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Founder of Wild Spa Wowo in Uckfield, East Sussex, Katie Bracher confides that her attitude to saunas started the same way as many of us here in the UK. "I just thought they were these really hot, uncomfortable, dry, airless boxes found at the back of gyms that I didn't want to be in," she shares. "I'd go in and try it for the sake of my health, but I didn't enjoy it at all." However, when Katie went to a festival and found a pop-up, wood-fired sauna experience in a yurt her perception began to change. "I had this lush experience, and it was an awakening – sauna is amazing, why are we not doing more of it?" When she returned home to seek out something similar, her quest failed but she became committed to the cause.
In 2012, during the wealth of cultural programming available around the Olympics, she discovered a pop-up sauna spa in her local town centre. She quickly got involved and found people from all over the world were turning up, from Finland and Estonia to Canada, bringing their knowledge, cultures and new ways of saunaing. "I got really inspired by the people I was meeting and by the project itself," she says.
After a spell working at the South Bank Centre in London, which had a rooftop sauna overlooking the Thames, Katie moved to Brighton and found herself inspired to make the most of the location by putting a sauna on the beach. She set up her own pop-up experience with a horse box sauna, which was so well received it resulted in the launch of her own business: Beach Box Brighton.
There's been a surge in sauna popularity since 2021 and Beach Box was the first of the pop-up saunas to be found on beaches, there's now around 200 all around the UK, often surrounded by nature, that anyone can access. They're generally wood fired and offer access to a source of fresh water to cool down afterwards, which is an essential part of the experience. Being wood fired means you can throw water on the stones to create that humid environment that characterises a quality sauna; quite the departure from a stuffy box in a gym!
As well as being an advocate for saunas, Katie has also delved into sauna culture and the ritual practices that surround it having brought over a sauna master from Europe and travelling the continent learning about various practices. For her, it's not just about making the saunas, it's about gaining a greater understanding of how to use them well. "There's a lot you can do in really traditional sauna practice," Katie explains. "Looking at areas such as Finland, Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia, they have the bridal bath tradition, an important part of wedding preparations. All the women will gather to bathe and conduct a special bathing ritual for the bride-to-be. Flowers might be spread on the sauna bench, or the bride might be covered in honey for example. It's all about spending time with one another."
By this point in our conversation, even before I'd experienced Wild Spa Wowo for myself, I was hooked on the idea of saunas! So, I was keen to know what was next for Katie. "Setting up Beach Box and this place took a huge amount of energy and I'm just enjoying the space," Katie tells us. "Actually, I do dream of setting up a more permanent site with more indoor space as this is more of a summer location." While the Spa does stay open for part of the winter, hours are limited to the weekends, but I should imagine it's quite invigorating.
While Katie is enjoying life right now, I got the impression she doesn't rest on her laurels! "The next thing I'm developing now is offering sauna training. I'm running Sauna Master 101 days where people come to learn all about sauna rituals and have a taste of them. I've also got an online sauna course."
HEALTH BENEFITS
If you're wondering why sauna is fast becoming so popular, there are a number of key health benefits you can see with regular practice.·
Cardio vascular workout
The body reacts to the heat of the sauna and gets the cardiovascular system working. Indeed, Finnish cardiologist, Dr Laukkanen conducted some research into the effects of regular sauna practice in men and discovered that saunaing four times a week could reduce risk of heart disease by 50 per cent.
Reducing inflammation
Due to the hot and cold nature of the sauna experience, when practiced properly, the contrast therapy is great for reducing inflammation in the body.
Mental health
Sauna practice encourages both light endorphin and dopamine release, which promotes better sleep. What's more, the quiet environment offers the perfect opportunity to switch off some of the thinking brain. When you're dealing with such intense heat and cold, there isn't so much room to overthink, allowing you to be completely in the moment.
Social
Although not necessarily a health benefit, the lesser-known social nature of sauna practice can also bring benefits to your general wellbeing. It's a great place to connect with people for a chat and is certainly healthier than doing the same in the pub!
Me time
Conversely, saunas are also a great place to grab some much-needed me time. Offering the ideal opportunity for a digital detox, there's time and space to reflect on what your body is telling you. Time to check in with you.
LET'S SAUNA!
It was time to give it a try for myself. Wild Spa Wowo is an al fresco spa experience, offering the opportunity to get back to nature. The private and intimate setting features three different saunas. What turned out to be my favourite, as I kept returning to it, was the clay sauna, also known as the quiet sauna. The smallest of the three, it was the hottest and oh-so peaceful. The clay walls help to maintain a consistent humidity level to create a comfortable atmosphere.
The greenhouse sauna on the other hand offers a steamy, higher level of humidity. It's much larger, so there's plenty of space to gather to chat and experiment with rituals, circulating the steam.
The Nordic-style sauna too has plenty of space to gather and makes for a comfortable environment. Indeed, I found myself quite happy to stay in the saunas here for a lot longer than I generally am at spas. Usually, I'm counting down the seconds!
As I'm definitely more of a cold morsel than a hot one, I welcomed the cooldown practice encouraged directly following sauna time. The Spa offers a wonderful plunge pool for this as well as a cold shower. It really was quite mediative as I relaxed in the plunge pool looking up at the tree canopy, all worries banished from my mind. The whole process left me feeling invigorated.
I found a spot in an armchair beneath the trees and the lovely Jordan brought over my treatment platter. I'd already been given my hair oil when I arrived, as it's recommended for use before the saunas to protect hair from the heat. As I sat, enjoying the sound of the breeze stirring in the trees, I had great fun creating pretty patterns on my face with the various clay masks, and enjoyed the quiet time with my book, while the clay worked its magic on my skin.
A couple of sauna sessions later, I enjoyed using the salt scrub with aloe vera in the greenhouse spa, an experience that Jordan recommended to me. It was a treatment the dry skin on my heels and shins had been crying out for.
Water and peppermint tea is always on tap, and you even have the opportunity to experiment with your own fresh creations thanks to the herbal garden grown for just this purpose.
As lovely a setting as I found this to be on a warm summer's evening, I could also imagine it being equally as delightful during the winter, thanks to the firepits and surrounding seating. There's also a spacious covered deck area where group yoga and reiki sessions regularly take place.
As Jordan handed me a slice of refreshing orange, I was sad that my time here passed far too quickly. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Wild Spa Wowo to anyone in need of some me time, whether that be together as a couple, with a group of like-minded friends, or simply alone as I did.
FIND OUT MORE
Wild Spa Wowo is open for public sessions from April to October on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, and November to March on Saturdays and Sundays. Sessions are three hours and are priced at £25 off peak and £35 during peak hours. Private hire options for up to 25 guests start at £350. Head over to wildspawowo.co.uk to book, where you can also find details of yoga, reiki and massage sessions; or for private hire and enquiries email hello@wildspawowo.co.uk
