Ben Fogle on Sauna, Ceremony and Community

In the spring of 2021, we had the privilege of designing and building a bespoke wood-fired sauna for British adventurer and broadcaster, Ben Fogle. Ben was keen to have a traditional sauna that when not in use, appeared incognito, looking like an old structure that had been in the woods for a long time, but with hidden glazing features that would facilitate sauna bathing sessions truly immersed in nature. After working on the project in his woodland garden, we took the chance to talk to Ben about his experience with saunas, and why a sauna is, as he put’s it, his thing.

The Sauna as a Sanctuary

A self-identified ‘Journey Man’, Ben’s work and lifestyle involves travelling the world and learning about and documenting different ways of life. As Ben spends much of his time travelling, often in remote places, in extreme weather conditions or with limited resources, it’s especially important to have a place to come back to where he can relax and recharge, ready for his next adventure.

“I spend a lot of time in quite intense situations with people on expeditions, travelling, it’s quite a fast pace of life - my way of unwinding is to have a bit of me time. I’ve got family, and I love spending time with them, but for me it’s also very important to have a run, to do a bit of exercise, and to sit in the sauna, to reflect, zone out and switch off.

I think a lot of my friends are surprised that a sauna is my thing. But the sauna has always been my place of, not refuge, but my sanctuary, I suppose - it’s a place where I feel better.”

Although, as Ben says, it’s not typically a ‘very British thing’, saunas are deeply ingrained in human history and culture across the globe, and have always been a big part of Ben’s life. Through his work and travels he has been lucky to experience a lot of different saunas, from indoor hot rooms to traditional ceremonial sweat lodges and everything in between. But when it came to having his very own woodland hideout, it was a traditional wood-fired sauna that most appealed.

“I’ve experienced a lot of sweat lodges, which again, can have a really profound impact on you. Personally, while I thought about putting a sweat lodge here, I find them a little bit too dark, a bit too intense, almost too powerful - Sweat lodges (which have been used by indigenous folk around the world for many years) are there to have almost an other-worldly out of body experience, and for me that’s too intense for a Saturday evening when I’ve got an hour to myself - I don’t need to leave my body! ”

The Ceremony of Sauna

Beyond simply stepping inside a sauna, relaxing for a short time, then leaving, as you might in a gym or leisure centre, Ben believes in creating a sense of ceremony around the process of sauna bathing. This ‘ceremony’ is a means of slowing down and really connecting with the elements involved.

“If you go to the sauna at a gym, it’s there, it’s on, you go in, you leave and that’s it. But the wood that I burn has been harvested from the woods around, it’s been picked up off the ground - so in away it feels more organic, and that organicness of burning my own wood, trying to gauge my own ideal temperature - is all part of the experience, it’s ceremonial. I dry the wood, I chop the wood, I then carefully feed the stove […] a bit like travel, it’s the anticipation and the excitement of getting the sauna ready that is part of the journey. I think ceremony is a really important part of life and a lot of people are living such a fast pace of life that they forget about it.”

From preparing the firewood and collecting water for steam, to cycling between sauna bathing, forest bathing and cold water immersion in the plunge pool, Ben explains how the whole process sets a steady pace, each step keeping you present and connected to what you’re experiencing.

“After the sauna, I love getting into the plunge pool, it always takes your breath away - that for me is the key to having a sauna. I like that profound, intense change of temperature, it’s like all those pores that have opened up and all the sweat suddenly just evaporates… it’s all part of a sort of spiritual experience.

As saunas have been a significant part of a number of cultures stretching into ancient history, there is no one ‘correct’ way to experience a sauna ceremonially. In fact, for Ben, it’s less about having a strict procedure, and more about getting into a sauna mindset.

“I find the sauna experience really profound. I don’t know what it is about the heating and the sweating and the turning your mind off, but for me, it’s meditative - I find it really therapeutic.

I don’t really have a routine, but there is the ceremonial aspect of getting the sauna up and running. I know what I need, and I actually deliberately switch the processes around a little bit. It’s about trying to get it to that perfect sweet spot where I can spend 15 - 20 minutes in there - for me that is about 90 degrees roughly. It’s working out how much wood to use, and how much air to vent through the stove to keep it at that temperature, which is actually all part of the ceremony, it’s quite fun!”

A Part of the Environment

As well as the sauna experience creating a personal connection with the natural elements, it’s important to Ben that the sauna structure itself feels connected to its setting, as though it is a part of the surrounding environment.

“What I really wanted was something that looked like it had been here for a while. I didn’t want it to look too new, I didn’t want it to be too jarring. I really wanted it to feel like it was part of the environment. The weathered wood, the decking, the fact that it kind of just sits effortlessly within this little wooded area was exactly what I hoped for, and I think thats what makes me smile the most, and when you close the doors up you wouldn’t even know it was a sauna, it kind of looks like an old shed, but behind that is this thing of beauty. ”

Ben’s sauna sanctuary is sheltered under a canopy of deciduous trees, and nestled amongst ferns, rushes and woodland flowers. The heightened sensory experience that sauna bathing creates certainly makes for a profound experience when enjoying the sights and sounds of the changing woodland garden throughout the year.

“I love that moment of going from the sauna, the heat, the intensity, this almost out of body experience that you can have […] to opening the door and it’s like a giant sigh as you go outside. And obviously the colder the better, but there is something very beautiful about hearing the leaves, the birdsong - it’s almost like you ingest and inhale nature all around.

I personally prefer using the sauna when it’s a little bit colder because I get really hot and I take a long time to cool down. For me, that’s when it really comes into its own; when there’s a frost on the ground, a sprinkling of snow, and you can sit in there and stare at it. What I love about the wooded area is that it’s a constantly changing canvas, so the outlook that I have will constantly change as the leaves come off and the trees become bare and naked again.”

Sharing the Sauna Experience

Although the sauna can certainly provide a place to enjoy some much needed ‘me time’, it also serves as an ideal space to connect with other people away from the distractions of modern technology and general busyness of daily life. Because the sauna is a natural space that encourages presence of mind, it can be a productive space for conversation, sharing ideas and reflecting on the day.

“My wife and I will have our bi-weekly catchup - because when you’re a parent, your time is all focused on the kids and we often don’t have time just to chat, and there’s something very simple and organic and natural about sitting in the sauna and just chatting through the week and the plans - that doesn’t mean you’re not switched off - but your head is in a clear enough space that you can think rationally and just digest what’s been going on, so it’s great for the family.”

Although his children aren’t quite old enough to enjoy the sauna itself when it’s up to temperature, the whole family enjoy using the space, and the children have found delight in the plunge pool in particular. Beyond his immediate family though, Ben is passionate about sharing the benefits of sauna with others, and in opening the experience up to friends and neighbours has created a community of sauna enthusiasts.

“Nothing gives me more happiness than other people coming along and using it - because once it’s hot, it’s hot for a long time, you don’t want to waste that heat. We actually have a sauna Whatsapp group, and people can book in their timings to use it - there’s no wastage here. I think if you’re thinking about a sauna and you’ve got friends and locals nearby that you might be able to engage as a community and actually share it, then it’s definitely something you should go for.”

We quite agree - as well as personal mental and physical health benefits, saunas can improve our social wellbeing too - and the more people that can enjoy traditional outdoor sauna experiences, the better.

Keen to hear more on sauna from Ben Fogle? Check out our mini series.