Sauna Talk

The Sauna Talk global cross continent series continues We are pleased to welcome Mika Meskanen and his partner Wendy Liu to this joint podcast. We are publishing this episode on Sauna Talk as well as on their new podcast. Mika and Wendy are fresh on the beginnings of their enterprise entitled: Saunawave where they look to be “hosting meetings with remarkable heat seekers and embark on secret journeys to explore the new wave of global sauna culture”. As a designer and an architect they are also keen to craft sauna experiences that are both innovative and true to tradition. This conversation happened via tele computer, late 2020. Glenn close to his Minneapolis backyard sauna and Mika and Wendy from their London home. A great visit, where Mika and Wendy were inquisitive about the American sauna culture and environment. Here, we talk about the Sauna Belt in the US, which compares only to the bible belt, rust belt, and other belts mentioned by Mika, only in comparative context that they are belts. We discuss how t

We are pleased to welcome Travis Skinner to Sauna Talk! We’ve been following Travis’ work since 2017, starting with his Snail Shell sauna project. This sauna build project is a creative nod to the Fibonacci Sequence, one of the most famous formulas in mathematics. In this episode you’ll hear from Travis about the origins of this sauna, using a yurt frame as a foundation for building this sauna. And let’s not forget the Steam Roller sauna. Here is a link that describes and illustrates the Steam Roller sauna build project. A really unique shape. A canted wall that helps draw and roll the steam in the hot room. Then, it’s on to the Angler Fish sauna project. We wrote this sauna build project in 2018. And now we get to hear from the creator, designer and builder: Travis Skinner. We’ll learn about the “stacking function of sauna.” Where sauna can be multi function, multi purpose. Travis has a key interest in collaboration. Coming together with other artisans to craft as much as possible with their hands. “Working

Season 4 of Sauna Talk in the time of corona has been produced, like most all podcasts, via Zoom and teleconferencing. Yet this episode breaks that mold, where two people are gathered, once again, on the sauna bench to, er… sauna talk. Both Max and Glenn have been under pretty strict distancing: Glenn returning from 5 months on his island in Northeast Minnesota and Max running a tight ship, with his wife due in December with their third child. (eg. no messing around). So, this episode is a return to Sauna Talk on the bench Max comes to sauna, banya as its called back in his native land of Belarus, through a life long tradition and experience. “When I say 95 out of 100 of Belarusians go to sauna – I mean 95% of my friends and family that I know in Belarus go to sauna regularly.” This is the culture of sweat bathing in Belarus. Баня (Banya) is the Russian word for sauna; Лазьня (Laznya) is the Belarusian word for sauna, but most of the people who live in Belarus use word banya since they speak Russian as their

As we celebrate the 10 year anniversary of sauna book “The Opposite of Cold”, we are pleased to visit with author Mike Nordskog, Mike was close to between sauna rounds at his home in Southwest Wisconsin. Glenn was Zoomed up from his island lake cabin in Northeast Minnesota.The sauna building journey vs. destination The iterative process of sauna building allows us to create a sauna that works for us, individually. The story behind “the Opposite of Cold” A resurgence and interest in authentic sauna, particularly in the Upper Midwest. DIY Finnish carpentry to do the details – window molding and attention to detail. Finnish immigrants, more saunas per mile than in Finland, Cotton, or Toivola, Carlton County. What is authentic sauna? Water in the hot room. Not just on the rocks, but ideally a room that you can bathe in there. Ritual aspect that take time. Common sense design principles, eg. two tiers of benches where the upper bench is close to the ceiling, otherwise you are leaving a lot of heat on the table. Th

Cold & Heat It’s interesting how many come to appreciate sauna from the cold, and conversely how many come to appreciate the cold from sauna. Whichever the point of introduction, Jesse and I agree that with cold plunge and sauna, 1+1=3. You’ll hear from Jesse why this is. We will hear about his personal journey towards the powerful goodness of breath work and cold exposure. For most all Finns and sauna owners in Nordic regions of Europe and similar climates in North America, we refer to a few sauna round and a jump into a nICE cold lake just something you do. The practice is built into the rhythm of the day. “I’m going to cut the grass then go sauna.” Or “the sauna will be hot around 5pm, come on by.” Contrast Therapy Yet for athletes looking for an edge, or folks stressed out, or others with a varied list of mental and physical problems, we are seeing some serious positivity with “contrast therapy.” Jesse’s Bio Jesse Coomer is an author, professional breathworker, cold training expert, certified Wim Hof

