It's cold out. The clouds hang low and gray over Pittsburgh. You've been sitting at home, tea in hand, wool socks on, looking out at whatever "wintry mix" Mother Nature is serving up today. Memories come unbidden: of a day at the gym, quads aching; of your running club; of mowing the lawn shirtless; of a hot day sipping drinks out back.
You sigh, take the last lukewarm sip of tea. If only there were somewhere you could go to really sweat. If only there were some kind of specialized establishment where your body could just melt, your muscles relaxing as the heat loosens them. How nice would that be?
Then it occurs to you — the sauna. That ancient Finnish tradition just might do the trick. It's hot, it's sweaty, it's honored by UNESCO — yeah, the sauna, you think.
But where to go? What kind of sauna would scratch the itch you suddenly feel? Are you a traditional, woodfired sauna person, or are you in the mood for a sleek, infrared-powered sweat sesh? You look again out the window as fat, wet snowflakes splatter your car and pick up Pittsburgh City Paper from your coffee table. Surely the local alt-weekly has something about saunas in their Winter Guide…
Warm Timber Saunas
"A hundred years ago, there were many Finns that lived in Monessen and in some of the river towns," John Barbour tells City Paper. These Finns brought saunas with them, but as Pittsburgh changed, most of them either assimilated or moved away, taking thermal culture with them.
"I want to help create a thermal culture in this town," Barbour says.
Barbour is deeply familiar with sauna culture — his trade is building them for homes and business. But he also built one for himself in the form of a mobile sauna trailer. With support from Sharpsburg mayor Brittany Reno, that trailer is now parked on the shores of the Allegheny for use by curious locals.
Barbour has stuck to tradition with his sauna trailer. "It's all cedar on the inside, and it's a wood burning stove that we actually imported from Finland," he says. When not making locals sweat near the kayak launch at James Sharp Landing, Barbour's mobile sauna is available for rent, meaning, if you don't want to leave home, you can have him park it in your driveway.
Though Barbour mostly installs traditional saunas with electric stoves, Warm Timber also sometimes installs infrared saunas for interested customers. “Infrared?” you think. Sounds high-tech…
AURA Sauna Studio
"We are Pittsburgh's only dedicated IR [infrared] sauna studio, offering six private/individual sauna units," AURA co-founder Laura Early tells CP. Located in the Strip District, AURA was founded by a mother and daughter team and centers their sauna experience on a combination of IR and color therapy, which the proprietors say is especially beneficial in winter.
"A few key benefits this time of year are assisting with seasonal depression, better sleep, inflammation, immunity [sic] system and detox," Early says (some smaller studies have corroborated these benefits).
The mechanism for IR saunas is different. Rather than relying on electricity or an actual fire, they warm you up directly with gentle far-infrared radiation, necessitating lower temperatures within the sauna.
AURA's six saunas can be rented starting at $35, and Early says the studio will be offering a Valentine's Day couples special next month. Sweating together, you think. That could be nice…
Sneha Collective
Sneha Yoga & Wellness Collective in Upper Lawrenceville also offers an infrared spa that sits in a private room. The hemlock sauna booth can be adjusted to suit individual preferences, including heat, color, and soundtrack.
But the real perk here is the exhilarating cold-plunge tub. After spending 15 minutes sweating it out, jumping into the frigid bathwater is invigorating, with practitioners claiming benefits for the circulatory and lymphatic systems. Moreover, it's kind of a fun challenge to see how long you can stay in. Which brings you to…
Signal Sauna
Signal Sauna combines the traditional with the exhilarating in their Homewood-based pop-up Nordic spa and cold plunge setup. The sauna seats eight and offers both public sessions and private rentals for teams or corporate groups.
"We’ve transformed a vacant lot into an outdoor urban oasis by offering authentic Nordic sauna in group sessions," Signal founder Ryan Campbell says.
Campbell ventured into saunas after feeling burnt out by his nursing career. He says Signal is differentiated by its community-minded approach, including guided group sessions that center the sauna's more meditative potential through breathwork. Signal also offers sessions just for those who identify as men, women, or LGBTQ to foster a safer environment, as well as a sauna book club for the sweaty literati.
"In February we will be running two book clubs, both featuring the writings of bell hooks — All About Love and The Will To Change," he says. "Regulars at Signal Sauna see it as a healthy alternative to the pub." He says the no-screens environment is perfect for unwinding after a stressful day.
You close CP’s Winter Guide and dig out your bathing suit, water bottle, and bath towel. You know there must be other places to try sauna in Pittsburgh, but you can no longer wait — the only cure for your winter blues is a good shvitz, as soon as possible.
