Sauna Talk

It is day 4 into Glenn’s 50 saunas in 12 days in Finland journey. This evening we are visiting with Satu Freyberg, Head of International Marking and Carita Harju, Founder and Executive Director, of Sauna from Finland. We have gathered for Sauna from Finland’s 10 year anniversary. And what better spot than Savutuvanapaya, a lakeside resort featuring multiple saunas by the shoreline, in the heart of Finland’s Lake Country, central Finland. What is Sauna From Finland? Well, in my words, Sauna from Finland is a commercial sales and marketing company. They are all about promoting the authentic sauna experience. They represent Finnish companies that produce sauna and sauna related products. Satu and Carita recognize that sauna is perhaps Finland’s greatest export. And who is to argue this? In Finland, sure there is Rapala lures, and a handful of heavy equipment and industrial companies whose names I can’t pronounce let alone tell you what they export out of Helsinki harbor. And today Nokia could very well be behind

When traveling around North America, have you ever stayed at a place and thought: “wow, this would be a great place for a sauna.” Well, how about visiting a place with 7 saunas? Welcome to Varjola Resort! Day 4 of Finland trip. After a busy travel day 3 and interview with Dr. Jari Laukkanen, world leader in sauna research, Glenn checks in to the Varjola resort, with all eyes on one of the smoke saunas along the shoreline, heated and ready for action. He is entertained by 5th generation owner Marcus, who offers a few savu sauna instructions for this American amateur: “otherwise your ass is black after this moment.” In this episode of Sauna Talk we are visiting with the staff at Varjola Resort in Central Finland. A long relaxing savu sauna the night before, then a breathtaking morning hike, amongst old growth forest with trees reaching high to the sky, Glenn was able to relax in the dining room during an impromptu employee lunch with Riikka Ruunaniemi Marketing and Sales Manager (Markkinointi- ja myyntipäällikk

What a pleasure to sit down with Dr. Jari Laukkanen on this early June 2019 afternoon in Jyväskylä , a city and municipality in Finland in the western part of the Finnish Lakeland, some 130 km north-east from Tampere. You may not know his name, but as a fellow sauna enthusiast, I guarantee that you know of his work, especially if you have read about the reported sauna health benefits in the New York Times, Time Magazine, Mayo Clinic Proceedings, NPR, and pretty much every area of broadcast media in the past year or so. Sauna is a centuries old tradition from Finland, where people are known for being humble and quiet and low profile, How fitting is it that the person perhaps most responsible for the sudden explosive interest in sauna is equally humble, quiet and low profile? This is Dr. Jari Laukkanen. He seems less comfortable with the limelight, but very comfortable channeling his expertise as a Cardiologist towards sauna research, to help qualify and understand what we sauna enthusiasts know to be true: Sau

Today we learn about the International Sauna Association. Risto has been taking sauna since one month old. He has always been interested in taking good saunas. His wife tells him that he is “married to sauna.” He built two saunas in Zambia. Jijijjimjilbang was very popular in Korea, but they are disappearing as a public bathing place. The definition of sauna: “Sauna is a room, wood paneled, where you have a stove and stones, temperature measured at shoulder level, 80-100 degrees (175 – 212 degrees f). Relatively low humidity, which is controlled by introducing water onto the sauna rocks.” Risto has visiting many saunas in the United States. We are trying to get standards for sauna to avoid misleading information about what sauna is and what sauna is not. The biggest player in the sauna space are from Germany. If you try to sell “infrared sauna” in Germany, you will get fined. At a recent spa exhibition in Germany, the Intabad Exhibition Organization authorities forced a Chinese exhibitor to take down their si

I first had the pleasure meeting Jarmo Lehtona, then President of Finnish Sauna Society, about four years ago at Mikkel Aaland’s Sweat Summit in San Francisco. Mikkel Aaland’s Sauna Talk podcast episode is here. Yet today, i’m overjoyed to share with you my conversation with Jarmo Lehtona, who greeted me at the Helsinki airport upon my arrival to Finland. He was my guide during my first day, whisking me off for a day of sauna. Jarmo’s guide work is well tuned. He effortlessly walked me onto Metro trains, trams, busses, and around corners all over Helsinki today as we partook in a couple different saunas. Is there a better way to get over jetlag? No! Jarmo is a pro. He brought for me a Battery energy drink. 12 oz. can popular all over Finland. Jarmo knew that i’d need a boost/kick for my first day. Also, Jarmo brought for me my first of many bottles of Estonian Mineral water, which turned out to be critical for me throughout my trip. Mineral balance is critical for intense sauna action, or intense sweating act

