Flourish Health & Wellbeing Magazine May 25 - Flipbook - Page 43
For centuries, saunas have been places of relaxation, healing,
and social connection. But in recent years, this age-old
tradition has been reimagined and revitalised, evolving from
simple wooden rooms to immersive wellness experiences that
are taking the world by storm. From urban bathhouses in New
York and Sydney to floating saunas in Norway and the UK,
this sauna renaissance is attracting a whole new generation
looking for authentic, social, and health-boosting experiences.
The Sauna Revival: A Global
Phenomenon
Saunas have long been central
to Nordic culture, but in 2024,
they’re no longer con昀椀ned
to Finland and Sweden.
The sauna movement has
expanded across Europe,
North America, Japan, and
Australia, driven by an
increasing focus on wellbeing,
social connec琀椀on, and
immersive experiences.
Social Saunas: The New
Way to Connect
Gone are the days of dark,
solitary saunas hidden in gym
basements. Today, saunas
are lively, social hubs o昀昀ering
music, events, and even
performances. The Aufguss
movement, a theatrical sauna
ritual involving aromatherapy,
music, and towel-waving
techniques, has gone
mainstream, with compe琀椀琀椀ons
now held worldwide.
The UK, for example, hosted
its 昀椀rst Saunaverse Fes琀椀val in
2023, where guests enjoyed
12 hours of wood-昀椀red
saunas, cold plunges, DJs, and
even dance workshops. In
Norway, the Oslo waterfront
has transformed into a
昀氀oa琀椀ng sauna paradise,
where visitors can sweat it out
before taking a refreshing dip
in the 昀樀ord.
In North America, ci琀椀es like
New York, Chicago, and
Toronto have embraced
modern bathhouse culture,
o昀昀ering wellness-seekers
stylish saunas with cold
plunge pools, medita琀椀on
spaces, and even digital
art installa琀椀ons.