Anyone lucky enough to have a hard copy of Mikkel Aaland’s 1978 book Sweat can page through his journey into the various sweat bathing practices and traditions from all over the World. Throughout his book, we enter with Mikkel into a Mayan Temescal, a Russian Banya, a Japanese Mushu-buru, a Native American Sweatlodge, and of course a Finnish sauna, amongst other cultural sweat tradition practices. Throughout his global journey, Mikkel gained an understanding of the common human experience. The communal experience and the experience of getting clean, and in my words, the ability to feel and say “aaaahhh” when water is tossed on hot rocks to create steam. As a young world traveler, Mikkel put it all together. He was able to connect the dots of these different “sweat” practices, and has helped us come to the realization that we, as humans, share a special bond of sweat practices, and we aren’t really all that different as a species. Fast forward to 2019, and Mikkel was deep into another form of world travel. He

Today on the bench, we hear from kindred spirits from across the big pond: Jake and Max Newport. As testament to our mutual love of authentic sauna, though this episode has been in the works for month, it was put together within minutes. I sent Jake an email, heard back right away, and we jumped on a Zoom call. We got right into the chatter, as mutual lovers of good sauna tend to do, and so it was easy to hit record and just make it happen. Doers vs. dreamers We hear the origins of Finnmark Sauna, from their first experience of Finnish sauna, to building a wood fired sauna in their family backyard, to the origins of their sauna business, Finnmark Sauna. Jake and Max are busy guys, helping customers all over Great Britain with their desire to own their own saunas. Dr. Mathew Walker Why We Sleep Could infrared cabin marketing hucksters be committing a cultural crime? Sauna is an experience to be enjoyed. There is an ethos in Great Britain that “the medicine should taste foul” and with exercise, “it must be pain

I first learned of Scott Carney as he was writing his 2016 book, What Doesn’t Kill Us, the story of Scott being commissioned by Playboy Magazine to write an article debunking the cold water deep breathing “iceman” Wim Hof. Scott went to Wim’s training center in Poland. His intention was to get into the depths of Wim’s cold water immersion therapy and deep breathing methods, to reveal the cracks and fallacies of the practice. And this was Scott’s specialty. He was on the heels of his 2015 book The Enlightenment Trap, (then entitled under the title A Death on Diamond Mountain). The book explores the cult like practices of adaptive, Americanized versions of Eastern religions. How guru’s in the US try to capitalize on “enlightenment” for their own finances and fame. For Scott Carney, a journalist and anthropologist who lived in India for six years, debunking myths is his specialty. Debunking Wim Hof So, back to those days at the Wim Hof training center in Poland, I can imagine Scott’s bullshit detector on high. H

Today on the bench, we are pleased to welcome Jessica Kelso, founder, owner, and proprietor of Löyly in Portland Oregon, which today comprises two public sauna facilities. Growing up in Oregon, Jess first encountered sauna as part of “a bit of the hippy culture of the area” but she, like many sauna enthusiasts, became hooked on sauna from her time spent experiencing the public sauna scene in Europe. We get to hear from her voice, the pivotal moment when she committed herself to opening a public sauna in Portland. And after opening her first sauna facility in 2006, Jess helped grow this business and then opened a second location a few years later. We learn about her companies efforts to reposition their business during this time of Covid-19, when public facilities like restaurants, health clubs and public saunas are on lockdown, and just now looking to reopen safely and within guidelines. How great to hear her heartfelt feelings of the power of sauna, as a space for community and gathering, healing and feeling

Today on the bench, we are seated between pro football player Brian Peters and Mindstrong project founder Harvey Martin. “Chasing the edge” is an easy concept. Athletes sustain performance via an aggregation of marginal gains. From 1-10, how developed is sauna therapy with pro athletes? Harvey rates it a 5, and Brian rates it a 3 or 4. It is slowly creeping its way into professional sports. It is knocking on the door. Saunas in NFL locker rooms are large, like 10’x10′. Harrison Smith would hit the cold plunge and then the sauna. Click here to read an article from 2011 detailing how Minnesota Vikings players used cold therapy, and how the saunatimes editorial department back then urged players to introduce themselves to authentic sauna to help make the process more impactful. Back to Brian Peters: while in Houston, a sports science staff member began to implement hot/cold therapy as a way to help athletes with sleep. Most guys hit the sauna as a relaxing thing. Hot/cold therapy is slowly creeping its way into