Daniel has a great media mind. He’s a great interviewer and a curious person, who helped unpack Glenn’s sauna marathon in Finland. The trip was a balance of planning and spontaneity. A lot of planning through connections made, then emails and correspondences up to departure. Endurance: I got on my sauna game. There is no judgement with sauna. When you are hot you leave, when you are cold, you go back into the hot room. Sauna: whatever works for the individual. What feels right, you do. Every sauna has its own soul. Mineral water: key to sauna survival. More than just hydration. Sauna Water based on different body types. Independent cultures creating common practice. 1,600 kilos of rock. The rocks become 600 degrees c. (1100 degrees f.) and glowing red. Savusauna. 5-7 hour burn. Super hot rocks, lots of heat mass, all the smoke is released out of the room. Glenn recorded 10 Sauna Talk episodes over in Finland. We will be releasing these podcasts one by one.

Jamie and Will were ready to put winter behind us, and head up to the shores of the World's largest freshwater lake. In this episode of Sauna Talk, we hear from the winners of the free weekend package to Larsmont Cottage's Sauna Days! What they won Their very own free weekend package to Sauna Days! $504.00 value. 2- NIGHT FREE LODGING AT LARSMONT COTTAGES LAKESIDE SUITE Room & Tax Charges Included King Bed Gas Fireplace Microwave & Mini Fridge Flatscreen TV Private Bath w/ Whirlpool Tub Balcony with Lake Superior View PACKAGES ALSO INCLUDED: Unlimited sauna access via multiple saunas onsite Unlimited Lake Superior plunge access via largest freshwater lake onsite Sauna Lovers’ Social hour & Appetizers Saturday Smorgasbord Buffet Sauna Enthusiast Gift Basket Guided Tour and more! How they won Contest rules were straightforward and simple (much like sauna itself): Send us a photo of you, sauna related. You can be in front of your sauna, in your sauna, someone else’s sauna, or just standing t

The Sauna Talk Craft Brewery Series continues. We first interviewed Omar Ansari, founder of Surly Brewing, inside his wood fired sauna, episode here. Today, we head up to Duluth, Minnesota to Sauna Talk with Ben Hugus, co founder of Ursula Brewing. You will hear similarities with these conversations as there is a parallel to the craft brewing industry and sauna. In this episode of Sauna Talk, Ben Hugus, co founder of Ursula Minor Brewing, talks about the camaraderie and collaboration involved with starting Duluth’s 8th craft brewery. “We all get along. We share ideas and we all benefit by helping each other out” he says. Ursula Minor collaborated with Larsmont Cottages this year for Sauna Days, bringing their craft beers and even a special batch of Sauna Beer, specifically made for this past weekend’s sauna gathering (by the shores of Lake Superior!). The nuances of the beer are quite special. (hint: spruce tips!). Normally we Sauna Talk on the sauna bench, yet we recorded this episode in front of a live audi

Recently, I had the pleasure of sitting on the bench with Omar Ansari, founder of Surly Brewing. You can listen to our Sauna Talk Episode here. Today on the bench, I have the pleasure of visiting with another enterprising icon in the Twin Cities. Today we welcome John Munger, Executive Director, Loppet Foundation. John and Omar have a few similarities Both John and Omar know each other from way back. Surly was an early sponsor of the Loppet Foundation. That relationship is still strong today. Their beginnings: John with the Loppet and Omar with Surly, each started as a kernel seed of an idea. And each have each grown into something long lasting and remarkable. Both have have swam upstream against established rules and structure, both political and policy, with fierce dedication to their clear visions and missions. As you’ll hear in this episode, John notes that “real change in the world is stuff that lasts.” In the case of Surly Brewing, we have Surlyville, a substantially cool and beautiful brewery destinati

I want to introduce you to a close friend of mine. I Got know Steve about 20 years ago. Steve has embraced the authentic sauna experience at my island cabin sauna up north through multiple “boys weekends” at least 20 of them in total. Some of the cabin visits have been in winter but most often in the fall when we close up, and in the spring when we open up. Steve has always been a great help and supporter of that process. Cabin maintenance can be a pain in the neck, but with a guy like Steve it’s a it’s a lot of fun. This Sauna Talk episode is significant for me because I want to share with you first hand nuances about building a sauna. I have wanted to document the nuts and bolts of building your own sauna from the casual builder/home owner perspective for some time now. This documentation is independent of and in addition to my e-book Sauna Build, from Start to Finnish. In this episode of Sauna Talk, you will learn firsthand what it takes for an amateur builder to undertake the construction of their own aut

