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Associated Press

It may be winter and there may be a biting chill in the air, but the dozen men and women who have packed a small sauna room in East London are happily sweating away in their swimwear.
It is more than 90 degrees Celsius (194 degrees Fahrenheit) inside – and it is about to get even hotter.
As ice blocks infused with lavender oil melt over sizzling hot stones, releasing fragrant steam, “sauna master” Oliver Beryl turns on some ambient music and starts to vigorously wave a towel in a circular motion above his head to spread overpowering waves of dry heat around the room.
“Now try finding someone and sit back to back with them,” Beryl suggests. “Or, if you want, maintain eye contact with the person sitting next to you.” A brief hesitation, but most gamely oblige for a few minutes.

Sauna bathing has taken London and the rest of the UK by storm, particularly among trendy twenty- and thirtysomethings interested in trying a new pastime that is healthier than nights out in pubs and bars.
Sweating it out in communal spaces for relaxation, physical or mental therapy and socialising has long been a staple of many cultures around the world, from Scandinavia’s saunas and Native American sweat lodges to Japan’s onsen and Turkish baths.
But the most popular saunas now are those that emphasise community and “connectedness”, or offer something novel alongside sitting in a heated box. Think sauna club nights featuring DJs, saunas combined with a poetry workshop, or aufguss – “infusion” in German – rituals like the one hosted by Beryl, an intense session blending heat therapy, music and scent.
Many sites also offer open-air ice baths next to the saunas so people can cycle between hot and cold.
“I loved the feeling of losing yourself. It is a 15-minute detachment from normal life,” said Jess Carmichael as she emerged from her first aufguss at Community Sauna Baths in Stratford, East London.

She likened the exhilaration she felt to the experience of running into the freezing sea with hundreds of others on New Year’s Day.
“I think people need this right now – this warmth coming from the outside and feeling that you’re sharing an experience with others,” she added.
Charlie Duckworth, a co-founder of Community Sauna Baths, said it all started in 2022 when he and fellow “sauna nutters” installed two small saunas – including one in a horse box – in a disused car park in the trendy neighbourhood of Hackney.
The not-for-profit social enterprise proved so popular that it has since expanded to four sites across the capital, with two more opening soon.
A large part of the appeal for many fans is that saunas serve as “a place of communion”, much like a pub or a church, Duckworth said.
“Sauna lowers inhibitions and also gives you a feeling of mild euphoria,” not unlike the effects of social drinking, he said. “I think it is an excellent place to socialise.”

Around the UK, the number of public sauna sites has jumped from 45 in 2023 to 147 so far this year, according to the British Sauna Society.
Compared to countries where the practice is steeped in tradition, one benefit of the UK’s sauna culture being so new is that providers can “have a bit more fun with it and be more creative”, Duckworth said.
At Peckham Sauna Social in south London, weekends feature relaxed ambient sauna nights with resident DJs and a non-alcoholic cocktail bar. One of its most popular monthly sessions is the “creative writing sauna”: a short poetry reading followed by a chai tea and writing workshop afterwards in the lounge.
“Reading in the sauna was something I’d never done before – just being hot and sweaty and dripping onto the page was challenging at first,” said Caroline Druitt, a writer who leads the workshops.
Something about sharing a chat with other semi-clothed strangers in the sauna seemed to encourage participants to be more open about sharing their ideas and writings, Druitt said. “Besides, I know that many of my best ideas have come out of the bath,” she added.

Besides reducing stress and getting ideas flowing, some swear by saunas and cold plunges for soothing joint inflammation and improving heart health and sleep.
Some studies go further, with one suggesting a link between going to the sauna at least four times a week and a reduction in the risk of psychosis among middle-aged Finnish men.
“Authentic sauna done well should be as regular as the gym, and doing it regularly is what offers the reported health benefits,” said Gabrielle Reason, secretary at the British Sauna Society.
While those health benefits are not yet well established – and those with high blood pressure or heart conditions should check with their doctors before going to a sauna and ice bath – many converts return regularly for the mood boost.
“It just resets your brain in a really lovely way,” said Callum Heinrich, submerged in a barrel of frigid water, his skin still steaming from the sauna. He says he attends twice a week when he can. “For your mental health, it is the best thing in the world.”


