No doubt you’ve seen more and more mobile saunas popping these days. Today we meet one of the entrepreneurs behind one of the hottest (pun in intended) bathing businesses. Katie Moore is the founder of Sisu Mobile Sauna in Livonia, MI. The idea for Sisu came to Katie in 2023 when she realized she craved community and wanted to find a way to intentionally create something bigger than herself. Katie’s 50% Finnish heritage and interest in wellness lead her to the idea of a sauna that would go to people's homes and to retreats.

We discuss such topics as:

-Why she started a mobile sauna business and the inspiration behind it

-How her Finnish heritage informed her sauna passion

-Sauna culture in Michigan and America

-Sisu Mobile Sauna’s build process - how and why she chose the sauna she did

-The benefits of sauna

Bathing media and brands that Katie is following:

-Finlandia Foundation’s Sauna Week

-Cedar and Stone

-Howl at the Moon Sauna Co.

-Takka Saunas

-Elevated Embers

Connect with Katie and Sisu Mobile Sauna:

Instagram: @sisumobilesauna

Website: www.sisumobilesauna.com

Edited by Lila Woodbridge

Badii offers passionate and curious bathers and spa-goers access to news, education, and recommendations about global bathing culture. We share all this across many platforms, including:

Website:⁠ ⁠⁠www.badii.life⁠⁠⁠

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We’re joined by Sierra Blake, the founder and CEO of Saint Lucie sauna serum. Despite the benefits of sauna, Sierra noticed the practice taking a toll on something unexpected — her hair. After trying many different oils and conditioners (and always forgetting that dang hat), she started figuring out what didn’t work and what did. And thus, sauna serum was born! Sierra is also pursuing her master’s degree in mental health and studying the psychological effects of sauna and cold water immersion.

We discuss such topics as:

- Why she launched Saint Lucie and her vision

- Sauna culture in Minnesota

- Joy and connection in the sauna

- Building community through her serum

- Her metal healthy and psychology research

- Researchers and studies she’s paying attention to on the effects of sauna and cold exposure

- Tips for interpreting studies on sauna and hot and cold exposure

Researchers mentioned in today’s episode:

-Ashley Mason, PhD

-Dr Earric Lee

-Dr Susanna Søberg: @susanna_soeberg

Bathing media that Sierra is following:

-Embrace North

-Superior Sauna and Steam

-Sauna and Sobriety

-Sauna Times

Connect with Sierra and Saint Lucie:

Instagram: @shopsaintlucie

Website: www.shopsaintlucie.com

Music credit: Adobe Podcast

Featured water sounds: Water on the sauna stones in Suffield, Connecticut

Badii offers passionate and curious bathers and spa-goers access to news, education, and recommendations about global bathing culture. We share all this across many platforms, including:

Website:⁠ ⁠⁠www.badii.life⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠Email newsletter⁠⁠⁠

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We welcome back Alonzo Solórzano, Head Aufgussmaster at Bathhouse for Part 2 of our conversation on the European sauna ceremony, Aufguss. Alonzo dives deep into the categories Aufguss (theater, Aufguss, anyone?) and discusses why he considers the practice a ceremony versus ritual. He describes how he designs his Aufguss ceremonies, shares his tips for first time sauna and Aufguss-goers, and discusses importance of Aufguss in America, including here to experience Aufguss in the States

We discuss such topics as:

-Categories of Aufguss

-“Ritual” versus “ceremony”

-Designing an Aufguss ceremony

-Tips for first time sauna and Aufguss-goers

-Aufguss in America, including where to experience Aufguss in the States

Connect with Alonzo:

Instagram: aufgussmaster.alonzo

Substack: aufgussmasteralonzo

Music credit: Adobe Podcast

Featured water sounds: Water on the sauna stones in Suffield, Connecticut

Badii offers passionate and curious bathers and spa-goers access to news, education, and recommendations about global bathing culture. We share all this across many platforms, including:

Website: ⁠⁠www.badii.life⁠⁠

⁠⁠Email newsletter⁠⁠

Instagram ⁠⁠@badii.life

Welcome to Badii Talk Shorts! Short, bite-sized episodes focused on bathing culture education. Today we’re talking Finnish saunas. What exactly makes a sauna a Finnish sauna?

