Sauna Thanks and Giving

with no blacking out on Friday

Is it getting colder where you are too? Well, ice has begun forming on our lakes. I’ve been giving extra thanks to my backyard sauna, offering up some bench time to new and old pals, and replenishing the woodpile.

Brother John hot stepping to harvest red oak, as the sauna climbs up to temp.

Sauna Talk Podcast

Wow, what an honor to sit down with Dr. Charles Raison. Along with psychedelic research, Dr. Raison is smack dab in the center of what you and I know to be true: sauna is good for you. We are on the cusp of more research regarding the health benefits of hot/cold. Check out my Part 1 interview here.

Sauna Talk: Dr. Charles Raison

Sauna Ventilation

I get down to the depths on ventilating an electric heated sauna. We spend more effort explaining the plan vs. penciling out the drawing. (Can someone please send me a better drawing!)? Article is here.

Sauna in the News

Dating back to 2008, when I started SaunaTimes, if an article about sauna appeared in the news, I’d read it with smiles, comment and link to it on the website with an extra round of WHM breathing to calm down. Yet news stories appear so frequently now! The Guardian reports on “70 such saunas operating in the UK according to the British Sauna Society, mostly at beaches or lakes, fueled by the growth in wild swimming and healthy living.”

We have The Financial Times article “How to build a sauna: ‘somewhere between a chapel and a pub’.” And I had the pleasure visiting with the New York Times this past week regarding a forthcoming article about the Minnesota sauna scene.

More songs about sauna buildings in Britain: Guardian article.

Five Holiday Gift Ideas

1. Anya Tea. I can’t begin to tell you how great I feel after a heavy sauna session and a hot cup of Anya Banya tea. A curated blend of 10 different hydrating herbs. Miles better as a satiating replacement vs. a dehydrating alcoholic beverage.

2. Overland Sauna Tent. 20% off their SuperLite tent sauna kit. I dig Sauna Tents as a viable first or second wrung up the authentic sauna ladder. And this is a great deal, especially if mobility is part of your sauna tent deployment future. Be it at a beach, mountain stream, a canoe trip, or how about setting up in your in laws backyard as a thermal escape on Christmas day?

3. SaunaTimes shed to sauna conversion kit. Not sure whether to write a check for a sauna, or roll up your sleeves for a total DIY? Many have asked me for a kit, so we are working on it. For a backyard gig, we feel this hybrid approach is the sweet spot. The kit is complete, yet allows customization to fit the vibe of your backyard with kick ass heat, steam, and ventilation. All the components are too large to fit under the Christmas tree, for sure, but we will help you make a holiday gift card as first step to make your authentic sauna dreams happen. More here.

4. Minnesota sauna pilgrimage. How about a couple passes to the Great Northern Sauna Village end of January or Sauna Days happening May 4-6, 2024? This is your ticket to experience many different wood burning saunas in one festive locale.

5. Kuuma BluFlame giveaway. How cool would it be to win a Kuuma BluFlame wood burning sauna stove? Well, imagine a red ribbon around this one as It could be yours! Enter here.

Wherever you find yourself this December, I hope you are able to carve out some extended sessions on the bench. Either on your own in blissful solitude or celebrating good heat with family and friends, sauna is our place to unwind and reach our own level of thermal velocity. In peace, love, and understanding,

Happy holidays to you all!