Today on the bench was the day the coronavirus became front and center in the United States. We visit with Rod Buhrsmith His Father in Law had a brain aneurysm, and he really leaned into assisting with this family emergency. Stokeyard Outfitters Activating two sauna locations: Hewing Hotel and The Village, 4700 Nicollet Ave. S. “Mobile is kind of our thing.” The use of mobile assets (mobile sauna) has allowed Stokeyard Outfitters to activate in Minneapolis. The Village is only 5 blocks from Rod’s house. There are certain things that happen away from the Village, like filling water, printing the roster, etc. Creating the hot room ambiance to assist for when the guests check in. A linear trajectory of growth. Within the community are partners more than just logo sharing. Tactical on the ground partnership. Add scope on the fly. Eddie, the new owner of Parkway Theater is busy with his own organic project. This has given his property in South Minneapolis more of a runway of time for Stokeyard Outfitters to operat

Welcome to a dream come true: a new community sauna for Duluth, Minnesota. Setting up for Winter/Spring residency, right next to Lake Superior, partnering with The Inn on Lake Superior, Canal Park, Duluth, MN. Justin Juntunen’s history of sauna Meet My friend Justin. He grew up with sauna,  just a toddler on the floor in a bucket like father and grandfather before him. Sauna has been an integral part to his family culture. Growing up in Esko, Minnesota, a small Finnish community twenty minutes south of Duluth.  Justin says, “I believe my Finnish immigrant ancestors have been great protectors of the cultural treasure of sauna. When they arrived in Duluth over a hundred years ago they were immigrants, they had very little. For the past century us Finns have protected this treasure of sauna. Kept it close. Now we are working to share that tradition.” Welcome to Finn Town Here is the place for public sauna, and this is the time in life for Justin to do it.  Canal Park, where Cedar and Stone is located once was ho

Let’s welcome Carrie Drinkwine to Sauna Talk. We start our sauna rounds with wet hair. The oils of your own hair are healthy. Carrie’s medical history Dietetics and Nutrition Science major. Masters in Holistic Nutrition. Aligned with beliefs. Practicing as a nutritionists. Became ill with chronic problems. Lupis. Antibodies over 481. Hashimoto: an autoimmune disease where the body is attacking its own tissue. 6 years ago. Could not move from laying down to sitting up. Chronic pain. Everything was amplified. Chronic anxiety and depression. Could not sleep. She took Western medicine to “get through the day.” She kept getting more and more drugs diagnosed on her plate. Going Eastern Naturalpath doctor. A Western approach to Eastern thinking. The same approach wasn’t resonating with her. You couldn’t touch her skin because she was in such pain from Lupis. A God wink A regenerative detox beyond desperate and skeptical. Within 14 weeks she got a reversed diagnosis. Dr. Robert Morris. Certified regenerative detoxifi

He may be most recognized as “The bad guy” in Spike Lee’s American Clansman movie, but those that know Jasper Pääkkönen, know him as anything but a bad guy. Acting is being little kids again. Every Finnish family has pretty much similar experience growing up with sauna. Creates a certain bond. Naked removes the taboos. Strips away all the things that are so uncomfortable with nudity. In reality, nudity is our natural state of being. When you are stripped away from your clothes, you are stripped away from your barriers and roles. Finns grow up with a healthy body image, and an understanding of nudity. Sauna is generally the place for the mandatory sex education talk. Childhood home in Helsinki, a small electric sauna in the basement. Pretty much every family in Finland has a sauna in their home. At the wood burning cabin sauna, everybody wants to go light the fire. The primal nature of fire and fishing. In our DNA. Providing food, catching something, picking berries, mushrooms. Everybody spends a lot of time i

Today on sauna talk, i’m pleased to bring you Kimmo Helistö, leading operator and pioneer in urban public sauna. We are seated at his latest project, Uusi Sauna, a stylish contemporary public sauna in the “new downtown” area of Helsinki. Uusi offers 3 saunas and a bar and a kitchen. One sauna for men, one sauna for women, and one private sauna, electric for private functions. the birth of Uusi Sauna In 2010, there was an International competition to help define what city planner would win the competition to help define the neighborhood. Kimmo was contacted to help make the public sauna happen. Kimmo was brought into the project very early. He had time to think what the design The two main saunas are heated by wooden pellets and the private sauna is electric heated. Decline of the Helsinki public sauna empire There were approximately 150 public saunas before World War II. Apartment buildings had only cold water. Bathing was all done, and happily achieved in these neighborhood, community saunas. Only two of the