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Wellness

Callum Heinrich enjoys his sauna session at the Hackney Wick Community Sauna Baths in London. Photo: AP

David Saville sits by a camp fire during his sauna session at the Community Sauna Baths, in Hackney, London. Saunas are the latest wellness trend in the UK. Photo: AP

Visitors enjoy their sauna session at the Community Sauna Baths in Hackney, London. Photo: AP

Callum Heinrich and Ella Price enjoy their sauna session at the Community Sauna Baths in Hackney. Photo: AP

Charlie Duckworth is a co-founder of Community Sauna Baths. Photo: AP

Callum Heinrich enjoys his sauna session at Community Sauna Baths. Photo: AP

From farming to phone-free retreats, analogue wellness a new digital detox trend

From snapping Polaroids to playing vinyl records, the return to pre-digital, or analogue, activities has extended to wellness in 2025, with many favouring in-real-life activities as evidence of the links between screen time and mental illness grows. Photo: Getty Images

Global Wellness Institute research director Beth McGroarty sees the rise of analogue wellness as this year’s most significant wellness trend. Photo: YouTube

Quaratulain Zaidi, founder of Hong Kong psychology practice MindNlife. Photo: Karen Lucas

A tourist uses an instant camera in Bangkok. Instant cameras have made a dramatic comeback as an alternative to the smartphone. Photo: Shutterstock

YMC Boardgame in San Po Kong, Hong Kong, has gained a following as a place to play drawn-out board games that don’t require a computer or the internet. Photo: www.instagram.com/ymcboardgame

Kadampa Meditation Centre in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong offers single- or multiple-day retreats to meditate in a relaxed atmosphere free of mobile phones. Photo: www.instagram.com/kmchongkong

Visitors to Babylonstoren’s Soetmelksvlei farm, in South Africa’s Cape Winelands, can escape the modern world and get a taste of 19th century agricultural life. Photo: www.instagram.com/babylonstoren

Amateur blacksmithing courses are gaining a following, such as at the Kurogane Knife Making workshop in Kochi, Japan. Photo: www.workshop-kurogane.com

Korean public bathhouse innovator wants to take on spas and revive his flagging industry

Bongraetang owner Lee Yung-hun (right) and his father sit in their bathhouse in Busan’s Yeongdo district, in South Korea. Photo: Lee Yung-hun

Lee Yung-hun has modernised his bathhouse with a focus on cleanliness and contemporary style. Photo: Lee Yung-hun

Lee has implemented customer loyalty programmes such as coffee-shop-style punch cards and a points system. Photo: Lee Yung-hun

What Norway’s naked mega-spa is like to visit: a prudish Brit strips off for a ‘hugely liberating’ experience

A couple unwinds in the Turkish hammam at The Well in Norway, which has Scandinavia’s largest spa and one where being naked in the saunas and steam rooms is expected. Photo: The Well

Sauna-goers slap each other with birch-branch whisks at The Well. Photo: The Well

The Well is located in the forests of Sofiemyr, outside Oslo. Photo: The Well

While the space is enormous, the areas feel intimate and safe. Photo: The Well

The Well’s sculpture forest features captivating artworks by renowned Norwegian and international artists. Photo: The Well

An Aufgussmeister leads a traditional Aufguss wellness ritual in a 90-degree-Celsius sauna. Photo: The Well

It’s perfectly acceptable to go for lunch or dinner in your bathrobe (and nothing more) to The Well’s brasserie, and most guests do. Photo: The Well

Lifestyle

Health & Wellness

Health

Travel & Leisure

Forget pubs and clubs, the place to relax and socialise in the UK is the nearest sauna. ‘People need this right now,’ says one enthusiast


Forget pubs and clubs, the place to relax and socialise in the UK is the nearest sauna. ‘People need this right now,’ says one enthusiast.


Britain

Gen Z