Turning up the heat for sauna culture in Derbyshire: Peak Saunas marks official opening with unmissable taster day of sauna experiences

Peak Saunas’ founders - Emma Smail and Luke Williams - aim to bring the benefits of sauna bathing and cold plunge to their local community and help grow sauna culture in Derbyshire and the Midlands.

To mark the official opening of Peak Saunas, three pioneering Derbyshire based sauna practitioners will collaborate to offer a taster day of 1 hour sauna experiences between 2pm and 10pm to introduce people to the benefits of sauna culture.

Attendees to the launch event can pay just £12 to try two different saunas - Peak Saunas’ barrel sauna and Saunahood’s sauna tent - a variety of cold plunge options and relax around a communal space with a fire pit whilst enjoying stunning views of the Peak District. Those who want to take the healing and restorative powers of sauna to the next level can try additional sauna rituals and treatments on offer at a discounted rate of £25.

• Sauna Master Kate Rawson from Saunahood: We Are The Elements is bringing a 10 person sauna tent to the event and offering a traditional Lithuanian Pirtis ritual that combines steam bathing, homemade body scrubs, and gentle leaf whisking to promote well-being.

• Sauna Master Hannah Goodger is a rising star in the UK sauna scene who has already competed at the UK Aufguss Championships. Hannah is offering an aromatherapy based sauna ritual designed to calm and rejuvenate, which will also include some breathwork.

“Whether totally new to sauna or a sauna regular, come along and have a go! This event is a chance to try out whichever sauna experience intrigues you most and enjoy stunning views of the Peak District. There’s no-where else in the Midlands you’d get to try all these experiences in the same place, in one day”, said Peak Saunas’ co-founder, Emma Smail.

Sauna bathing has a rich history in other parts of Europe such as Finland and Lithuania, where sauna ritual is more common. As the UK sauna scene evolves it is taking elements from sauna culture across the world to develop its own unique identity. There’s a growing body of evidence that demonstrates both the physical and mental health benefits of sauna and cold plunge, also known as contrast therapy. They include reducing stress and anxiety, improving cardiovascular health, improving sleep quality and reducing inflammation. [1]

Peak Saunas will operate a community sauna model to offer an affordable and accessible community space to remove barriers to access for the benefits of sauna bathing. Over time the team plan to develop their offering to include other activities that support wellbeing such as yoga, meditation and breathwork, offer different sauna rituals, and to work with local charities and community groups to introduce people who might otherwise be excluded to the health and social benefits of sauna bathing.

Peak Saunas’ co-founder, Emma Smail, said: “Sauna brings different benefits to different people, and that’s what I love about it. The physical and mental health benefits are now widely known, but it also acts as an important social space for people to connect in new ways. I think we need more of that in our busy lives.”

Tickets for the event are limited! Go to www.peaksaunas.co.uk to book your space and choose from three ticket types available.

1. Regular sauna and cold plunge seat - guests can move between the 2 saunas - £12
2. Lithuanian Pirtis sauna ritual with Kate from Saunahood - £25
3. Aromatherapy based sauna ritual with Hannah Goodger - £25

All sauna slots & rituals are for 1 hour, and guests can stay and enjoy the social space for as long as they like after their session.

[1] Summary of evidence on health benefits: https://www.forbes.com/health/wellness/sauna-benefits