Lights, Camera, Action! The Performance Art of Aufguss

Postcards from the Touchless Edge?, No.? 3 (ca. 6-minute?read), by Alina M Hernandez and Erin Lee?

2024 Aufguss World Championships at Thermen Bussloo, NL??

Heat experiences are a fundamental part of Touchless Wellness, and so we were thrilled to make our way to Thermen Bussloo, in the Netherlands – where we attended the finals weekend for the 2024 World Championships in Aufguss. Teams from 18 countries gathered for a heated experience in the best of sauna culture! ?

It was a sold-out event with hundreds of sauna enthusiasts coming together for four days of excitement that culminated with the finals on 15th September.?

We were delightfully surprised by what we found! Beyond rituals, we discovered Wellness mixing with the performing arts, meaningful storytelling, social commentary, and even “Aufguss fashion” - all rolled into the big Wellness benefit proposition of contrast therapy and Social Wellness. Here’s a look at Aufguss in its most wonderful latest iteration.?

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The Backdrop, the ‘Infusion’ of theatre with age-old ritual??

Aufguss, also known as “Event Sauna” has been historically performed in a Finnish sauna, a tradition that dates back to the 12th century. The term "sauna" comes from Finnish and refers to both the structure itself and the practice of “heat bathing.” The earliest Finnish saunas were simple pits dug into the ground, heated by hot stones, and served the dual purpose of providing warmth during harsh Finnish winters while offering a place for bathing.?

A German word meaning “steam infusion,” Aufguss describes the practice carried out by an “Aufgussmeister” or Sauna Master. According to Wildhut,?“the Aufguss ritual was a simple act of pouring water onto heated stones to refresh the air within the sauna.” This practice was common to the sauna traditions of Finland, Estonia, Germany and the wider Nordic/Baltic regions. Eventually, it has evolved into a complex multi-sensory experience that includes essential oils and methodical towel waving techniques by the sauna master.?

Throughout history, saunas have held deep cultural significance, valued for both physical cleansing spiritual reflection, and rituals. They have been social spaces where families and members of communities gathered to relax, bond, and share important conversations. Despite modern advances, the core essence of the sauna tradition has remained consistent.?

Finnish saunas, known for their high heat and low humidity, are perfectly suited for the Aufguss rituals, enhancing the sensory and communal experience.?

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Off Stage, behind the scenes of Sauna Theatre??

Event saunas are now staging “sauna theatres” for large crowds including 60, 100, 180 and even 300-seater saunas. Their megawatt entertainment designs are created similar to theatre houses with a back-of-the-house that have been engineered with support performance or theatre productions. Behind the engaging performances lies a meticulously crafted environment. Saunas that host large-scale Aufguss sessions, are small performance art pieces, requiring construction and the accompanying infrastructure to withstand the immense heat, steam, and airflow necessary for a comfortable experience.?

Lighting is a key element in enhancing the atmosphere, casting a dynamic glow or spotlight that shifts with the rhythm of the performance, adding to the overall sensory experience.??

The technical design includes precise humidity control, layered seating for varied temperature zones, shaped ceilings to optimise airflow, and custom-designed stoves built to handle large volumes of water. Ventilation systems ensure consistent air quality and heat distribution, while acoustics are finely tuned so that music resonates perfectly throughout the space.??

All fixtures and fittings are specially engineered to withstand the extreme conditions of heat and humidity – and longer sauna session duration times – as long as 20 minutes. This intricate blend of engineering and artistry forms part of the "secret sauce" of Aufguss, transforming a simple sauna session into an unforgettable, multi-sensory performance wellness journey.?

All the world’s a Stage! ?

The Aufguss participants form lines outside the sauna theatre, and all file in with the same energy buildup that you find in things like classical theatre and sporting events. As the Aufgussmeister(s) steps forward, the air becomes charged with anticipation. With fluid grace, they lift the towel high, an extension of their own energy. Then, with a swift flick of the wrist, the towel slices through the aromatic steam, setting a story into motion.??

