Sauna Talk
by SaunaTimes
Sauna Talk is a show about the authentic sauna experience. Recorded (often) on the sauna bench, we talk with interesting guests about sauna including such aspects as building sauna, enjoying sauna, and health and wellness benefits to sauna. The rising sauna tide is lifting many boats and we look forward to some left turns that we hope to keep listeners on and off the more enjoyable and less trampled authentic sauna trail.
Episodes
-
Pirate Saunas, Sauna Masters, and Australia's Sauna Revolution | Sauna Talk #143
Coming to you from the International Sauna Congress in Oslo, Norway, where more than 500 sauna enthusiasts, builders, operators, and professionals have gathered from around the world. For this episode of Sauna Talk, we're going spontaneous. I'm outside the convention hall, enjoying some fresh air...
-
Sauna Life: Friendship, Good Heat & the Stories Behind the Book | Sauna Talk #142
What happens when two lifelong sauna enthusiasts, longtime friends, and thermal soul brothers decide to write a book celebrating sauna culture? In Sauna Talk Episode 142, Glenn Auerbach sits down with Tom Rolando at Sauna Days 2026, on the shores of Lake Superior at Larsmont Cottages, to…
more -
The Future of Sauna Research: 15 Scientists, 9 Countries, One Mission | Sauna Talk 141
Something special is happening in the world of sauna research. In this episode of Sauna Talk, Glenn Auerbach takes us to The Well in Norway, where the Sauna Research Foundation has brought together 15 researchers from nine countries to advance the science of sauna bathing. For years, researchers...
-
Risto Elomaa: 16 Years Leading the International Sauna Association | Sauna Talk #140
In this episode of Sauna Talk, Glenn Auerbach sits down with Risto Elomaa, outgoing president of the International Sauna Association, on the eve of the International Sauna Congress in Oslo. After 16 years as ISA president—and two decades on its board—Risto reflects on a lifetime shaped by sauna,...
-
Remember Who You Are: Harvey Martin on Sauna, Performance & the Nervous System | Sauna Talk #139
What happens when we stop performing and start remembering who we actually are? In this live conversation from Sauna Days 2026, Glenn Auerbach sits down with longtime friend Harvey Martin for a wide-ranging Sauna Talk about performance, identity, intuition, nervous-system regulation, and the role...
-
There Is No Perfect Sauna: Jeff Pyzyk on Heat, Löyly, Pizza & 3,500+ Sauna Sessions | Sauna Talk 138
In Sauna Talk Episode 138, Glenn sits down with longtime friend and fellow "thermal soul brother" Jeff Pyzyk—a Wisconsin sauna enthusiast with more than two decades of experience and an estimated 3,500+ sauna sessions under his belt. Jeff shares how one lakeside sauna and a cold plunge in 1998...
-
3 Percent Finn: Michael Nordskog on Northwoods Sauna Culture | Sauna Talk 137
What does it mean to be "3 Percent Finn" yet feel deeply connected to Finnish sauna culture? For Sauna Talk Episode 137, Glenn sits down with Michael Nordskog, author of The Opposite of Cold: The Northwoods Finnish Sauna Tradition, recorded live at Sauna Days 2026. Michael grew up in the heart of...
-
Sauna Days 2026 Recap: Good Heat, Cold Water & the SaunaTimes Tribe with "Mossy" Ben Beresh | Sauna Talk 136
In this episode of Sauna Talk, the roles are reversed as Mossy Ben interviews Glenn Auerbach about Sauna Days 2026 at Larsmont Cottages on the North Shore of Lake Superior. Glenn shares the origin story of Sauna Days, from a small gathering of roughly 25 sauna enthusiasts to a sold-out…
more -
Sauna, Ritual and the Science of Belonging with Sierra Blake | Recorded at Sauna Days 2026 | Sauna Talk 135
In Episode 135 of Sauna Talk, Glenn Auerbach welcomes psychotherapist Sierra Blake for a live conversation recorded at Sauna Days 2026 on the shores of Lake Superior. Sierra brings a graduate background in mental health psychology from the University of Minnesota, along with clinical experience...
