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Sauna Talk: Daily Summaries Delivered
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.
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- 6 days ago52 min
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 and sunshine, surrounded by hundreds of interesting people with stories to tell. I feel like a sauna dog at a sauna dog park. All I need is a picnic table, a microphone, and a little serendipity. And the sauna gods deliver. First stop: Denmark. I sit down with Merete and Anders, two sauna professionals who came to the sauna bench through very different paths. Merete shares how a serious neck injury led her to discover the relief of heat and cold, eventually bringing her into the world of sauna masters and Aufguss competitions. Anders takes us inside Denmark's booming sauna scene, where what he affectionately calls "pirate sauna" is changing the landscape. Mobile saunas, parking lot pop-ups, and community-driven sauna experiences are creating new opportunities for sauna masters to earn a living doing what they love. We explore the economics of sauna, the role of the sauna master, the differences between Finnish löyly traditions and guided Aufguss rituals, and the importance of protecting the people who dedicate their lives to sharing good heat. Next stop: Australia. I catch up with Nikita, founder of the Australian Sauna Association, whose journey began with a simple discovery: once you experience good heat, it's all over. From the Blue Mountains outside Sydney to a sauna pilgrimage through Finland, Germany, Estonia, and Norway, Nikita has been searching for what makes good sauna good. His discoveries led him to build a sauna facility in a repurposed squash court, complete with a large communal sauna and a traditional Finnish heat-storing Aitokiuas heater. They also inspired him to bring Australia's growing sauna community together through the Australian Sauna Association. We dig into what Nikita calls the three essential elements of good sauna: heat, steam, and ventilation. We discuss the importance of proper löyly, the magic of old Finnish public saunas, and why good ventilation can be both technically complex and beautifully simple. But underneath the business models, heater technology, and different sauna traditions is something much bigger. Sauna culture is growing around the world. Different countries are expressing it in different ways. And rather than insisting that one tradition must win, there's an opportunity to listen, learn, and bring the best of these experiences forward. Respecting Finland as the keeper of the flame, while celebrating the people bringing new energy and appreciation to sauna culture everywhere. Because good heat knows no borders. And somehow, whether we're in Denmark, Australia, Finland, Minnesota, or Oslo, we all end up on the same sauna bench. When you feel good heat, it's all over. Thanks for listening, and I'll see you on the bench. — Glenn Auerbach Explore more at SaunaTimes.com Discover sauna building resources, stories from the sauna bench, the Sauna Life: From Heat Up to Cool Down book, and more episodes of Sauna Talk.
- 2 weeks ago49 min
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 introduce their new book, Sauna Life: From Heat Up to Cool Down. This conversation is especially meaningful because Tom was the very first guest on Sauna Talk. Now, 142 episodes later, they're back together, sharing stories, laughs, and reflections on a friendship that helped inspire not only the book but Sauna Days itself. Sauna Life is more than a coffee table book. It's a celebration of the sauna community. Three years in the making, the book brings together hundreds of photographs, personal stories, and reflections from sauna enthusiasts around the world. Organized around six contrasting themes — Heat, Cold, Nature, Build, Friendship, and Solitude — it captures the beauty, simplicity, and shared experiences of authentic sauna culture. Recorded live before a Sauna Days audience, Glenn and Tom explore: How their friendship began with a wood-fired sauna build. The surprising connection between Tom, Glenn's first sauna-building book, and the origins of Sauna Days. Why they invited the worldwide sauna community to help create Sauna Life. Favorite photographs and stories from the book. The importance of hot, cold, nature, and the cool-down experience. Why good sauna is about more than temperatures, timers, and health metrics. How sauna creates lasting friendships and a sense of belonging. Along the way, audience questions spark conversations about sauna traditions, the importance of community gathering spaces, and why the simplest sauna experiences are often the most rewarding. As Glenn likes to say, "Good heat knows no borders." Get your copy of Sauna Life! Discover Sauna Life: From Heat Up to Cool Down and the limited-edition Sauna Life Gift Set, featuring the book, premium Sauna Life zip-up hoodie, beanie, and a personal thank-you note from Glenn and Tom. Explore the book and Gift Set at https://saunalifeshop.com/product/gift-set. Connect with SaunaTimes Website: https://www.saunatimes.com More Sauna Talk episodes: https://www.saunatimes.com/category/sauna-talk-podcast/ Whether you're a lifelong sauna enthusiast, building your first backyard sauna, or simply curious about this wonderful thing we do, there's a seat on the bench for you. Enjoy sauna! #SaunaLife #SaunaTalk #SaunaTimes #SaunaCulture #WoodFiredSauna #SaunaDays
