Kivia: The Spirit of Sauna

Does sauna make people happier? Finland has been named the world’s happiest country for seven straight years. There are also 3.3 million saunas in Finland for a population of 5.5 million people.

Coincidence? We think not.

In today’s episode — our Season 3 finale — we’re discussing the link between regular sauna use and happiness.

We’re also sharing our own personal experiences with sauna and happiness, and looking back at some of our favourite insights on the subject from past guests.

Lastly, we’re taking you behind-the-scenes to hear from some of the members of the Kivia team about the impact of sauna in their own lives, and the topics they hope we delve into for Season 4…

Thanks for listening — and be sure to follow us on Instagram and Facebook to get your sauna fix until the Kivia podcast returns!

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Mentioned in this episode:

The World Happiness Report

The Finnish Way by Katja Pantzar

Michelle Russell-Murray of Thermëa Spa Village

Eric Harkonen and Caroline Leppanen of Vettä Nordic Spa

Christopher and Julie Rice of SaunaDigest.com

Saija Silen of Sauna Village in Jämsä

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Did you enjoy this episode? If so, we’d love it if you could leave us a rating/review, and share it with your sauna-loving friends!

And be sure to subscribe if you haven’t done so already!

Want to stay on top of all things Kivia: The Spirit of Sauna? Sign up for our newsletter at kivia.ca. (Don’t worry, we only send occasional emails and will never spam you.)

Have a question, comment or an idea for a future episode? Email us at [email protected].

Sauna has exploded in popularity in the UK over the past five years, with more and more Brits seeking out authentic sauna experiences everywhere from five-star luxury spas to grassroots mobile saunas.

Even more unexpected has been the rise of “aufguss” — the art of using rhythmic towel movements to circulate heat, air and essential oils in the sauna — and today’s guest has been leading the charge.

Deborah Carr is a certified sauna master and the founder of Anada, which provides sauna master training, along with aufguss and other thermotherapy experiences. She’s also the Aufguss Lead for the British Sauna Society and, last year, was part of the first-ever British team to compete at the International Aufguss Championships.

In this episode, Deborah shares her thoughts on the UK sauna surge, what it was like learning aufguss during the pandemic (hint: it involved a lot of Zoom calls and towel waving in her dining room), and where she sees the British sauna movement heading next.

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Mentioned in this episode:

Deborah Carr

Anada

Jake and Max Newport, aka the Sauna Twins

Finnmark Sauna

British Sauna Society

Aufguss WM

Lay Pang Ong

Jade Coloumbe

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Did you enjoy this episode? If so, we’d love it if you could leave us a rating/review, and share it with your sauna-loving friends!

And be sure to subscribe if you haven’t done so already!

Want to stay on top of all things Kivia: The Spirit of Sauna? Sign up for our newsletter at kivia.ca. (Don’t worry, we only send occasional emails and will never spam you.)

Have a question, comment or an idea for a future episode? Email us at [email protected].

Part art installation, part sauna village, Public Sweat took over Toronto’s Harbourfront Centre for close to two months last year using an unexpected medium: the sauna.

Inspired by sauna and global sweat-bathing traditions, Public Sweat featured five different sweat-bathing spaces — each designed by a different artist — that attracted more than 6,000 people, many of whom had never set foot inside a sauna before.

In this episode, we’re joined by Layne Hinton, the co-founder of Art Spin, which curated Public Sweat, and Chris Foster, the lead artist and technical director of the project.

Layne and Chris share how they brought their incredible vision from dream to reality — including visiting Mikkel Aaland at his private home sauna in Norway for “research” (yes, we’re jealous), and finding artists who were up for the challenge of creating public art while building a functioning sauna at the same time.

They also discuss what makes sauna such a unique medium for this kind of immersive art experience, the importance of the social and community aspects of sauna, and where they see Public Sweat going from here.

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Mentioned in this episode:

Layne Hinton

Chris Foster

Public Sweat

Art Spin

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Did you enjoy this episode? If so, we’d love it if you could leave us a rating/review, and share it with your sauna-loving friends!

And be sure to subscribe if you haven’t done so already!

Want to stay on top of all things Kivia: The Spirit of Sauna? Sign up for our newsletter at kivia.ca. (Don’t worry, we only send occasional emails and will never spam you.)

Have a question, comment or an idea for a future episode? Email us at [email protected].

Nordik Spa-Nature in Chelsea, Quebec, has long been considered one of North America’s premiere destinations for authentic Nordic sauna. So when Groupe Nordik recently opened a sister location near Toronto, you know Alan was one of the first in line to try it out!

With over five acres of thermotherapy — including North America’s largest aufguss event sauna — Thermëa Spa Village is already making a name for itself.

