Fire and Ice: Tracing the Traditions of the Sauna

Age-old and universally enjoyed, the perpetuation of the sauna as a bathing tradition reveals an ancient human infatuation with heat and health. In her new book, Thermal, Lindsey Bro visits more than 50 around the world

15 December, 2022

Words by: Lucy Kehoe

Strip,
sit, sweat. The sizzle of water poured over hot stones.
The persistent press of heat on your skin. Mercury gliding upwards;
sand trickling down the hourglass. And then, sweet relief: a
bracing shower, a bucket of icy water, or a dip and dive into
fresh, untouched snow.

The rituals of saunas are ancient and world-spanning. The
Finns might have a monopoly on the word, but from Japanese onsens
to Turkish hammams, and Russian banyas to Mexican temazcals,
formalised bathing cultures exist in many communities and across
most continents. No sooner had our ancestors mastered fire, then
they were finding ways to capture its warmth and immerse themselves
in it. Be it to cleanse, to heal or – increasingly today – to
relax, the basics of this ritualised style of bathing are the same.
Heat yourself up and then cool yourself down, and, somewhere in
between, you might find yourself transformed. As author Lindsey Bro
puts it in her new book, Thermal, “To sweat is common, to sauna is
sacred”.

“I have always been fascinated by the forces that connect us,”
says Bro. “Why, throughout time and space, are we so drawn to warm
places? Why is it so universally human?”

Visiting over 50 saunas, hot springs and spiritually special
bathing places around the world for the project, the author, who is
also behind Instagram account @cabinlove, sought to celebrate the common connection
between various styles of sauna across the globe, exploring why
these ancient practices continue to resonate in modern life. A
collaboration between Bro and photographers from around the world,
Thermal captures the diverse beauty of the practice, encompassing
snow-capped Swedish huts beside Turkish hammams.

“We seek out bathing rituals because they feel good,” she says.
“They foster a sense of connection and meaning. We’re different
people from when we step into a sauna, a spring or a bath, and when
we step out. Whether it’s spiritually, emotionally, physically or
symbolically, these spaces are where life happens. They’re where we
are tested in the fires, where we leave stories behind, and where
we create anew.”

Read more stories about rituals in our latest issue.