-
USA Sauna Celebration: Reflections on Good Heat, American Ingenuity and the Spirit of Freedom | Sauna Talk Episode 134
USA Sauna Celebration: Reflections on Good Heat, American Ingenuity, and the Spirit of Freedom For this special July 4 edition of Sauna Talk, Glenn reflects from island cabin country near the Superior National Forest in northeast Minnesota, looking out across open water and thinking about sauna…
more -
Sauna, Breath, Cold & Meaning: A Live Authors Panel from Sauna Days 2025 | Sauna Talk 133
Recorded live before a full audience at Sauna Days 2025, this special episode of Sauna Talk brings together four authors, educators, and lifelong students of human experience for a conversation that moves well beyond sauna itself. Joining me are Garrett Conover, author of Sauna Magic; Jesse…
more -
UK Meets USA Sauna: Jake Newport on the Next Sauna Revolution | Sauna Talk 132
What happens when the exploding UK sauna movement meets the rapidly evolving North American sauna scene? Recorded live at Sauna Days 2025 on Minnesota's North Shore, this episode of Sauna Talk features a wide-ranging conversation with Jake Newport of Finnmark Sauna in the UK. Together, Glenn...
-
The New Party Sauna: Community, Cold Plunges & Sauna Days | Josh Leddy & Leif Kjorness | Sauna Talk 131
In this of Sauna Talk, Glenn Auerbach is joined bench-side by Josh Leddy of Get Sweaty with Leddy and sauna builder Leif Kjorness of Excelsior Saunas for a deeply personal and wide-ranging conversation recorded after multiple sauna and cold plunge rounds on Lake Ann in Minnesota. What unfolds is...
-
Sauna, Science, and Integrity: A Deeper Look at Heat & Health with Dr. Ashley Mason and Earric Lee | Sauna Talk 130
n this live panel from Sauna Days 2025, Glenn welcomes two of the most thoughtful voices in sauna research, Dr. Ashley Mason of UCSF and Earric Lee of the Montreal Heart Institute, for a candid conversation about the current state of sauna science, where the evidence is strong, where it is still...
-
Why Heat Makes You Stronger (Backed by Science) | A Conversation with Bill Gifford, author of "Hotwired: How the Hidden Power of Heat Makes Us Stronger" | Sauna Talk Episode 129
In this episode of Sauna Talk, Glenn sits down with Bill Gifford, author of Hotwired: How the Hidden Power of Heat Makes Us Stronger, for a wide-ranging conversation on sauna, heat adaptation, and the connection between physical challenge and mental well-being. Bill shares how his journey into…
more -
Doctors Who Sauna: What the Science Says About Heat, Health, Sleep, Stress & Sauna Culture | Sauna Talk Episode 128
Recorded live at Sauna Days 2025, this episode of Sauna Talk brings together a thoughtful panel of doctors who sauna for a grounded conversation on heat, health, and the real role of sauna in modern life. Glenn is joined by Dr. Jeremiah Eisenchenk, Dr. Brandon Dotson, Dr. Brittany Kimball, and…
more -
Four Sauna Authors Talk Heat, Community, and the Global Sauna Revival | Recorded at the 2026 Culture of Bathing Sauna Village in New York City | Sauna Talk Episode 127
In this special episode of Sauna Talk, I'm joined inside one of the Culture of Bathing Sauna Village saunas in New York City by three fellow authors whose work explores heat bathing culture from very different perspectives. This conversation was recorded on the sauna bench during the 2026 Culture...
-
The Rise of Public Sauna in America | Finnish Sauna, DIY Building & Sauna Culture Revival | Recorded at the 2026 Culture of Bathing Sauna Village in New York City
In this special episode of Sauna Talk, the tables are turned as Adam Pambatanaka, COO of Therme Group U.S., steps into the interviewer's role and puts Glenn on the bench. Recorded live at Sauna Village in New York City in February 2026, this conversation dives into Glenn's own sauna origin story,...
-
Vancouver Sauna Circuit + West Coast Sauna Summit | Valtteri Rantala | Sauna Talk #125
Today on the bench, we sit withValtteri Rantala, A Finn living in Vancouver BC since 2016. Val started a Sauna company in Vancouver in 2019. And in the shadows of Western Red Cedars, we'll hear the origin stories of the budding West Coast Sauna Summit at Loon Lake Lodge and Retreat center, one of...
