Recorded live at Sauna Days 2025, this episode of Sauna Talk brings together a thoughtful panel of doctors who sauna for a grounded conversation on heat, health, and the real role of sauna in modern life.

Glenn is joined by Dr. Jeremiah Eisenchenk, Dr. Brandon Dotson, Dr. Brittany Kimball, and Dr. Ashley Mason for a lively discussion on what we know, what we don't know, and why sauna continues to matter for both personal well-being and community connection.

This conversation explores:

• cardiovascular health and the most-cited sauna studies
• sleep, mood, depression, stress reduction, and mental health
• sauna and respiratory health
• recovery, inflammation, and everyday wellness
• detox claims, hydration, and where the evidence stands
• the difference between lived sauna experience and overhyped wellness marketing
• why more rigorous sauna research is still needed

What makes this episode special is the balance: medical perspective, personal experience, Finnish-American sauna tradition, and a shared respect for sauna as both practice and place.

Recorded lakeside with the Sauna Days crowd in the room, this is a conversation about more than research. It's about why people keep returning to sauna—for clarity, healing, friendship, and that feeling that some things still can't be improved by screens or speed.

In this special episode of Sauna Talk, I'm joined inside one of the Culture of Bathing Sauna Village saunas in New York City by three fellow authors whose work explores heat bathing culture from very different perspectives. This conversation was recorded on the sauna bench during the 2026 Culture of Bathing Festival in New York City.

Recorded during Culture of Bathing 2.0 gathering on the East River, this conversation brings together authors Yuval Zohar (Towards a Nude Architecture), Emma O'Kelly (Sauna: The Power of Deep Heat and Wild Sauna), Bill Gifford (Hotwired: How Heat Makes Us Stronger), and yours truly Glenn Auerbach (Sauna Build: Start to Finish).

On the bench, as conversation flows and steam rises, our discussion moves across continents and traditions—from Japanese sento bathhouses and onsen towns to the surprising explosion of wild sauna culture along the coasts of Great Britain.

Along the way we explore:

• The global revival of sauna and bathhouse culture
• Why community bathing is making a comeback
• The science behind heat, mood, and the "sauna high"
• Japan's evolving bathing traditions
• The rapid growth of sauna culture in the UK
• The empowering idea that anyone can build their own sauna

At its core, this conversation reflects a shared belief among all four authors: good heat knows no borders.