The story is known by just about everyone in Finland, and for that matter, also well known in Russia and all other countries where sauna is more popular than here in USA. It was the 2010 Sauna World Championships. The two finalists had worked their way through 130 other contestants, two days of grueling single elimination “who can outlast the other on the sauna bench” brackets. And only two men were left standing: Russia’s Vladimir Ladyzhenskiy and Finland’s Timo Kaukonen, soon to be known everywhere as Sauna Timo. To set the stage of the final round, rules in the competition required the sauna to be heated to 110 C (230 F). Water was added to the sauna stones every 30 seconds and the last person to remain in the sauna would win. Competitors were required to verify their condition by giving a thumbs up to judges when asked, and be able to leave the sauna unaided. Kaukonen is a five-time winner of the event and reigning champion, while Ladyzhenskiy is believed to have come third in last year’s contest. So, int

Today on Sauna Talk, we are warmed to welcome Saara Lehtonen, founder and lead proprietor of Kaurilan Sauna in Helsinki, Finland. In Finland, those well familiar to sauna, which includes just about everyone, will tell you that “every sauna has its own soul.” And for those not convinced, or those who may be at all suspect to this fact, I encourage you to get to Helsinki and pay a visit to Kaurilan Sauna. Before we get started, I’d like to extend a big thank you to Samuli, owner of Iki Stoves, who brought me to Kaurilan Sauna to meet Saara. A wood fired Iki Stove was idling away as we arrived. And here we see Samuli delivering to Saara a sauna spoon for her Iki sauna. I spent an hour with Saara, and there were moments in this interview, where I was heavy with emotion. This was about my 40th sauna in less than 10 days, so I was somewhat wonderfully delirious as it was. And Kaurilan Sauna is a spiritual place. Our conversation was full and affecting and the sauna elves were present. As we shared some mutual ferve

Have you ever met somebody and wonder how they can accomplish so many ambitious projects? Well this is Tea Lindberg, founder and owner of Time for Tea Catering, as well as Saunat, a sauna rental and hosting business, where she manages 12 different sauna properties. If all this isn’t enough, Tea has two small children who stay with her as she manages phone reservations and catering inquires, while putting together an awesome wholesome lunch for me and Samuli, from Iki sauna stoves. We take a tour of Tea’s latest project, where she bought an old farmhouse by the shore of the Baltic Sea on the outskirts of Helsinki Finland. More here. She is ambitiously turning back the property into its original design, from the 1800s. Let’s take an audio tour of Villa Furuvik. Paradise by the Sea.   “When a Finnish person says, it stays.” Finnish people are trustable. Home economics teacher. A huge thank you to Samuli from Iki stoves for arranging and escorting me to Villa Furuvik, and introducing me to Lea Lindberg, and Annie

The Factory tour Lets talk a little bit about Narvi. Of the bigger sauna heater manufacturers, we are the only one designing and manufacturing all our products in Finland. With about 70 employees, Narvi grows by sticking to their plan. Narvi is very proud of their enameled heaters that are extremely durable and easy to take care of. And Narvi is an innovator. For example the smoke channels of the Narvi NC make the heater the most eco-friendly in the world. VTT tests the heaters in Finland, and Narvi NC 16 scored 0.07 % in carbon monoxide emissions, when the minimum level is 1 %.  At their factory, real people and sauna lovers are the ones developing and manufacturing their heaters. They are proud about every unit that leaves our place, and it shows. Wood burning is more popular in Canada. The Baltic countries are strong in the wood burning category. 20% of Narvi sales are outside of Finland. Wood heat vs. Electric heat Cool down is a critically important part of sauna Foreigners who love the sauna have had to

We didn't Sauna Talk together while taking a sauna, but we did Sauna Talk on the sauna bench with Kimmo Riuttanen Product Manager & Sami Linna, Marketing Director from Harvia.   Wood species for saunas Red Cedar is something that can be found only in North America, not Europe. It equals to Elder in terms of structure, is the closest wood species. "oh, it smells like a pencil!" The color appears much like Elder. Spruce: Easy to get, easy to work with. Light enough to work with. Aspen: Also very light soft wood. Really easy to work with. Less knots. Elder and Pine. These are the classical species of wood for sauna. Heat treated: we can get some darker shades to the sauna. Knots on paneling for sauna walls: "I love the livelihood" Benches: Dense woods "massive spruce." Sammi: "You do it how you feel good, yourself." "You need to enjoy the sauna the way you like it the most." Keep enjoying the sauna, and sharing the good word!