LONDON (AP) — It may be winter and there may be a biting chill in the air, but the dozen men and women who have packed this small sauna room in east London are happily sweating away in their swimwear. It’s more than 90 degrees Celcius (194 Fahrenheit) in here — and it’s about to get even hotter. As ice blocks infused with lavender oil melt over sizzling hot stones, releasing fragrant steam, “sauna master” Oliver Beryl turns on some ambient music and starts to vigorously wave a towel in a circular motion above his head to spread overpowering waves of dry heat around the room.
“Now try finding someone and sit back to back with them,” Beryl suggests. “Or, if you want, maintain eye contact with the person sitting next to you.” A brief hesitation, but most gamely oblige for a few minutes.
Sauna-bathing has taken London and the rest of the U.K. by storm, particularly among trendy 20- and 30-somethings interested in trying a new pastime that’s healthier than nights out in pubs and bars.
Sweating it out in communal spaces for relaxation, physical or mental therapy and socializing has long been a staple of many cultures around the world, from Scandinavia’s saunas and Native American sweat lodges to Japan’s onsens and Turkish baths. But the most popular saunas now are those that emphasize community and “connectedness,” or offer something novel alongside sitting in a heated box. Think sauna club nights featuring DJs, saunas combined with a poetry workshop, .