Today the bench we visit with John Breitinger. John is a Minneapolis resident and commercial real estate developer who has been in this field for a while. Currently, John is doing some major consulting work for a large bank. He has a cabin about two hours north east of Minneapolis Saint Paul, Minnesota. This cabin is a very old-school cabin with a few outbuildings. As you will hear described in this episode, one of the buildings on his property is a garage. Built in the 1930s with a lot of character, he got to scratching his head and thinking well this would be an ideal place for an authentic sauna. John’s recently completed sauna build project John is a great photographer. He captured the building of his sauna. Check out this post here. In addition, you’ll see John’s meticulous approach to his sauna building project. Being a commercial real estate developer, John is well familiar with all of the aspects to a project. He leaned into this build with much the same rigor and enthusiasm as with his day job. Yet t

I am excited to share with you this interview with both the founders and the builders of the living, breathing, functioning art sauna project called The Solar Egg Sauna. There are two separate interviews within this episode. First, we hear from the artists and creators behind the Solar Egg Sauna. They are a pair of Swedish artists, known as Bigert and Bergström. During the second part of this podcast, we hear from the two builders. They flew to Minneapolis with the sauna from Sweden. As we sat on the sauna bench, we discover interesting details regarding the construction behind the elaborate project. A working sculpture commission The construction company Riksbyggen. commissioned the Solar Egg Sauna in Kiruna, Sweden in 2007. The company contracted with the artists to build this installation as a conversation piece to raise awareness of the fact that Kiruna, a town of 20,000 people, was to be moved, making way for iron ore mining. Bigert and Bergström are known for thought provoking art pieces surrounding cli

Welcome to this episode of Sauna Talk. Today on the bench we are joined by Omar Ansari, founder and owner of Surly Brewing Company. For those not in Minnesota, Surly Brewing, as of 2018, is reported to be the third largest brewery in Minnesota. Producing 93,000 barrels per year. Surly brewing made the list of top 50 brewers in the United States, and will be knocking their way down on that list, I'm sure. The Surly beer hall and garden, located between downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul is a, well, a very large facility that packs them in and has quickly become a destination point for locals and visitors to the Twin Cities. For those of us in Minnesota, Surly needs no introduction. For example, anyone attending the recent Neil Young concert at the Orpheum Theater in Minneapolis, looking around before the lights went down, we could easily identify and loose count of the number of fans sipping from the iconic red and black Surly Furious 16 oz. can. Surly has become part of the fabric of Minnesota. But little know

Today on the bench we have Daniel Wilson. We met in Minneapolis Minnesota in a very cool kind of way. My wife and I were at a coffee shop and Dan popped up and said: “are you Glenn from Sauna Times?” I felt a bit humbled in a movie star kind of way, but he was very gracious about introducing himself and we talked about what an influence Sauna Times has had on his efforts towards building his own backyard sauna in Minneapolis Minnesota USA. Dan and his roommate did a lot of research and learned how to build their own sauna. They focused on the elements with in the e-book “Sauna Build from Start to Finnish” and so at the coffee shop, we decided “let’s get together and sauna sometime, so this is the result of this intention. Dan brought along his girlfriend Omina, and my wife Julia stepped in with us on the bench. As the four of us gathered, we were joined by Brian Peterson photographer from the Minneapolis Star Tribune newspaper. Brian, by the way was a previous guest here on Sauna Talk. He is one of the premie

We first heard John on Sauna Talk from the bench at my cabin sauna, as we were in Northern Minnesota to celebrate Sauna Day 2016.  Then, we heard from John along with fellow 612 Sauna Society Steering Committee members through a separate Sauna Talk episode here.   At that time, we were gathered at JP's apartment to talk through what a member operated sauna co op in Minneapolis can look like and means to each of us. I am happy to welcome John back to Sauna Talk for part 1 of this two part series. Sauna Talk on the bench inside the 612 Sauna Society Sauna This entire episode of Sauna Talk was recorded on the sauna bench inside the 612 Sauna Society Mobile Sauna, which has an extended residency outside The Trailhead, Theodore Wirth Park, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Whether you live in Minneapolis or are visiting, imagine lacing up the cross country skis and trekking through groomed heavily wooded old growth trails, a vibe more akin to 218 (Northern Minnesota area code) vs. 612 (Minneapolis area code).  Yet as you ma

