On the Philosophy of American Soak & Sweat Culture with Courtney Wittich of S.P.A.

I hope you’ve enjoyed the first few episodes of Badii Talk season two. We’ve taken you on a cultural sauna tour of Finland with guests like Finnish moon follower Meri Mort and Finnish-American sauna entrepreneur Justin Juntenen. We’ve explored the public saunas of Helsinki and even created our own sauna spell together. So where are we off to next? We’re making a stopover back home and exploring the nascent but quickly growing sauna and bathing culture in America. Don’t let me hear you say America doesn’t have a sauna culture. It might be new and still very moldable, but the community sauna operators, ritual practitioners, and other American bathing voices are actively shaping what’s next for American bathing culture. And we’re diving in!Today I’m so excited to host my friend and fellow Woman in STEAM, Courtney Wittich. Courtney is the writer and cultural correspondent behind S.P.A. (Salus Per Aquam ~ Health Through Water), a newsletter dedicated to distilling all things wet pleasure for the post-iPhone leisure world. Drawing on a career in fashion and lifestyle PR plus extensive event production, she examines the trends, rituals, and culture surrounding how we bathe — building online and offline spaces where sauna devotees, bathhouse operators, cold plunge converts, and anyone who's ever sunk into a hot tub after a long week can find common ground. She hosts regular bathing club meetups in Los Angeles (sometimes New York and hopefully beyond), bringing together curious minds and seasoned soakers alike to experience the full spectrum of bathing culture firsthand. We discuss…Leisure and culture (and Josef Pieper’s Leisure: the Basis of Culture)Courtney’s own sweat and soaking rituals (lots of great inspiration)Recent events and recs in the sauna and bathing community todayHow Courtney built her S.P.A. Substack community and what’s nextSome of the spots mentioned in today’s episode include: The Hotel Chelsea, Shibui Spa, The Culture of Bathe-ing’s Domino Park Sauna Village in NYC, Sojo Spa Club (check out our full review episode on this NJ spa), Superior Sauna’s Great Northern Festival in MN, among many others. At the end of the day, we all bathe. Whether your water is ocean, thermal spring, steam room, drinking mineral water, or your own tub with the door locked, S.P.A. is sure to have something for you. Find Courtney’s newsletter at salusperaquam.substack.com, shop at spasalusperaquam.myshopify.com, explore her city bathing guides at spaaaaaaaaah.recleague.com, and follow along at @spaaaaaaaaah on Instagram for bathing club updates, reviews, and more.This episode was edited by Lila Woodbridge.💧Badii Talk has a Substack! Join us where wellness meets travel. We explore global bathing traditions, sauna rituals, and spa culture through the lens of place and community.💙⁠ ⁠Subscribe⁠⁠ today and support an independently produced and funded podcast. The sauna and bathing industry in the US and UK is growing fast. Where there’s growth, money and big companies will follow. If you want to see a bathing culture that isn’t just led by the folks with the most cash, support a platform that is run from a grassroots level. A platform that can authentically prioritize a respect for culture, science, and community. Badii offers passionate and curious bathers and spa-goers access to news, education, and recommendations about global bathing culture. Explore more bathing culture:Website:⁠ www.badii.life⁠Instagram:⁠ @badii.life