Want the inside scoop? Consider this episode your exclusive tour with our guest, Michelle Russell-Murray, Thermëa’s Rituals Manager.

In this episode, Michelle shares the incredible range of rituals available at Thermëa, the special emphasis they place on aufguss, and why most newcomers to their unique style of aufguss — which involves snowballs infused with essential oils — “have no idea what they’re in for.”

If you’re craving a virtual sauna, this episode is just the thing — download now and be sure to share with your sauna-loving friends!

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Mentioned in this episode:

Thermëa Spa Village

Groupe Nordik

Nordik Spa-Nature

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Did you enjoy this episode? If so, we’d love it if you could leave us a rating/review, and share it with your sauna-loving friends!

And be sure to subscribe if you haven’t done so already!

Want to stay on top of all things Kivia: The Spirit of Sauna? Sign up for our newsletter at kivia.ca. (Don’t worry, we only send occasional emails and will never spam you.)

Have a question, comment or an idea for a future episode? Email us at [email protected].

Finland has been named the world's happiest country for seven years in a row. It’s also home to 3 million saunas for a population of 5.5 million people. And roughly one-fifth of Finns take part in something called “cold water” or “winter” swimming.

Coincidence? We think not, and our guest, Katja Pantzar, agrees.

A Canadian-Finnish journalist based in Helsinki, Pantzar first discovered cold-water swimming a decade ago and now swims in the Baltic Sea almost every day — all year round.

She’s also the author of several books on the subject, including the bestselling The Finnish Way — about Nordic well-being, winter swimming, sauna and sisu — which has been translated into 24 languages to date. 

In this episode, Pantzar shares:

• What cold-water swimming is all about (spoiler: no laps are involved)
  
  
• The physical and mental health benefits associated with it 
  
  
• The dos and don’ts for safe cold-water swimming 
  
  
• The connection between winter swimming and “sisu,” a uniquely Finnish brand of perseverance, fortitude and resilience
  
  
• The details of her latest book, The Power of Hot and Cold, which she co-wrote with Carita Harju

…and so much more!

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Mentioned in this episode:

Katja Pantzar
The Finnish Way: Finding Courage, Wellness, and Happiness Through the Power of Sisu
The Power of Hot & Cold: From Sauna to Sea: The Finnish Way to a Happy, Healthy Life
Carita Harju, Executive Director of Sauna from Finland

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Did you enjoy this episode? If so, we’d love it if you could leave us a rating/review, and share it with your sauna-loving friends!

And be sure to subscribe if you haven’t done so already!

Want to stay on top of all things Kivia: The Spirit of Sauna? Sign up for our newsletter at kivia.ca. (Don’t worry, we only send occasional emails and will never spam you.)

Have a question, comment or an idea for a future episode? Email us at [email protected].

Sauna is just the beginning of the Finnish cultural experience that awaits visitors to Vettä Nordic Spa. 

Not only can you relax and recharge with Finnish-style thermal therapy, but you can enjoy farm-to-table Finnish fare, take part in a “vihta”-making workshop and even sauna with a Finnish guide. 

How did this authentic Finnish sauna oasis — located just one hour outside Toronto — come to be? 

In this episode, we’re joined by Vettä owner and founder Eric Harkonen, along with brand ambassador Caroline Leppanen, to discuss all this and more, including:

• The immense value of sauna as a Finnish cultural export
• The Finnish concept of “sisu” and the role it’s played in Eric’s life
• Why sauna isn’t just a place for solace — it’s a great place to socialize and reconnect with others, too

…and so much more!

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Mentioned in this episode:

Vettä Nordic Spa
Sisu expert Dr. Elisabet Lahti
The Finnish Way: Finding Courage, Wellness, and Happiness Through the Power of Sisu, by Katja Pantzar

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Did you enjoy this episode? If so, we’d love it if you could leave us a rating/review, and share it with your sauna-loving friends!

And be sure to subscribe if you haven’t done so already!

Want to stay on top of all things Kivia: The Spirit of Sauna? Sign up for our newsletter at kivia.ca. (Don’t worry, we only send occasional emails and will never spam you.)

Have a question, comment or an idea for a future episode? Email us at [email protected].

Today’s episode is smokin’ — literally! That’s because we’re talking about the original Finnish sauna: the smoke sauna, or “savusauna” as it’s known in Finland.

While the modern saunas we’re familiar with today have only been around for the last 100 years, smoke saunas date back to the 9th century — over 1,000 years ago.

So what exactly is a smoke sauna and where can you find one? To answer these questions and more, we’re joined by Saija Silen, a smoke sauna historian and chair of the Finnish Sauna Culture Association.

