Sauna Talk
Health, Fitness & Longevity
About
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
- 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 col…
- 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…
- 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…
- 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 Ei…
- 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 conversat…
- 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, th…
- Vancouver Sauna Circuit + West Coast Sauna Summit | Valtteri Rantala | Sauna Talk #125
Today on the bench, we sit with Valtteri 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 Coas…
- 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 Cu…
- 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…
- 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'…
- 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…
- 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 Ph…
- 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 Wav…
- 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…
- 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 conversati…
- 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 a…
- 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…
- 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…
- 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 pa…
- 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 setti…
- 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…
- 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…
- 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 Minnea…
- 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 cros…
- 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 Gl…
- 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 saun…
- 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…
- 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…
- 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 hea…
- 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 be…
- 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. Di…
- 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…
- 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 perspectiv…
- 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 co…
- 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-runni…
- 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 b…
- Sauna Talk #094: Jake Newport
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 sh…
- Sauna Talk #093: Community Sauna Baths with Charlie
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 s…
- Sauna Talk #092: Tom Carlson
Today on Sauna Talk, we welcome Tom Carlson, a sauna enthusiast and a SaunaTimes public sauna map supporter. Tom caught the sauna bug in Germany, and brought home his love and appreciation for good heat. And, like many of us, Tom recognize…
- Sauna Talk #091: Healing Heroes
Today on the Sauna Talk bench, we welcome three guests who are aligned to helping veterans through sauna as a means of healing our heroes. Their stories are heartfelt, their passions are clear. And for those of us who know sauna, we know t…
- Sauna Talk #090: Sauna Village
Today from any one of 22 saunas, we Sauna Talk from the Great Northern Sauna Village , Malcolm Yards, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. "The Great Northern Sauna Village is a social and therapeutic experience hosted at Malcolm Yards. Visitors c…
- Sauna Talk #089: Daniel Wilson
- Sauna Talk #088: Dr. Charles Raison - Part 2
Today we welcome back Dr. Charles Raison to this Sauna Talk podcast part 2. I encourage you to check in with Part one, where Chuck and i work from the starting block about Sauna health benefits and research surrounding hypethermia and hot/…
- Sauna Talk #087: Jarmo Hiltunen
Today on the virtual smoke sauna bench, please welcome my friend Jarmo Hiltunen. Author of the brand new book: Building a Traditional Finnish Smoke Sauna. I am overjoyed that for many, Jarmo will be your voice to the introduction to the wo…
- Sauna Talk #086: Nick Fox
Welcome to this Sauna Talk podcast episode with Nick Fox: Minnesota's first Wim Hof certified instructor and baker of amazing homemade bread. We communed in heat, cold plunge and nature in my backyard sauna recently and you'll hear my inte…
- Sauna Talk #085: Charles Raison
Today we welcome a very special guest to Sauna Talk: Dr. Charles Raison. His biography is as follows: Dr. Raison is a the Mary Sue and Mike Shannon Chair for Healthy Minds, Children & Families in the School of Human Ecology and a Professor…
- Sauna Talk #084: From the World's Largest Sauna
Welcome to this mini Sauna Talk episode from inside and around the World's Largest Sauna. The sauna was constructed as part of the RunningMan festival outside of Atlanta Georgia, this past weekend, mid October 2023. I'll try to connect the…
- Sauna Talk #083: Todd Furneaux
Today on the bench, we welcome Todd Furneaux who is spearheading the building of the World's Largest Sauna. The sauna is being constructed as part of Running Man , a three day festival happening outside of Atlanta Georgia this mid October…
- Sauna Talk #082: Emma O'Kelly
Today on the virtual sauna bench, i'm pleased to bring you Sauna Talk: Emma O'Kelly, author of the new book Sauna: The Power of Deep Heat . We join Emma from her home in North London. And, we hear from Emma how the idea for this book was s…
- Sauna Talk #081: Mikkel Aaland
Today on the global sauna bench, we Sauna Talk with Mikkel Aaland from inside and just back from war torn Ukraine. Introduction from Minnesota Before we dive into this episode, I'd like to paint a picture of where I am sitting and what i'm…