Hi all,Hope you don’t mind my posting here - the society suggested it might be helpful. I’m writing a newspaper article for this weekend on naked sauna-ing in Britain and would love to chat to anyone who does so in public saunas (can be anonymised if needs be) or any sauna owners who run sessions/have had people ask but can’t accommodate etc.
Thank you!
Claire
Hi Claire,
I know Beach Box does offers clothing optional sessions with Mika - I would recommend reaching out to them RETREATS & EVENTS | Beach Box
Thanks Anna! Much appreciated
Still keen to speak to anyone who attends ‘clothing optional’ sessions!
1 Like
Welcome to the forum, Claire!
Do you mean public saunas in the UK or anywhere?
I go to sauna naked where possible, but there are very few public saunas in the UK that allow nudity. Right now, there aren’t any in my area so I only do it abroad.
I know that Sweheat Sauna runs regular clothing-optional sessions. The Saunaverse festival had a clothing-optional area in the past.
@amberwave started running clothing-optional Aufguss sessions in Scotland.
I go to public (clothed) sauna sessions a lot and this topic comes up very frequently. Pretty much every time I hear someone say: “We Brits are too prudish/shy to do it” quickly followed by: “But I’d give it a go”.
Some have already tried it abroad.
So I think we’re ready. People are keen to try it and I think they would embrace it. There’s a reason this is the common way to sauna in so many countries.
Unfortunately, there aren’t many places to give it a go. Most mobile saunas are in open public spaces. There’s not enough privacy.
Even if some patrons wouldn’t mind being naked in public, they wouldn’t want to cause a scene. It could cause problems for the sauna operators too.
Besides, it’s not enough to just allow nudity. It’s part of the sauna culture that needs to be introduced carefully and safely. We need sauna hosts who understand it and are willing to champion it.
We have a growing number of saunas in more private settings, e.g. city-based bath houses, so I hope this will pave the way for more nude-friendly sauna sessions in the UK. However, for that to happen, we need sauna owners who are willing to try it.
On the other hand, I suppose one might also ask: do Brits ever need to embrace clothing-optional / textile-free / nude sauna?
I hope they will, but there are countries with strong sauna cultures that prefer to use swimwear.
Do you mind sharing the name of the paper?
I may be able to direct some sauna operators your way.
1 Like
Hi Claire,
I’m originally from Germany (where sauna is always textile-free) but have been living in Scotland for the past 20 years.
I was positively surprised when one of the saunas I deliver Aufguss sessions for asked if I would host a textile-free session, as guests had been specifically requesting it. It turned out to be a great session – very respectful and relaxed, just as I know it from Germany.
Over the years, I’ve taken quite a few friends over to Germany to experience it. Most are quite nervous or unsure at first, but ever time they end up really enjoying it – often saying things like “I don’t know how I’ll ever go back to sauna in the UK”.
I recently put together a short educational post on textile-free sauna culture here: https://www.instagram.com/p/DTs3SbdgiZx/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
I’ll be opening my own sauna next month and am hoping to run some textile-free sessions there too (still to be confirmed with the landowner).
Happy to have a chat if useful.
Best wishes, Doro
1 Like
I am and have a few (British) friends who do too, happy to chat, and put you in touch with others.
Sure, will do just now
So appreciated! Thanks
Hi Claire,
First of all thank you for asking us this question as everyone has an opinion but when you ask how much sauna have they done in their life you realise the experience is not there or that they have only experienced saunas in UK.
I think British people need to be educated not only by going abroad and experiencing other cultures (Germans/Dutch/Scandinavians, also Japanese) but also by starting from a young age (if you have seen your mum/grandmother /aunty etc naked in a sauna) you will normalise it and not feel at all pudic or think at all that going naked in the sauna has a sexual connotation.
The education part is so important and the more we explain to people (I do it all the time while in saunas in UK) the reason behind textile free option (leeching plastic on your skin at that high temperature is not good for you). I feel that if you are comfortable with discussing it as you experienced it somewhere else around the world it gives people perspective of where me might get to if we have an open mind. On a separate note, I also see more and more people taking their entire life inside the sauna (from plastic flip flops, to water bottle, phones, watches and even headset)…
I also have to say that other nations like Italians or Romanians I don’t believe that will ever embrace it as it stems from religion IMHO.
Kind regards, Irina
Hi Claire
Wild spa wo wo in Sussex do the following:
Naturist Sauna • 2nd Sunday of every month 2-4pm • 2 hours • £30
Good luck with your research !