Each movement is deliberate, with a choreographed gust of warm air artfully integrated into the script and plotline of the story. Scented air dances and swirls in tandem like characters in a story, wrapping the sauna bathers in the evolving narrative. The towel becomes the focal point, taking on characteristics of the story like a finely tuned instrument, each movement mesmerising as it carves through the heated air. Waves of enchantment follow each stroke, embracing every guest in fragrant warmth. In this moment, the sauna feels alive, breathing with the rhythm of the towel, and the energy of the crowd.??

Wellness meets entertainment in the “Experience Economy”?

It has been almost two decades that Gilmore and Pine introduced the idea of the Experience and Transformation economies, but it has taken this long to start to see it make its appearance in Wellness, Aufguss is at the center of this idea as the experience takes center stage in the evolution and execution of the Wellness service delivery.??

The effects of Aufguss go far beyond the physical warmth it provides. Its mental and emotional impacts are just as powerful, as the gentle rhythm of the performance fosters deep relaxation, alleviating stress and encouraging a meditative state. The rise in humidity enhances the body's natural detoxification process, helping to purge impurities through sweat. Aufguss is a comprehensive wellness experience that revitalizes the body, clears the mind, and leaves participants with a deep sense of renewal – all while being entertained and delighted!?

Our big take-aways:??

• Aufguss offers an entry point for those new to the sauna experience - making it easy for everyone to ease into because it provides big entertainment value and health and wellness benefits in abundance.?

• Extraordinary heat adaptation: the length of the sessions are 15 to 20 minutes (also the average evidence-based recommended time to achieve desired benefits from individual sessions). This is followed by many different cold experience options, including the super soft cool of the Snow room – refreshing and revitalizing! With climate change and world temperatures on the rise, this type of an experience can easily train our resistance and better adaptation for heat.?

• Storytelling as a means to educate and provide insight. We saw the lessons in performances that included Hemingway, Dante, the Origin story, and even a historical lesson about rites of passage-with-geopolitical-social commentary of the Cuban missile crisis – wow! Imagine the applications possible for education in Wellness lifestyles. Fun and engaging, the Aufguss teams delivered big on rich content that left us all talking about for days to come!?

• Social Wellness meets the spectator experience on the grand and beneficial scale is a big part of the Aufguss. Think about the extraordinary energy at a stadium during a sporting event, and you get the idea of the big and exciting energy inside the sauna theatre during an Aufguss.?

• A touchless experience that touches the heart. What is missing in terms of physical touch is amply made up for an exhilarating and collective, emotional experience cultivating a sense of connection in this shared space and a lasting feel-good that has take-home value for weeks and months after it’s all over.??

Wrapping up our time at the champs, we gathered at breakfast on the morning of departure, after the previous evening’s finals awards, to drink coffee and compare notes. Sauna expert extraordinaire, Development Manager of Faris Bad and VP of Aufguss WM - Lasse Eriksen sat back at our table after good-bye hugs from one of the Japanese teams, and informed us with his casual Norwegian ease, “...this one here (referring to the sauna theatre at Busloo)?, “that’s a 180-seater, but next year’s, that a 210-seater.”?

The Aufguss-enhanced sauna experience redefines the traditional idea of a quiet, introspective session by turning it into a lively, interactive setting where people come together for entertainment, excitement and a shared wellness journey.??

This shift perfectly caters to contemporary wellness seekers who desire more than simple relaxation—they yearn for an immersive, communal environment experience that engages body, mind and spirit while inspiring, sharing – and most importantly, providing fun.? Isn’t that what wellness, especially the one that touches the emotions of the human heart, is all about??

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Special thank you to TechnoAlpin Indoor for the invitation to attend the finals! It was a “standing ovation” of a weekend!?

Until next time, in “Touchless Synergy,”

Alina & Erin