What a pleasure to sit down with Dr. Jari Laukkanen on this early June 2019 afternoon in Jyväskylä , a city and municipality in Finland in the western part of the Finnish Lakeland, some 130 km north-east from Tampere. You may not know his name, but as a fellow sauna enthusiast, I guarantee that you know of his work, especially if you have read about the reported sauna health benefits in the New York Times, Time Magazine, Mayo Clinic Proceedings, NPR, and pretty much every area of broadcast media...
Jun 17, 2019•48 min
Today we learn about the International Sauna Association. Risto has been taking sauna since one month old. He has always been interested in taking good saunas. His wife tells him that he is "married to sauna." He built two saunas in Zambia. Jijijjimjilbang was very popular in Korea, but they are disappearing as a public bathing place. The definition of sauna: "Sauna is a room, wood paneled, where you have a stove and stones, temperature measured at shoulder level, 80-100 degrees (175 – 212 degre...
Jun 08, 2019•1 hr 52 min
I first had the pleasure meeting Jarmo Lehtona, then President of Finnish Sauna Society, about four years ago at Mikkel Aaland's Sweat Summit in San Francisco. Mikkel Aaland's Sauna Talk podcast episode is here. Yet today, i'm overjoyed to share with you my conversation with Jarmo Lehtona, who greeted me at the Helsinki airport upon my arrival to Finland. He was my guide during my first day, whisking me off for a day of sauna. Jarmo's guide work is well tuned. He effortlessly walked me onto Metr...
May 29, 2019•57 min
Daniel has a great media mind. He's a great interviewer and a curious person, who helped unpack Glenn's sauna marathon in Finland. The trip was a balance of planning and spontaneity. A lot of planning through connections made, then emails and correspondences up to departure. Endurance: I got on my sauna game. There is no judgement with sauna. When you are hot you leave, when you are cold, you go back into the hot room. Sauna: whatever works for the individual. What feels right, you do. Every sau...
May 20, 2019•51 min
Jamie and Will were ready to put winter behind us, and head up to the shores of the World's largest freshwater lake. In this episode of Sauna Talk, we hear from the winners of the free weekend package to Larsmont Cottage's Sauna Days! What they won Their very own free weekend package to Sauna Days! $504.00 value. 2- NIGHT FREE LODGING AT LARSMONT COTTAGES LAKESIDE SUITE Room & Tax Charges Included King Bed Gas Fireplace Microwave & Mini Fridge Flatscreen TV Private Bath w/ Whirlpool Tub ...
May 06, 2019•34 min
The Sauna Talk Craft Brewery Series continues. We first interviewed Omar Ansari, founder of Surly Brewing, inside his wood fired sauna, episode here. Today, we head up to Duluth, Minnesota to Sauna Talk with Ben Hugus, co founder of Ursula Brewing. You will hear similarities with these conversations as there is a parallel to the craft brewing industry and sauna. In this episode of Sauna Talk, Ben Hugus, co founder of Ursula Minor Brewing, talks about the camaraderie and collaboration involved wi...
Apr 29, 2019•30 min
Recently, I had the pleasure of sitting on the bench with Omar Ansari, founder of Surly Brewing. You can listen to our Sauna Talk Episode here. Today on the bench, I have the pleasure of visiting with another enterprising icon in the Twin Cities. Today we welcome John Munger, Executive Director, Loppet Foundation. John and Omar have a few similarities Both John and Omar know each other from way back. Surly was an early sponsor of the Loppet Foundation. That relationship is still strong today. Th...
Apr 05, 2019•56 min
I want to introduce you to a close friend of mine. I Got know Steve about 20 years ago. Steve has embraced the authentic sauna experience at my island cabin sauna up north through multiple "boys weekends" at least 20 of them in total. Some of the cabin visits have been in winter but most often in the fall when we close up, and in the spring when we open up. Steve has always been a great help and supporter of that process. Cabin maintenance can be a pain in the neck, but with a guy like Steve it'...
Mar 25, 2019•1 hr 40 min
Today the bench we visit with John Breitinger. John is a Minneapolis resident and commercial real estate developer who has been in this field for a while. Currently, John is doing some major consulting work for a large bank. He has a cabin about two hours north east of Minneapolis Saint Paul, Minnesota. This cabin is a very old-school cabin with a few outbuildings. As you will hear described in this episode, one of the buildings on his property is a garage. Built in the 1930s with a lot of chara...
Mar 17, 2019•1 hr 26 min
I am excited to share with you this interview with both the founders and the builders of the living, breathing, functioning art sauna project called The Solar Egg Sauna. There are two separate interviews within this episode. First, we hear from the artists and creators behind the Solar Egg Sauna. They are a pair of Swedish artists, known as Bigert and Bergström. During the second part of this podcast, we hear from the two builders. They flew to Minneapolis with the sauna from Sweden. As we sat o...