- Oct 8, 202637 min
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 studying sauna and its potential health benefits have often worked independently, across different countries and scientific disciplines. Now, they're coming together to share ideas, challenge assumptions, establish common research standards, and build a foundation for future collaboration. With his handheld recorder, Glenn captures spontaneous conversations in the hallways of this international gathering. We hear directly from researchers studying cardiovascular health, cardiac rehabilitation, mental health, stress, sleep, and the physiological mechanisms behind sauna's potential benefits. Among the voices featured are Earric Lee of the Montreal Heart Institute, Sam Oliver of Bangor University in Wales, Norwegian researchers Rune Jonasen and Eva Hillan, and Sauna Research Foundation board members John Sabes and Hans Hägglund. The conversations range from clinical research protocols and long-term health studies to wood-fired saunas, Norway's floating sauna culture, and the importance of simply enjoying the sauna experience. And perhaps one of the most memorable insights comes from Rune Jonasen, who suggests that sometimes the best part of sauna isn't the heat itself. It's waking up in the morning knowing that today is a sauna day. What makes this gathering remarkable isn't just the science. It's the openness, trust, and collaborative spirit among researchers who share a common interest in understanding sauna and its place in our lives. This episode captures an important moment in the evolution of sauna research, told through the voices of those helping move it forward. Learn more and connect: SaunaTimes: https://www.saunatimes.com Explore sauna culture, sauna building, and the stories behind the heat. Discover Sauna Life: From Heat Up to Cool Down, a coffee table book celebrating sauna through photography, stories, and personal experiences from around the world. Until next time, I'll see you on the bench. #SaunaTalk #SaunaResearch #SaunaHealth #SaunaTimes #SaunaCulture
- Sep 23, 20261h 2m
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, beginning with his first smoke sauna at just four weeks old. He shares stories from decades of sauna culture around the world, from Finland and Germany to Japan, South Korea, China, and beyond. The conversation explores what defines a real sauna, the importance of good löyly, European sauna standards, the future of sauna research, and why Risto believes researchers need common protocols if sauna science is going to advance responsibly. Glenn and Risto also discuss Sauna Aid and its work supporting Ukraine, the growth and regulation of Aufguss, sauna diplomacy, birch vihta traditions, raising children with sauna, smoke sauna culture, and some of the memorable people Risto has met on sauna benches around the world. And when asked what matters most in a good sauna? For Risto, the answer is simple: good löyly, good löyly, and good löyly. Join us for a wide-ranging conversation with one of the most influential international voices in modern sauna culture as he prepares to pass the torch at the International Sauna Congress. For more sauna stories, resources, and authentic sauna culture, visit SaunaTimes.com.
- Sep 10, 202651 min
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 sauna can play in bringing us back to ourselves. Harvey has spent years inside the world of high performance. After playing professional baseball, he worked in player development and spent four seasons doing human performance coaching with the San Francisco Giants. Today, he works privately with elite athletes, musicians, and other high-level performers navigating pressure, identity, and life beyond the performance itself. But Harvey came to Sauna Days with one word on his mind: Remembrance. Remembering who we are underneath the noise. Underneath the information. Underneath the algorithms, expectations, status, and constant pressure to perform. Glenn and Harvey explore what happens when a profession becomes an identity, why facts alone rarely change human behavior, the difference between performance and presence, and why intuition becomes increasingly important in a world built around information and algorithms. And, naturally, they bring it back to sauna. Harvey shares the story of his wood-fired horse trailer sauna in Arizona—with an office in the front and hot room in the back—and why building a fire, tending it throughout the day, and making your own heat forces you to slow down. As Harvey puts it, there's something different about heat you make yourself. In this episode: • Harvey's journey from professional baseball to the San Francisco Giants • Working with elite athletes and musicians under extreme pressure • Separating performance from identity • Why emotional experience changes behavior more than information • Intuition, presence, and nervous-system regulation • What algorithms may be doing to our awareness • Sauna as a practice of remembrance • Why wood-fired sauna naturally slows us down • Harvey's Arizona horse trailer sauna and writing space • The value of making your own heat • Why sometimes "it takes all day to live" Recorded live at Sauna Days 2026. Learn more about authentic sauna culture, sauna building, Sauna Days, and the Sauna Talk podcast at SaunaTimes.com. This episode of Sauna Talk is supported by Kuuma Sauna Stoves, built by Lampa Manufacturing in Tower, Minnesota. Until next time, we'll see you on the bench.
