Slowing down is an act of resistance. To the harried perpetual busyness. To the urgency of insistent notifications. To the stories we’ve been told about ladders to climb, achievements to chase, and boxes to check before allowing ourselves to live.
When was the last time you sat undistracted with your friends? With anyone for that matter?
Sage Sauna wants to make that a more frequent occurrence with their South Knoxville-based social sauna. This is not the little hot box tucked in the back of an old-school fitness center, or some new-age infrared peddled by an influencer.
This is a much older practice, and after the effort it took to create, one you can be certain can’t be bought pre-packaged with 2-day shipping.
Locals Christina and Sam came back from a far-flung soul search with a new outlook on life, “How do we help people without being afraid to help on a small scale?” Christina muses. “Even making a few more people smile every day sounded amazing.”
Beyond making people smile, they also intended to keep people safe.
Plenty of saunas on the market could’ve arrived faster, cheaper, and “guaranteed” to keep a steady internal temperature regardless of circumstance. Yet, these options are almost always insulated with spray foam; add in artificial lights made with plastic and seemingly necessary exterior paint, and you have a giant health question mark masquerading as “the traditional way.”
Sage Sauna is an artisan-crafted enclosure free of harmful plastics, insulation, paints, and non-natural elements. With Western red cedar exteriorly burned for weather and pest protection, the sauna ventilates as readily as breathing. Even the chimney burns clean. The stove, imported from Finland, devours kiln-dried wood collected from fallen tress by a local mill and warms more than 400lbs of rocks that emanate a rich, silky heat evenly throughout the circular structure.
“The heat itself is more of an art than a science. It’s the only thing in my life I’ve not been able to rush,” Christina says, pointing out that it takes 2 – 3 hours to heat up the sauna prior to anyone arriving, and her full involvement while guests enjoy their sessions. She pops in at least once every fifteen minutes to check the time, temperature, and to provide Aufguss, a lightly humidifying practice of ladling water with essential oils onto the rocks, which was this writer’s favorite part.
Despite the numerous health benefits attributed to sauna, it’s the social element that inspires Sage to share the practice with their community.
In Finland, one of the most sauna-engaged countries in the world, it’s estimated there are three million saunas for a population of five million, from public gathering spaces to home saunas designed for family use. It’s an evening activity where folks gather to catch up, or even a lunch time activity where meetings take place. The Fins treat sauna the way Americans treated television in the 60s. Almost everyone has one and it’s common to gather and share the experience.
As a former Floridian and anxious perfectionist, my sauna experience started with questions. “Everyone else is sweating… am I supposed to be sweating already?” “How long have I been in here?” (There’s a sand timer on the wall) “Am I doing this right?”
However, that first gust of fresh air as I exited the sauna was euphoric. The wind kissed my skin in an almost sensual way, and the headiness of deep breaths seemed to turn down my internal volume. As I gulped water, Christina finished chopping more firewood and graciously talked me through some of my anxieties.
- It’s perfectly normal for a first-time session to be just 2 – 5 minutes, up to ten depending on an individual’s comfort level.
- Not a scientific fact, but the sweet spot for sweating seems to be around seven minutes (can confirm). Simply pay attention to your body as you progress to longer sessions.
- Typical sessions range between 10 – 15 minutes, meaning 2 – 3 for a 45-minute window, and 4 – 5 for a 75-minute window.
- There’s no right or wrong way to sauna, but the willingness to sit with discomfort and allow the mind to quiet creates an unmatched mental ease if you give yourself the time.
After going back in, settled in my commitment to a little healthy discomfort, I experienced my first Aufguss and was hooked on sauna. Eyes closed, mind quiet, skin glistening with the satisfaction of releasing my resistance to the heat. When I emerged, the air was sweet like the first sip of water after a hard run, but I didn’t have to work nearly as hard.
There were five other people in sauna with me, all strangers, and afterwards we bid each other goodbye like good friends. The sweet heat and social vibe were outstanding. I’ll be back for another escape into slowness.
Check out Sage Sauna’s website: sagesauna.com and visit them beside Trailhead Beer Market in South Knoxville. Be sure to bring a friend.