Mar 09, 2019•48 min
Welcome to this episode of Sauna Talk. Today on the bench we are joined by Omar Ansari, founder and owner of Surly Brewing Company. For those not in Minnesota, Surly Brewing, as of 2018, is reported to be the third largest brewery in Minnesota. Producing 93,000 barrels per year. Surly brewing made the list of top 50 brewers in the United States, and will be knocking their way down on that list, I'm sure. The Surly beer hall and garden, located between downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul is a, well...
Feb 23, 2019•42 min
Today on the bench we have Daniel Wilson. We met in Minneapolis Minnesota in a very cool kind of way. My wife and I were at a coffee shop and Dan popped up and said: "are you Glenn from Sauna Times?" I felt a bit humbled in a movie star kind of way, but he was very gracious about introducing himself and we talked about what an influence Sauna Times has had on his efforts towards building his own backyard sauna in Minneapolis Minnesota USA. Dan and his roommate did a lot of research and learned h...
Feb 04, 2019•53 min
We first heard John on Sauna Talk from the bench at my cabin sauna, as we were in Northern Minnesota to celebrate Sauna Day 2016 . Then, we heard from John along with fellow 612 Sauna Society Steering Committee members through a separate Sauna Talk episode here. At that time, we were gathered at JP's apartment to talk through what a member operated sauna co op in Minneapolis can look like and means to each of us. I am happy to welcome John back to Sauna Talk for part 1 of this two part series. S...
Jan 07, 2019•49 min
"When you go out of the heat an into the extreme cool, and back from the extreme cool and into the hot, there is something that happens inside your body that is just so satisfying" – Vladimir von Tsurikov. Sauna Talk is pleased to welcome Vladimir von Tsurikov . Director of The Museum of Russian Art (TMORA) in Minneapolis, MN. Vladimir has brought with him a passion for the advancement of Russian Art and Culture, and a strong record of international collaboration. Over the last ten years he co-o...
Jan 15, 2018•1 hr 3 min
"You bring 100 people together and they are all strangers, but in the sauna, you open up because your body is opening up. And then your mind follows." "Heat and cold are our great teachers." -Wim Hof (The "Iceman) Wim Hof, A Fest, November 2017 I started Saunatimes about 10 years ago, with a vague yet committed intent to share the goodness of authentic sauna with others. I started Sauna Talk podcast a year or so ago. At that time, I created an "intention" to host three specific guests to Sauna T...
Dec 05, 2017•51 min
In this episode of Sauna Talk, we get a behind the scenes view of Wisdom Woods , Spooner Wisconsin from Managing Partner Nate Focht. "Sitting on the sauna bench, everything that comes out of your mind is pure." – Nate Focht, Managing Partner, Wisdom Woods. Ever wondered what a $100,000 sauna looks like? Well, how about we add another zero to that number and double it. That's what we experience while taking a sauna at Wisdom Woods. The hot room is symmetric and generously sized 12'x12.' Thankfull...
Nov 16, 2017•34 min
"If you haven't experienced the sauna, you have to do it, because it is a wonderful cleansing, spiritual way of life." -Paster Dave Pearson We hadn't yet tossed water on the sauna rocks, when I asked him the question: "So, doing the math, as a Lutheran paster for over 40 years, that's about 2,000 sermons." "that's about right." "Have you ever mentioned sauna in one of your sermons?" "Well, I'm sure I have mentioned sauna in a few of my sermons. But I will say this: I have composed many of my ser...
Jul 30, 2017•47 min
Imaging checking out from your day job to hit the road with a mobile sauna. Imagine being able to: Share the appreciation of sauna with others. Take a sauna when you want to. See the country. This is the journey native Finn's Risto Sivula and Jouko Sipala will be undertaking soon to help celebrate the centennial year of Finland's independence. Risto and Jouko are well suited for this duty, and we get to hear why in this episode of Sauna Talk. Jouko (left) and Risto chilling out between rounds du...
Dec 04, 2016•1 hr 11 min
Have you ever sat on the sauna bench with someone who has created a product that hundreds of millions of people have experienced? During this episode of Sauna Talk, you will be able to get into the head and mind of serial entrepreneur Scott Olson. Thanks to extended sauna rounds on the bench, we will get deep into Scott's mindset at the time when inline skating was just an idea. We will learn about what it took to turn a vision into a prototype, then into trial, and finally into a product that y...
Nov 25, 2016•2 hr 4 min
Dan Baruch has spent most his life researching and developing methods for health, vitality and performance. After working with people in-person for over 10 years in nutrition, training, bodywork and other disciplines, he began work on a holistic program for absolute beginners to advanced athletics. This work now exists through www.baruchealth.com an Online Education platform. BARUCHealth is a growing organization changing the way people think about health. BARUCHEALTH provides health based educa...