-
New York City's First Sauna Village | Culture of Bathing Gathering | Sauna Talk #124
Welcome to this episode of Sauna Talk recorded on multiple sauna benches at the Culture of Bathing Sauna Village in New York City. I'll keep this introduction brief as we turn the microphone over to four pillars behind the second annual Culture of Bathing gathering. This year, the gathering was...
-
Mikkel Aaland: Sauna Aid, Sustainability & The Future of Bathing | Sauna Talk #123
Today's episode comes to you from the recent West Coast Sauna Summit, outside Vancouver BC Canada, where I had the honour of interviewing Mikkel Aaland, the Godfather of Sweat, live in front of a packed room of thermal enthusiasts. It's no secret that Mikkel has been a mentor to me, in sweat, in...
-
Sauna Ventilation Explained: The Lazy River & Deep Wave Heat with Keegan Kittock of Deep Wave Sauna | Sauna Talk #122
Today on the bench, we sit together with Keegan Kittock, co-founder of Deep Wave Sauna. With the rising tide of sauna also comes marketing talk, pedantic chatter, and graphs and charts about how air supposedly moves in the hot room. So it's extra special and refreshing to visit with someone like...
-
Chicago Sauna Circuit: Banyas, Bathhouses & Lake Michigan Plunges | Sauna Talk #121
Today on the virtual bench we visit with longtime thermal enthusiast, friend, and SaunaTimes contributor Kev who takes us through the public bathhouses in and around Chicago for this Sauna Circuit. As you'll hear in this episode, Kev is no stranger to the saunas, banyas, and bathhouses in his...
-
American-Made Sauna Stoves: Inside the Top U.S. Manufacturers | Sauna Talk #120
Today, on Sauna Talk, and almost on the sauna bench, I'm pleased to bring you the folks behind the three major American sauna stove makers. American manufacturing at work! Garrett, Lamppa Manufacturing, Tower, Minnesota, Population 421 Philip, Nippa, Beulah, MI, Population 303 Lynn, Ilo, Dollar...
-
International Sauna Builders Roundtable | Live from Sauna Days 2025 | Sauna Talk #119
Today on the bench, we bring you to Larsmont Cottages, Two Harbors. Minnesota for a special roundtable discussion with four sauna builders from four different countries as part of Sauna Days 2025. Alex, Bsaunasusa, Belarus Keegan, Deep Wave Saunas, USA Jake, Finnmark, UK Andrew, Sauna Builder,...
-
Sauna, Science & Spiritual Health | Emory University Researchers on the Bench | Sauna Talk #118
Today on Sauna Talk, we are joined by the dynamic duo of researcher from Emery University, Deanna Kaplan and Roman Palitsky. Deanna Kaplan Deanna Kaplan, PhD is a clinical psychologist with expertise in digital health technologies. She has more than a decade of experience using wearable and...
-
From Finland to Minnesota: Building a Backyard Sauna with Chris Heck | Sauna Talk #117
I've had the pleasure of sitting on the sauna bench with well over a hundred guests for Sauna Talk. Whether you're listening in your car, out for a walk, or sweating it out on your own bench, my goal as host is to help keep the conversation flowing. Like good löyly, Sauna Talk rises, rolls, and...
-
Inside the World of Aufguss | A Sauna Master at Farris Bad, Norway | Sauna Talk #116
Welcome to this episode of Sauna Talk, where we head back to Farris Bad, resort spa and wellness retreat South of Oslo, Norway. We get to sit with Jerome, who is a long standing steam master at the resort. Here he leads aufguss ceremony and assists two time Sauna Talk guest Lasse Eriksen. 10,000...
-
Dr. Hans Hägglund on Sauna, Science, and Preventative Health | Sauna Talk Episode 115
Today on Sauna Talk, we welcome a very special guest: Dr. Hans Hägglund. Hans Hägglund, MD, PhD, is a physician, professor at Uppsala University in northern Sweden, and senior consultant at Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm. With a deep background in clinical research and leadership in...
