Origin of Saunagus & the Art of the Guided Session

The sauna is one of the oldest living rituals in the world. Archaeological findings suggest that people in what is now Finland built early sauna-like structures as far back as 7000 BC – small earth pits lined with stone, heated by fire.¹

By around 2000 BC, sweat-bath traditions had spread across the northern regions of Europe – from Finland and Estonia to the Baltic lands – as a way to cleanse, heal, and reset through heat.²

Early versions, known as smoke saunas (savu saunas), were dug into the ground, heated with fire, and filled with smoke before being vented.⁴ Over time, these evolved into wooden cabins with stoves, chimneys, and benches – simple spaces designed for warmth, rest, and recovery.⁵

It’s even recognized by UNESCO as an element of intangible cultural heritage – a sacred “church of nature.”⁷ In Scandinavian tradition, the sauna has always been about contrast: heat followed by cold water, tension followed by release.⁸

It was often the first building raised when a family settled on new land.⁹
So when you walk into a sauna, you’re stepping into a lineage of ritual, survival, and transformation that has lasted thousands of years.

Over time, the sauna ritual has taken many forms. In parts of Europe, Aufguss turned into a kind of performance – with lights, music, and choreography. In the North, it’s different. Here, the focus has always been on the essentials: the heat, the cold, the silence – and the person sitting inside it.

There’s a gusmaster facilitating the rhythm – pouring water, circulating steam, introducing scent and music – but they’re not the center of attention. You are. The purpose isn’t to watch. It’s to feel.

To let the heat build, let your mind quiet, and simply be there for it. It’s simple, really.

No flashing lights. No choreography. Just steam, scent, and the steady pulse of breath meeting intense heat. Because in the end, the true ritual isn’t what happens around you – it’s what happens within you.