Nov 12, 2016•1 hr 52 min
As Saunatimes expands into the realm of public sweat bathing, there is no better place to start the journey than in Chicago at Chicago Sweatlodge. This is a well thought out facility offering an authentic banya experience via two hot rooms: the wet sauna and the dry sauna. The stoves are top notch. 5,000 pounds of rocks in each. Matter of fact, in summer, Chicago Sweatlodge switches out the rocks once a year. It takes four days for the rocks to cool down, and even then gloves are needed to take ...
Oct 26, 2016•1 hr
In this episode of Sauna Talk, we get to hear why six of the 612 Sauna Society Steering Committee members believe in the sauna experience so deeply. In Minneapolis, MN, there is a 2,000 member strong sauna community, called the 612 Sauna Society. For the past couple years, folks have signed up and gathered for sauna sessions in a mobile sauna. The mobile sauna was hauled around to "residencies." While the sauna was parked in public places like brew pub parking lots, frozen urban lakeside shoreli...
Sep 22, 2016•58 min
Terry is a career handyman and caretaker. His territory is the islands of Lake Vermilion, Tower, Minnesota. Terry was brought to Pine Island in diapers. He endured small stretches of time away from Lake Vermilion, with his family living in Hawaii for a few years and a career with the Duluth News Tribune in Duluth. Yet, primarily, Terry has spent his life on the lake. He has been an invaluable help to many dozens of Lake Vermilion cabin owners. His skills as a handyman and builder are infinite. H...
Sep 03, 2016•30 min
Jeff Hill has lived a few lives: A realtor and property developer for 30 years, mailman for 20 years, 20 years with the Tower fire department, and his latest venture is undertaking a Tiny House Village, USA concept for the Northland. Jeff is well familiar with sauna culture. Never lock your sauna, experience jumping through a hole in the ice, and try his low blood pressure cocktail for tossing onto sauna rocks. I picked up Jeff at the mainland public access, and took him by boat to our island ca...
Aug 30, 2016•1 hr
It was a warm day in Northern Minnesota. I hopped into my fishing boat and headed about 5 miles across Lake Vermilion into the river inlet to Tower, Minnesota. Daryl Lamppa picked me up at the dock, and we drove in his pick up truck to his corporate headquarters, a few blocks off Main Street, Tower, Minnesota. Daryl was pretty animated this day. He was excited to Sauna Talk and shoot the breeze about a day in the life of running a business that has had his family name on the front his entire lif...
Aug 19, 2016•1 hr 24 min
Maob, Utah. The mobile sauna has received official dispensation, and has been trailered up to the summit shelf. The Canyonlands National Park District Director is sitting on the sauna bench to our left. His hat and uniform hang on a hook in the changing room, where a candle glows softly on the window sill. The candlelight sheds enough glow for us to see a big smile on his face. "I'm so glad you guys convinced me to do this!." You are sitting with us for a pre sunrise sauna and the director is te...
Aug 14, 2016•48 min
What's your favorite sweat bath? "The one I just took, and the one i'm going to take next." Into sweat bathing and all the variations underneath. Defining what a sweat bath is: Some kind of a chamber where the air is heated, purpose to induce sweat for bathing. A Finnish style sauna as part of the neighborhood swimming complex at a public space in San Francisco. North Beach Pool. It helps create neighborhood and community. Interacting in a positive, life affirming way. Getting the (neighborhood)...
Jul 16, 2016•1 hr
Four of us spent a rainy early June afternoon enjoying a sauna session at my cabin. We road tripped together to experience National Sauna Day in Embarrass, MN. What better way to get right into nature, and all get on the same page than a great sauna session? We start on the bench with Garrett Conover. 1,200 miles from Maine to Northern Minnesota. Cotton grass and tamarack sets my heart aflutter. Sauna and nature. Joined by John Pederson and Lee Sarkela. Us 4 characters as long tail sauna enthusi...
Jun 13, 2016•1 hr 38 min
It was a cold Minnesota winter's evening when we gathered in my backyard sauna. We get started talking about the cold, sort out our beers for the night, talk about making nICE mugs, and Minnesota Wild apparel. Please stay with us as we settle onto the sauna bench. Though he grew up with sauna, Scott landed in Finland on his 20th birthday, and gets seasoned to sauna in the 'ole country. As commercial Sales Manager Tylo/Helo, Cokato MN.Scott has seen his fair share of sauna: "If you don't have a g...
Jun 07, 2016•1 hr 36 min
Music for the heat: Danny Sigelman reporting COULD BE SAID MID TEMPO IS THE WAY TO GO WHEN IT COMES TO A SAUNA. Every genre has some slow jams. even the most aggressive music, be it The Clash, Hold Steady or Fela Kuti can turn their angst or knack for protest into a groove that goes well with clearing the mind. In the end, a center is met when the two are mixed, just like a hot and cold rinse. With The Clash it's easy to find a more traditional approach to groove, be it a reggae infused rave up;...
Apr 20, 2016•1 hr 4 min