-
Oslo Badstuforening and the Floating Sauna Movement | Sauna Talk Episode 114
Today on the sauna bench, we head to Oslo, Norway, and visit with the folks at Oslo Badstuforening, (Oslo Sauna Association). This is my second trip to Norway in as many years. They say that you never step into the same river twice, and I'll contend that we never sit on the same sauna bench…
more -
Sipoonjoki Smoke Sauna and The Spirit of Sauna | Sauna Talk Episode 113
This episode of Sauna Talk is a special joint conversation with Linda and Otto of The Spirit of Sauna podcast, coming to you from Sipoonjoki Heritage Sauna just outside Helsinki, Finland. Linda and Otto are partners in both business and passion—dedicated to preserving the cultural roots of…
more -
The Badstu Boom with Stig Arild Pettersen | Sauna Talk Episode 112
This episode of Sauna Talk comes to you from London, England—on the morning after the British Sauna Summit. I meet up with Stig Arild Pettersen, Secretary General of the Norwegian Sauna Association, at Hackney Baths. It's the perfect setting for a conversation about what's happening in sauna...
-
The British Sauna Summit and the Rise of Sauna Culture in the UK | Sauna Talk Episode 111
This episode of Sauna Talk comes to you from the British Sauna Summit, held May 20, 2025, at the Hilton London Canary Wharf. What a difference a year makes. At the first Summit in 2024, about 120 of us gathered on a rooftop in Hackney—part conference, part family gathering. This year, attendance...
-
Public Sauna Operators Roundtable | Recorded at the 2025 Culture of Bathing Gathering in New York City | Sauna Talk Episode 110
Welcome to this special episode of Sauna Talk, recorded at the Culture of Bathing gathering in New York City, January 2025. This is a bit of a two-part conversation. We begin with a behind-the-scenes discussion featuring Adam of Thermë USA, who moderates a panel of public sauna operators from...
-
On the Bench with Mika and Wendy | Sauna Talk Episode 109
Today on Sauna Talk, we welcome back Mika Meskanen and Wendy Liu. Mika, originally from Finland, and Wendy, with roots in China, now call London home. We recorded this conversation together on the sauna bench in my backyard sauna in Minneapolis—just the way Sauna Talk is meant to happen. This is...
-
Jon Sabes on Healthy Wealthy Longevity | Sauna Talk Episode 107
Today on Sauna Talk, we welcome back Jon Sabes. Jon first joined us on Episode #61, and in this conversation, we reconnect on the same sauna bench in Minneapolis. He's in town from Los Angeles for a winter weekend, and we meet after a cross-country ski on Lake Minnetonka—just as the sauna is…
more -
How to Build a Sauna: Benches, Stoves & Design | Live from West Coast Sauna Summit | Sauna Talk #106
Thinking about building your own sauna? This episode of Sauna Talk brings you inside a live panel discussion on sauna design, construction, and best practices—recorded at the West Coast Sauna Summit near Vancouver, BC. On the bench with Glenn are two experienced Canadian sauna builders—Andrew...
-
Fireside Chat at the West Coast Sauna Summit | Sauna Talk Episode 105
This episode of Sauna Talk comes from a fireside gathering at the West Coast Sauna Summit, held at Loon Lake in the UBC Malcolm Knapp Research Forest. It was late in the evening on the second night. Some were still cycling through the saunas. Others had turned in. But about 25–30 of us gathered…
more -
Experiencing the Culture of Bathing - Sauna Thoughts from New York City | Sauna Talk Episode 104
This episode of Sauna Talk comes to you from New York City, recorded during the Culture of Bathing gathering in January 2025. Rather than a single conversation, this is a walk-through—capturing voices, perspectives, and moments from across the event. With nearly 100 attendees from around the...
-
Parade of Saunas 2024 in Minneapolis | Sauna Talk Episode 103
Today on Sauna Talk, we celebrate the spirit of backyard sauna culture with highlights from Parade of Saunas 2024 in Minneapolis. This community event brought visitors through 10 home saunas across the city, offering a chance to step into the creativity, craftsmanship, and hospitality of backyard...
