05/14/2026 · 3 min read
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There’s a small wooden sauna in my grandma’s backyard in Haapsalu. My grandpa built it. Wood-fired, cozy, smells like it’s been slowly smoking since…
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Evergreen pieces we keep updating. Read these before you book a bathhouse, buy a home sauna, or argue with anyone about whether infrared counts.
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Foundations · 8 min read
What is löyly — and why everything else is secondary
Löyly is the word Finns use for the burst of steam when water hits hot stones. It's also the word they use for the spirit of the sauna. Both meanings are intentional. This guide explains what löyly is, why it's the only metric that matters, and what to look for when you're evaluating any sauna.
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Foundations
What sauna actually is, how it works, where the tradition comes from. The baseline you need before anything else.
6 guides
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NYC Bathhouses
How to read a sauna listing, what to look for in person, and how to not get ripped off by a dry hot room with Nordic branding.
5 guides
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Home Sauna
The full buyer's journey from first question to first session — costs, logistics, permit realities, and what to actually buy.
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The Ritual
Temperature, rounds, cold contrast, breathing, the vihta — the practical side of actually doing sauna well.
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05/07/2026 · 3 min read
Two saunas. Both with a kiuas. Completely different experiences.
I hope you haven’t had to experience a sauna where the air is still and dry. You know the kind. There’s a kiuas in…
04/02/2026 · 3 min read
How to sauna: the only guide you need for your first real session
Three rounds. Heat, cold, rest. Drink water. That’s the whole thing. Everything else you’ll read about sauna — the breathwork tips, the biohacking protocols,…