Materials and Sources Listed in this episode, include:

-unesco.org

-https://finlandnaturally.com/about-us/

-Nordic Magic by Meri Mort

-The Book of Nordic Self Care by Elisabeth Carlsson

-Sauna by from Cozy Publishing

Music credit: Adobe Podcast

Featured water sounds: Water on the sauna stones in Suffield, Connecticut

Badii offers passionate and curious bathers and spa-goers access to news, education, and recommendations about global bathing culture. We share all this across many platforms, including:

Website: ⁠⁠www.badii.life⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠@badii.life

We’re joined by Head Aufgussmaster at Bathhouse, Alonzo Solórzano, who delves deep into Aufguss--that wacky European towel waving sauna ceremony we love so much. In Part 1 of this two-part series, Alonzo demystifies Aufguss, goes deep on the craft of towel waving, shares the cultural and historical origins of Aufguss, and tells us how he first got into the Aufguss practice.

We discuss such topics as:

-What is Aufguss?

-The craft of towel waving

-The cultural and historical origins of Aufguss

-American Aufguss culture

-Alonzo’s path to Aufgussmaster at Bathhouse

Connect with Alonzo:

Instagram: aufgussmaster.alonzo

Substack: aufgussmasteralonzo

Music credit: Adobe Podcast

Featured water sounds: Water on the sauna stones in Suffield, Connecticut

Badii offers passionate and curious bathers and spa-goers access to news, education, and recommendations about global bathing culture. We share all this across many platforms, including:

Website: ⁠⁠www.badii.life⁠⁠

⁠⁠Email newsletter⁠⁠

Instagram ⁠⁠@badii.life

To be or not to be naked? With guest and Badii Community member, Alexandra Smedley, we discuss the pros and cons of bathing nude, whether that’s in a sauna or a thermal bath.

We discuss such topics as:

Cultural differences guiding naked bathing practices

Swiss and European bathing culture

Tips for your first naked sauna experience, especially for women

Science behind having a naked bathing experience

Deep dive on our naked sauna experience at Kulttuurisauna in Helsinki, Finland

The magic that is the Sauna Boat on Lake Zurich

Music credit: Adobe Podcast

Featured water sounds: Bells at the River Limmat in Baden, Switzerland

Badii offers passionate and curious bathers and spa-goers access to news, education, and recommendations about global bathing culture. We share all this across many platforms, including:

Website: ⁠www.badii.life⁠

⁠Email newsletter⁠

Instagram ⁠@badii.life

We’re reviewing a wild sauna on Portobello Beach. Edinburgh, Scotland’s seaside. We’re joined by resident of Portobello, Edinburgh, Angie Spoto. Angie is an esteemed author who writes gothic fantasy deeply inspired by the Scottish coastline. Most recently, she’s published The Bone Diver, a novel inspired by the selkies of Scottish folklore.

You’re not just going to hear a review of our sauna experience though. You’ll also learn a bit about the history of bathing in the UK and what makes a sauna a Finnish sauna.

In this episode:

- Badii’s review of Edinburgh, Scotland’s Wild Sauna, Soul Water Sauna

- History of bathing in the UK

- What makes a sauna a Finnish sauna

Our recommendations from the episode:

Soul Water Sauna

The Portobello Bookshop

Tanifiki Coffee Bar

Salt on your Tongue: Women and the Sea by Charlotte Runcie

Site about Finnish history and culture: Finland Naturally

Nordic Magic by Meri Mort

The Book of Nordic Self Care by Elisabeth Carlsson

Sauna by from Cozy Publishing

The Bone Diver by Angie Spoto

Badii offers passionate and curious bathers and spa-goers access to news, education, and recommendations about global bathing culture. We share all this across many platforms, including:

Website: ⁠www.badii.life⁠

⁠Email newsletter⁠

Instagram ⁠@badii.life

We’re sharing our recommended top three best thermal spas in Switzerland. At Badii, we use a set of criteria--our Badii Bathing Framework-- to evaluate our spa experiences. You can be sure that every spa we recommend in today’s episode passes our evaluation with flying colors.

Badii offers passionate and curious bathers and spa-goers access to news, education, and recommendations about global bathing culture. We share all this across many platforms, including:

Website: ⁠www.badii.life⁠

Email newsletter⁠

Instagram ⁠@badii.life