The Saltwater Sauna

Offering the ultimate retreat from the stresses of modern life, The Saltwater Sauna situated on the picturesque Sandbanks beach in Dorset is the extraordinary wellness project of Finnish-born artist and surfer Arlene Lukkarinen and surfer and cold water immersion enthusiast Sam Glyn-Jones. We caught up with Arlene and Sam to talk about their journey with The Saltwater Sauna, and to find out more about the exciting new wave of sauna culture hitting the UK.

The vision for The Saltwater Sauna was originally born out of Sam Glyn Jones’ community surf and wellness project Resurface, which combines surfing, yoga, social connection and cold water therapy in a peer-support program aimed at improving the wellbeing of the local community. It was Resurface’s ‘Rise and Conquer’ events, entailing a facilitated cold water therapy experience in the sea at dawn, combined with a bonfire, music and hot drinks, that sparked the desire for a sauna.

 “Amazed by their popularity, we ran the cold water morning dips more and more until I got to the point where I was just crying out for a sauna! I think that those adventurous types who enjoy surfing, yoga and cold water immersion also tend to get really into saunas… These experiences are all about getting back to yourself and getting back to nature” - Sam Glyn-Jones

Sam has experienced what he describes as a ‘very British’ journey into cold water immersion and sauna appreciation.

“I used to run down to the beach and get in the sea with my friends, then make a small fire on the beach to warm our toes up afterwards. We didn’t know about the benefits of cold water immersion at the time, we just felt amazing for it, and that feeling is addictive.

I think the Brits love the excitement and novelty of cold water swimming and sauna bathing, and enjoy the camaraderie that comes with introducing new people to the experience.” - Sam Glyn-Jones

Meanwhile, for Arlene, who grew up in Finland, sauna bathing is deeply ingrained, and cold water immersion forms a part of the traditional sauna bathing cycle.

“People often ask if I am a sauna enthusiast, but I had never really considered myself one because it’s just so much a part of the Finnish culture. I guess I have lived the benefits of sauna bathing and felt them in my body my whole life without really thinking about what they are. For me, getting in the cold sea always needs to be accompanied by a hot sauna before and after.

When I was a child we would go swimming in the sea and there was always a sauna to get into before and afterwards. In the UK, people tend to associate saunas with leisure centres and gyms in enclosed spaces, but in Finland, more often than not saunas are in nature, so you’re fully immersed in the elements.” - Arlene Lukkarinen

Passionate about providing people with a superior sauna experience, Arlene and Sam got in touch with Heartwood Saunas after realising that an authentic wood-fired sauna would be the pièce de résistance to complete the experience of cold water immersion.

“Quality is really important to both of us, and Heartwood Saunas really stood out as being top quality. We loved their designs and it was clear they had excellent knowledge of sauna building and what makes a great sauna.” - Arlene Lukkarinen and Sam Glyn-Jones.

The couple were keen to to run a sauna at a minimal cost for Resurface participants as part of a therapeutic program, but they were also excited to bring together people in the wider local community and introduce them to the mood-boosting Nordic culture of contrast therapy; cold water immersion paired with traditional sauna bathing. It was also an ambition to make the sauna a profitable business so that Arlene could leave her part-time marketing job and focus on her art, as well as her passion for sauna.

The vision for The Saltwater Sauna was thus realised, and a hugely successful crowd-funder campaign launched in 2020 to help purchase a Heartwood Sauna for Sandbanks beach, which, thanks to Arlene’s hard work, exceeded its target in just over a month.

“Sea swimming at Sandbanks had increased a lot since the pandemic as people reached out to reconnect with themselves and nature. The interest in The Saltwater Sauna from the local community just blew our minds!” - Arlene Lukkarinen

Once they realised it was possible, Arlene and Sam set about working with Heartwood Saunas’ founder Olly Davey to design the ultimate mobile sauna for Sandbanks beach. At one point, the couple made their whole living room a bespoke sauna!

“We had great fun marking it out with furniture and pillows so we could really visualise what the space would feel like!”- Sam Glyn-Jones.

As Arlene explains:

“We had a list of features that we felt we wanted the sauna to have, for example, a changing area and a little office for me to use to stay sheltered from the weather; and we went back and forth with Olly on the phone and through email designing it together for a couple of months. Olly sent us really helpful 3D illustrations and blueprints so we could clearly imagine the space. When after discussions Olly sent us some images of what the sauna could look like from the outside, we were completely blown away by the design, we just thought, this is it!

Olly then stayed in touch to confirm design details as it was built. We always ensured the design included everything that we needed, and made use of Olly’s expertise and knowledge to make sure it all worked.” - Arlene Lukkarinen

The sauna arrived on an exceptionally hot and busy summer’s day and Arlene and Sam fired it up that very evening to enjoy their first sauna on the beach looking out at the ocean. From the get-go, there was a lot of interest from local people and for the first few months, Arlene and Sam found it always took two people to run the sauna: one to run the sauna, one to answer the constant stream of excited questions from intrigued passers-by! The Saltwater Sauna was an instant success; as well as its use as part of the Resurface program, communal and private bookings took off right away and it seems its popularity is only growing. 

“I think sauna culture is growing massively in the UK; we get a lot of emails from people wanting to invest, or to set up their own sauna and seeking advice. The increasing popularity of cold water swimming in the UK is definitely helping create more and more demand for sauna bathing.

In Finland, saunas are really quiet, peaceful experiences, but in the UK it’s quite variable. The atmosphere can be more lively because saunas are still quite novel here. Sometimes people love to share and talk and there can be a lot of laughter! It’s really wonderful to see how saunas bring people together here as well as providing relaxation, escapism and health benefits.” - Arlene Lukkarinen and Sam Glyn-Jones.

As The Saltwater Sauna is such a success, Arlene and Sam are now looking to expand and exploring options for another Heartwood sauna at some stage. But for both, establishing a work/life balance that prioritises their own wellbeing is essential, and a key part of The Saltwater Sauna’s philosophy.

“It’s definitely been overwhelming at times so it’s an aspiration to find that slowness that we crave and create a better work/life balance. It’s important that when we do expand, we can do it while taking care of our own mental health” - Arlene Lukkarinen.

“It’s important for us to live a lifestyle that truly means we are relaxed and content, enjoying everything that we do and getting to spend quality time with people.”-Sam Glyn-Jones.

You can find out more about The Saltwater Sauna experience on their website, and book a session to experience the bliss of a seaside Heartwood sauna for yourself.