“When you go out of the heat an into the extreme cool, and back from the extreme cool and into the hot, there is something that happens inside your body that is just so satisfying” – Vladimir von Tsurikov. Sauna Talk is pleased to welcome Vladimir von Tsurikov. Director of The Museum of Russian Art (TMORA) in Minneapolis, MN. Vladimir has brought with him a passion for the advancement of Russian Art and Culture, and a strong record of international collaboration.  Over the last ten years he co-organized and co-curated several exhibitions with Russian institutions in Moscow, Saint Petersburg and Yekaterinburg.  Vladimir has published numerous articles and presented dozens of lectures both in the U.S. and Russia. In addition to releasing two research volumes, he has edited five volumes of a scholarly series Readings in Russian Religious Culture and continues to serve on a number of editorial boards. Vladimir also serves on the boards of the Russian Historical Society in the U.S. and the Russian Nobility Associa

“You bring 100 people together and they are all strangers, but in the sauna, you open up because your body is opening up.  And then your mind follows.” “Heat and cold are our great teachers.” -Wim Hof (The “Iceman)  Wim Hof, A Fest, November 2017 I started Saunatimes about 10 years ago, with a vague yet committed intent to share the goodness of authentic sauna with others. I started Sauna Talk podcast a year or so ago.  At that time, I created an “intention” to host three specific guests to Sauna Talk.  I’m very pleased to share with you one of these three guests.  My vision was to be able to bring you this guest to Sauna Talk and here he is. Welcome Wim Hof to Sauna Talk Wim is Dutch.  He was born in 1958.  He is nicknamed “the ice man” and here’s why: Wim Hof holds 26 world records, including a world record for longest ice bath.  Wim describes his ability to withstand extreme cold temperatures as being able to “turn his own thermostat up” through breathing exercises. In February 2009 Wim Hof reached the to

In this episode of Sauna Talk, we get a behind the scenes view of Wisdom Woods, Spooner Wisconsin from Managing Partner Nate Focht. “Sitting on the sauna bench, everything that comes out of your mind is pure.” – Nate Focht, Managing Partner, Wisdom Woods. Ever wondered what a $100,000 sauna looks like?  Well, how about we add another zero to that number and double it.  That’s what we experience while taking a sauna at Wisdom Woods.  The hot room is symmetric and generously sized 12’x12.’  Thankfully, we made the ceiling 7′ such that the wood burning stove can do its job heating the sauna to good temperatures. Transom windows to the South and West plus a full glass door give the hot room a light airy, spacious feel.  The “money seat” is in the middle of the West wall, whereupon the sauna bather can gaze through the full glass door, past the full size exterior window in the hallway straight out to the lake: a wide view .  This treatment is example of how we welcome the outside in at the Wisdom Woods spa.  Natur

“If you haven’t experienced the sauna, you have to do it, because it is a wonderful cleansing, spiritual way of life.” -Paster Dave Pearson We hadn’t yet tossed water on the sauna rocks, when I asked him the question: “So, doing the math, as a Lutheran paster for over 40 years, that’s about 2,000 sermons.” “that’s about right.” “Have you ever mentioned sauna in one of your sermons?” “Well, I’m sure I have mentioned sauna in a few of my sermons.  But I will say this: I have composed many of my sermons in the sauna.  There are a lot of “aha” moments that come from the sauna, just from the conversation that is generated here or just personal meditation.” “I think as a minister, that’s where the spirit dimension of it (sauna) comes in.  We have such a significant responsibility, spiritually, to protect and to preserve and to use our bodies to the maximum extent that we possibly can.” This is Sauna Talk I had the great pleasure recently to be sitting on the sauna bench with Paster Dave Pearson and his wife Judy. D

Imaging checking out from your day job to hit the road with a mobile sauna. Imagine being able to: Share the appreciation of sauna with others. Take a sauna when you want to. See the country. This is the journey native Finn's Risto Sivula and Jouko Sipala will be undertaking soon to help celebrate the centennial year of Finland's independence.  Risto and Jouko are well suited for this duty, and we get to hear why in this episode of Sauna Talk. Jouko (left) and Risto chilling out between rounds during our Sauna Talk podcast Folks will be able to experience Finnish Culture and Finnish Achievements along the tour: Preliminary schedule for traveling sauna tour.   Here is the latest draft schedule: January 13-14 Minneapolis, MN January 23-24 Finland, MN * February 8 Kansas City, MO* February 10-12 Dallas, TX Feb 24-26 Houston, TX Feb 28 Albuquerque, NM* March 1 Phoenix, AZ* March [ ] Los Angeles, CA * March 28-29 San Francisco, CA April [ ] Portland, OR * April [ ] Astoria, OR * April 21-23 Seattle, WA*