- Aug 27, 202659 min
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 turned into a lifelong pursuit. From building his own saunas and experimenting with wood-fired heat to helping inspire the low-profile Kuma stove, Jeff has developed his perspective the old-fashioned way: through years of time on the bench. The conversation moves from good heat, löyly, rock mass, bench height, and cold plunging into some unexpected territory: pizza, espresso, vintage Volkswagens, and why hands-on experience matters more than internet theory. At the center of it all is Jeff's simple message to anyone suffering from sauna analysis paralysis: There is no perfect sauna. Build your damn sauna. Glenn and Jeff also talk Sauna Days, friendship, the growing North American sauna community, and that special moment a few rounds into a sauna session when the fire settles, the rocks are hot, and everything just clicks. This episode is sponsored by Sauna Build: From Start to Finish by Glenn Auerbach. If you've been thinking about building your own sauna, Glenn's book is a practical guide designed to help take you from idea to finished hot room. It draws on years of hands-on sauna building experience and covers the key decisions that matter most—from layout and bench design to heaters, ventilation, materials, and the details that help create good heat. Buy the physical book here. Buy the e-book here. For anyone feeling stuck in research mode, it pairs perfectly with Jeff's message in this episode: learn what matters, make a plan, and build your sauna.
- Aug 13, 202650 min
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 North American sauna country, and his work has helped document a sauna tradition that runs deep through northern Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and the greater Lake Superior region. In this conversation, Michael and Glenn get into Finnish ancestry, Northwoods sauna culture, the traditions that took root around Lake Superior, and the way sauna gets passed down through families and communities. It's also a conversation about place, identity, and why authentic sauna has endured in this part of the world long before the current wave of sauna popularity. For those of us who believe sauna is more than a hot room, Michael's perspective is an important reminder: the buildings matter, the löyly matters, but so do the stories and the people who keep the tradition alive. Recorded live at Sauna Days 2026. This episode of Sauna Talk is brought to you by Homecraft, makers of quality sauna heaters and sauna equipment. Homecraft has been building sauna products for generations and continues to support the culture of good sauna across North America. Learn more about Homecraft at homecraftsaunas.com.
- Jul 30, 20261h 3m
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 celebration of sauna culture featuring mobile saunas, presentations, breathwork, cold plunges, artisans, builders, operators, and sauna people from around the world. They discuss the beautiful weather, the importance of maintaining enough bench space, the soul of the original Larsmont sauna, and the delicate balance between commerce and "kumbaya." Most of all, they reflect on the community that forms when people gather around good heat, cold water, and a shared appreciation for authentic sauna culture. You'll also hear stories from the benches, the shoreline, the Lake Room, and the spaces between sauna rounds—where strangers quickly become friends and conversations move well beyond sauna. Topics include: The origins and evolution of Sauna Days Sauna Days 2026 highlights Sauna culture in Northern Minnesota The SaunaTimes tribe and spirit of community Mobile saunas, sauna builders, and vendors Lake Superior cold plunging The balance between business and authentic sauna culture What makes Larsmont Cottages an ideal home for Sauna Days A look ahead to Sauna Days 2027 Learn more about authentic sauna culture, sauna building, events, and the Sauna Talk podcast at SaunaTimes.com. Until next time, we'll see you on the bench.
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About Sauna Talk
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.
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