-
Dr. Ashley Mason on Sauna, Sleep, and Whole Body Hyperthermia | Sauna Talk Episode 102
Today on Sauna Talk, we welcome Dr. Ashley Mason. Dr. Mason is a clinical psychologist and Associate Professor of Psychiatry at UCSF, where she works within the Osher Center for Integrative Health. Her research focuses on sleep, mental health, and behavioral treatments for insomnia, and she…
more -
Earric Lee and the Future of Sauna Research | Sauna Talk Episode 101
Today on Sauna Talk, we connect with Earric Lee. This conversation was recorded in London, just outside the British Sauna Summit—so you'll hear a bit of the city in the background as we talk. Earric is a researcher focused on the health benefits of sauna and a fellow board member of the Sauna...
-
Celebrating the First 100 Episodes - Reflections from the Sauna Bench | Sauna Talk Episode 100
This is Episode 100 of Sauna Talk. When I started this podcast back in 2016, the idea was simple: capture a bit of what happens on the sauna bench. It's a unique place for conversation. The body is under stress, yet the mind is relaxed. Distractions fall away. And something opens up—thoughts,...
-
Oslo Badstuforening and the Floating Sauna Boom, with Ragna Marie Fjeld | Sauna Talk Episode 99
Today on Sauna Talk, we welcome Ragna Marie Fjeld, Secretary General of Oslo Badstuforening—the Oslo Sauna Association. Founded in 2016, Oslo Badstuforening began with a single sauna along the Oslo fjord. In just a few short years, it has grown into a remarkable network of floating and mobile...
-
The Real Meaning of Sauna: Alan Jalasjaa on Heat, Presence, and the Thermal Cycle | Sauna Talk Episode 98
Today on Sauna Talk, we welcome Alan Jalasjja who shares with us "The Spirit of Sauna." Alan is an evangelist who is with us to help promote the experience. Growing up with sauna his whole life, as a Finnish Canadian, we get the perspective of what sauna spirit means to him. World Sauna Forum…
more -
Lasse Eriksen at FarrisBad | Aufguss, Coastal Sauna, and Leading the Next Wave | Sauna Talk Episode 97
In this episode of Sauna Talk, Glenn reconnects with Lasse Eriksen—this time on the beach at Farris Bad, one of Scandinavia's premier waterfront sauna and spa destinations. A lot has evolved since Lasse first joined Sauna Talk, and this conversation captures that next chapter. Now serving as...
-
The People Behind the Heater | The Homecraft Family on Craftsmanship, Trust, and Good Steam | Sauna Talk 96
On this episode of Sauna Talk, Glenn is joined on the bench by three generations of sauna builders—the Wilson family of Homecraft: Stew, David, and Kyle. Based outside Vancouver, British Columbia, Homecraft is one of Canada's longest-running sauna heater manufacturers. But this conversation goes...
-
Reflections on Sauna Days 2024 | 200 People, 12 Saunas, One Lake Superior Experience | Sauna Talk 95
In this episode of Sauna Talk, Glenn reflects on Sauna Days 2024—a weekend where over 200 sauna enthusiasts gathered along the shores of Larsmont Cottages for a one-of-a-kind celebration of heat, cold, and community. Set against the vast backdrop of Lake Superior, Sauna Days has become more than…
more -
Jake Newport: Finnmark, Sauna Days, and the UK Sauna Explosion | Sauna Talk 94
Today on the actual sauna bench, we are joined and talk with Jake Newport from Finnmark. Jake makes the journey from Northern England to join me on the Larsmont Cottages sauna bench in Northern Minnesota, by the cold, clear clean water shores of Lake Superior. You can also check out my podcast…
more -
Building Community Through Sauna | Charlie of Community Sauna Baths, England | Sauna Talk 93
Today on Sauna Talk we welcome Charlie from Community Sauna Baths in England. Who is Community Sauna Baths? Well, they are Community Interest Company, a CIC, who is dedicated to providing affordable sauna sessions to the communities they serve. Currently with four locations, including their...
About this show
Sauna Talk is a show about the authentic sauna experience. Recorded (often) on the sauna bench, we talk with interesting guests about sauna including such aspects as building sauna, enjoying sauna, and health and wellness benefits to sauna. The rising sauna tide is lifting many boats and we look forward to some left turns that we hope to keep listeners on and off the more enjoyable and less trampled authentic sauna trail.
Hosted by
SaunaTimes
Categories