Sauna has exploded in popularity in the UK over the past five years, with more and more Brits seeking out authentic sauna experiences everywhere from five-star luxury spas to grassroots mobile saunas.

Even more unexpected has been the rise of “aufguss” — the art of using rhythmic towel movements to circulate heat, air and essential oils in the sauna — and today’s guest has been leading the charge.

Deborah Carr is a certified sauna master and the founder of Anada, which provides sauna master training, along with aufguss and other thermotherapy experiences. She’s also the Aufguss Lead for the British Sauna Society and, last year, was part of the first-ever British team to compete at the International Aufguss Championships.

In this episode, Deborah shares her thoughts on the UK sauna surge, what it was like learning aufguss during the pandemic (hint: it involved a lot of Zoom calls and towel waving in her dining room), and where she sees the British sauna movement heading next.

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Mentioned in this episode:

Deborah Carr

Anada

Jake and Max Newport, aka the Sauna Twins

Finnmark Sauna

British Sauna Society

Aufguss WM

Lay Pang Ong

Jade Coloumbe

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