The bathhouse is a social event, and a sacred shrine.
Whether it’s a Finish sauna, Russian banya, Turkish hammam, Native American temazcal or geothermal hot spring, unwinding in the steam-shrouded natural elements of water, fire, wood and stone, has been central to most cultures for centuries, as a meeting place for communal healing.
Historically, sweat bathing has been as common to people as the making of bread and the squeezing of the grape, enjoyed socially while enlivening both the body and spirit.
The grand architecture of original Roman thermaes with their pillars, arcs and arches shows how highly the early bathhouses were regarded as religious places. And like the church (or coffee shop or local pub), the bathhouse was always a place to come together.
Bathhouse serves as a place for both inner reflection and community - a place where facades are stripped and egos are checked at the door - where purging through sweat provides a rebirth. In our secular, wellness-driven times, bathhouse is the missing magic - potentially the best version of a modern church.