Aufguss

The Sauna Project experience contains a very important sauna ritual called an ‘Aufguss’

An aufguss is a German sauna practice which involves pouring water onto the hot stones in order to create steam. The water is infused with an essential oil which then fills the room with its aroma, creating a multi-sensory experience.

The hot air rises to the top and then the sauna operator helicopters the air down with a towel pushing the hot air from the top down which then creates an even heat around the body. The process lasts for up to 5 minutes and during that time, the temperature of the sauna significantly increases, bringing the sweat on quick.

Then, people usually stay in the sauna for about 15 minutes before cooling off in the ocean. This process is repeated 3 times over the hour with an aufguss being performed every 20 minutes.

Typically we ask for silence during the aufguss, which offers you the opportunity to drop out of the mind and into the body. To feel how the body is feeling and focus on the breath. Once the aufguss is complete, silence is held for a couple of minutes before the chatting can continue.

Different types of aufguss.

There are two main ways of practicing an aufguss. The first way is intended to create a relaxing experience. The aufguss is performed in a manner that promotes inner relaxation and a peaceful space. The second way it can be performed is by creating a show. The sauna master creates an experience using music, steam, and different aromas to take people on a journey over the course of about 15 minutes. In Europe, this can be taken as far as dressing up and telling a story during the aufguss.

Storytelling in the sauna dates back thousands of years and is starting to become a lost art. However, many people and places are beginning to revive the culture and give a modern twist to this ancient tradition. While the story is being told, steam is added to the rocks at particular points in the narrative, creating a dramatic effect. The participant is then taken on a journey by the storyteller. The trick is to make the sauna hot at particular moments of the story but not too hot so that it becomes unbearable. It’s a very difficult task, as there are many factors to consider simultaneously.

Sauna Fest and aufguss

During Sauna Fest, we strive to continue this ancient tradition by giving it our own unique flavor.

Alongside performing the traditional aufguss for relaxation, we have also incorporated storytelling into the festival. Storytelling is foundational to cultural development, and before the invention of print, it was used to remember the past. Aotearoa has its own history and, with that, its own stories to be told. Last year, we had Mataora sharing some pūrākau Māori—Māori stories—in the sauna. By using traditional instruments, Mataora was able to retell some core stories of the Māori culture. Festival-goers were able to move between saunas and have different experiences based on what was happening in a particular sauna at a particular time. We will continue to develop the art at Sauna Fest, and who knows where it will take us!