Saija tells us about the origin of smoke saunas, how they work and the incredibly multi-faceted role they’ve played in Finnish life — and in Finnish spiritual beliefs — for centuries.

She also talks about her important work preserving the 24 historical smoke saunas at Sauna Village in Jämsä, where visitors can enjoy an authentic smoke sauna experience for themselves.

We promise we’re not just blowing smoke — it’s a fascinating episode and you don’t want to miss it!

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Mentioned in this episode:

Sauna Village in Jämsä, Finland

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Did you enjoy this episode? If so, we’d love it if you could leave us a rating/review, and share it with your sauna-loving friends!

And be sure to subscribe if you haven’t done so already!

Want to stay on top of all things Kivia: The Spirit of Sauna? Sign up for our newsletter at kivia.ca. (Don’t worry, we only send occasional emails and will never spam you.)

Have a question, comment or an idea for a future episode? Email us at [email protected].

A sweat-bathing renaissance is underway in Ireland and Northern Ireland, with saunas popping up from Dublin and Belfast to Cork and the Causeway Coast.

How did all this happen? During Alan’s Irish sauna travels last year, one name kept coming up: Shirley Fitzpatrick.

As the owner of Bosca Beatha — the first mobile sauna in Ireland back in 2012 — Shirley has been at the forefront of the Irish sauna movement for over a decade, touring the countryside and bringing her passion for sauna directly to the people.

In this episode, we speak with Shirley about how Bosca Beatha came to be, the growing popularity of sauna on the Emerald Isle, and the unique vantage point sauna gives us to connect with nature and each other.

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Mentioned in this episode:

Bosca Beatha

Lithuanian Plants & Sauna Camp (June 3-7, 2024)

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Did you enjoy this episode? If so, we’d love it if you could leave us a rating/review, and share it with your sauna-loving friends!

And be sure to subscribe if you haven’t done so already!

Want to stay on top of all things Kivia: The Spirit of Sauna? Sign up for our newsletter at kivia.ca. (Don’t worry, we only send occasional emails and will never spam you.)

Have a question, comment or an idea for a future episode? Email us at [email protected].

Can you imagine being naked in a sauna with strangers? Or maybe you can’t imagine it any other way?

Nudity in the sauna is a polarizing topic. For some, the idea of going “au naturel” is unthinkable, while for others, “textile-free” is the only way to go.

Why the divide? To get to the, ahem, bottom of the issue, we’re speaking with Dr. Ruth Barcan, a professor in the Gender and Cultural Studies department at the University of Sydney, and the author of Nudity: A Cultural Anatomy.

In this episode, Dr. Barcan shares:

• Where some of our hang-ups with nudity come from
• Why so many people today equate nudity with sexuality
• Her advice for people who want to try going nude in the sauna for the first time
• Why, when it comes to nudity in the sauna, one approach doesn’t fit all

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Mentioned in this episode:

Book: Nudity: A Cultural Anatomy (Bloomsbury)
Article: "The Naked Truth on Nudity" (The Conversation)

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Did you enjoy this episode? If so, we’d love it if you could leave us a rating/review, and share it with your sauna-loving friends!

And be sure to subscribe if you haven’t done so already, so you never miss an episode.

Want to stay on top of all things Kivia: The Spirit of Sauna? Sign up for our newsletter at kivia.ca. (Don’t worry, we only send occasional emails and will never spam you.)

Have a question, comment or an idea for a future episode? Email us at [email protected].

It’s taken the European sauna world by storm, and it’s starting to make waves in North America, too.

Aufguss is the art of using rhythmic towel movements to circulate heat, air and essential oils in the sauna, creating a thermal experience like no other.

While aufguss can be calm and meditative, it can have a huge performance aspect as well — with music, lights, costumes, singing, choreography and even smoke machines used for theatrical effect.

To find out more, we’re speaking with Jade Coulombe, a Canadian “aufgussier” and past winner of the “Battle of the Gladiators” at the World Aufguss Cup Freestyle Championships.

In this episode, Jade shares how she first got involved with aufguss, her aufguss experiences in saunas and competitions across Europe, and her future plans to make aufguss more accessible in Canada and beyond.

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Mentioned in this episode:

Jade Coulombe
Aufguss World Cup Freestyle
Rob Keijzer

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Did you enjoy this episode? If so, we’d love it if you could leave us a rating/review, and share it with your sauna-loving friends! And be sure to subscribe if you haven’t done so already, so you never miss an episode.

Want to stay on top of all things Kivia: The Spirit of Sauna? Sign up for our newsletter at kivia.ca. (Don’t worry, we only send occasional emails and will never spam you.)

Have a question, comment or an idea for a future episode? Email us at [email protected].