conditions, and some communities see it as too much of a liability. Little Compton has been extremely welcoming, Sibilia said, and residents stop by to bring her hot soup, cookies, and oranges. The cozy, wood-paneled cabin is a constant source of curiosity for walkers and winter surfers, who often initially think they're looking at a food truck or coffee cart. "People light up when they hear it's a sauna," Sibilia said. Altær Sauna: Parks at South Shore Beach in Little Compton from Friday through Monday. Private rentals for up to six people cost $143 per hour. You can also reserve a spot in a shared sauna for $40 an hour. More information: or @altaersauna on Instagram Bring Me Sauna: Will travel to private homes and businesses anywhere in Rhode Island, as long as they have a safe place to park with no low-hanging trees or wires. Private rentals start at $420 per day or $800 per weekend. An additional $3 per mile delivery and pick-up charge applies to customers who are more than 15 miles from Westerly. More information: or @bringmesauna on Instagram Newport Sauna: Currently parks at Third Beach in Middletown on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Private rentals for up to six people cost $150 for 50 minutes. Shared public sessions are also available for $40 per person. More information: @finnwoodworking or @newportsauna on Instagram Small Wave Sauna: Parks at Surfer's End at Second Beach in Middletown on weekends. An hour-long private session costs $150, and a public shared session costs $30 per person. More information: or @smallwavesauna on Instagram Tranquil Tides Sauna and Cold Plunge: Currently offering private rentals on Saturdays at Westport Rivers Winery for $125 per hour. Will also come to your home or business for private events. Typically, a 24-hour rental costs $600 and each additional day costs $150. Prices may be higher for customers who are more than 25 to 35 miles from New Bedford. More information: or @tranquiltidessaunacoldplunge on Instagram This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Mobile saunas in RI: Get to know the hot new trend on Rhode Island beaches
