Archives 2025

A new social book club in Hive sauna, overlooking Hathersage Pool

Would you like to combine the relaxing health benefits of a warm sauna with engaging discussion of a shared book? Well now you can.

Share your thoughts in this welcoming community and make new friends.

Can I take a book into the sauna?

No you can’t, the glue melts and the pages of your book may become wet! So instead, your sauna book club will meet for an informal discussion of the book that month in the embracing warmth of our woodfired sauna.

How does the book club work?

The book club meets once a month on a Thursday evening between 6pm and 7pm and runs for 5 months.

You will have access to the sauna and cold plunge between 6pm and 7pm. This will be your time to chat about the book together. You will also have access to the pool to swim before your session – 5pm to 6pm (but not between 6pm and 7pm as there’s a coached session.)

Save the dates and book your seat:

• Thursday 12th Feb – The Snow Child by Enowyn Ivey
• Thursday 12th March – All Over Creation by Ruth Ozeki
• Thursday 9th April – The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa
  
  

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Thursday 12th Feb – The Snow Child by Enowyn Ivey

Derived from the Russian folk tale, it is set in Alaska in the 1920s and follows Jack and Mabel, a childless older couple struggling as homesteaders in the Alaskan wilderness. The sudden emergence of a young girl from the woods changes their lives. View on amazon

Book now

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Thursday 12th March – All Over Creation by Ruth Ozekin

Twenty-five years after running away from her family’s farm in Idaho, Yumi Fuller returns home to care for her ailing parents and to confront her best friend and her conflicted past. She finds a world changed beyond recognition; and with the arrival of a group of young anti-GM activists, she finds herself caught up in a new revolution.

All Over Creation is an exploration of the dichotomies of love and responsibility and a celebration of the capacity for renewal that resides within us all. View on amazon

Book now

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Thursday 9th April – The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa

Each morning, the Professor and the Housekeeper are introduced to one another. The Professor may not remember what he had for breakfast, but his mind is still alive with elegant mathematical equations from the past. He devises clever maths riddles – based on her shoe size or her birthday – and the numbers reveal a poetic world to both the Housekeeper and her son. With each new equation, the three lost souls forge an affection more mysterious than imaginary numbers, and a bond that runs deeper than memory. View on amazon

Book now

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For more info contact fi@hivesauna.com

Locations: Manchester (various) and Hathersage, Sheffield

As Winter approaches and the sauna season kicks into action, Hive Sauna are seeking sauna enthusiasts to join our crew in Manchester and Sheffield. 

Learn:

• how to host the sauna, build roaring fires and create beautiful löyly,
• why sauna and cold water bathing is great for your body and mind,
• what sauna culture means in the UK and across the world,
• why sauna rituals, like whisking and saunagus are changing the way we experience sauna.

We provide:

• a decent living wage for all crew members
• training to become a confident sauna host
• guidance on how to become a sauna practitioner
• team socials to learn from trained bathmasters and practice new techniques.

What happens next

1. Complete our recruitment form and tell us more about you
2. Meet with one of the team for a chat (online)
3. Visit Hive to learn more about us and attend a session
4. Complete training with a member of the team
5. Receive access to the sauna schedule to sign up for shifts

If you’re a newbie to sauna culture and you’re curious to learn more, why not volunteer? You’ll be part of a great community and have the chance to take the leap into a job if you wish. Please get in touch using the same form above.

Contrast bathing (or therapy) involves moving between intense sauna heat and the invigorating cold plunge. This practice, rooted in Scandinavian sauna culture, is a powerful wellness tool. By intentionally shifting your body’s temperature from cold to hot, your body and mind respond in a profound way that will improve your physical and mental well-being.

Here are four benefits of bringing contrast therapy into your wellness routine:

1. Improve blood circulation and detoxification

The core mechanism of contrast therapy is its effect on your circulatory system. The heat from the sauna causes vasodilation – your blood vessels widen, increasing blood flow, which delivers more oxygen and nutrients to your muscles and organs. Conversely, the cold plunge causes vasoconstriction – your blood vessels contract, momentarily slowing blood flow.

When you alternate these extremes, your heart is performing a powerful pump action. This actively flushes metabolic waste, like lactic acid, from your tissues and helps stimulate your lymphatic system, which is crucial for moving toxins out of the body. The result is significantly improved overall circulation, which supports vitality and the body’s natural detoxification process.

2. Reduce muscle soreness and speed up recovery

Top athletes and fitness enthusiasts swear by contrast therapy as it is proven ability to speed up recovery. Intense exercise often leads to delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and inflammation.

The cold phase helps to minimize swelling and inflammation by constricting blood vessels and reducing metabolic activity in the muscle tissue. The subsequent heat phase, with its increased circulation, helps deliver the necessary nutrients for repair. This cycle is highly effective at reducing pain and stiffness, allowing for a quicker return to training and improved performance.

3. Boost your mood and mental resilience

The benefits of contrast therapy aren’t just physical; they are deeply mental. The sudden shift to cold water is a controlled, brief moment of stress. This controlled shock prompts your body to release a potent cocktail of neurochemicals, including norepinephrine and endorphins.

Norepinephrine is linked to heightened focus, vigilance, and mood elevation. Endorphins are the body’s natural mood-boosters and pain relievers. Regular exposure to a hot – cold cycle strengthens your body’s ability to handle stress, leading to greater mental clarity, reduced anxiety, and a feeling of profound well-being and invigoration that lasts long after your session.

4. Improve your cardiovascular health and immunity

Contrast bathing acts as a mini-workout for your heart and blood vessels. The repeated dilation and constriction cycles help improve the elasticity of your arteries, which is a key marker for cardiovascular health. Studies have linked regular heat exposure, such as sauna use, to a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and lower blood pressure.

Heat exposure creates a temporary “flu-like” state, has been shown to enhance the function of certain immune cells. By stimulating circulation and promoting the efficient movement of immune cells throughout the body, contrast bathing helps fortify your immune system, making your body more resilient to illness.

Learn more about sauna and the health benefits

Podcasts

• How Long to Sauna & Cold Plunge for Key Benefits | Dr. Susanna Søberg & Dr. Andrew Huberman
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aYArAYghUA

• “The INSANE Cardiovascular Health Benefits of Sauna Bathing | Dr. Rhonda Patrick
  https://www.foundmyfitness.com/episodes/cardiovascular-sauna-rhonda-medcram

• “Heat, Healing & Hypertrophy: The Science of Saunas | Dr. Stephanie Estima
  https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/heat-healing-hypertrophy-the-science-of-saunas/id1479074542?i=1000650326159

Studies

• Sauna bathing in northern Sweden: results from the MONICA study 2022
  study link
• The multifaceted benefits of passive heat therapies for extending the healthspan: A comprehensive review with a focus on Finnish sauna
  study link

 

The team at Hive Sauna are bathmaster certified, courtesy of the great people at International Bath Academy in Vilnius, Lithuania. We encourage our team to learn about sauna bathing cultures across the globe and bring their knowledge to the sauna bench. When you visit our sessions you can expect a little magic based on the sauna experiences that we’ve had across the globe.

Fi and Os share their stories about what’s involved in Bathmaster training and what you can expect from a Hive Pirtis Ritual.

“After discovering the healing benefits of ice swimming and sauna bathing in Finland and Sweden, I decided to train as a Sauna Master, qualifying in May 2025. I’m trained in Lithuanian Sauna culture, which is centred on plant based therapies and rituals. We use leaf whisks made or birch, oak, or eucalyptus. These whisks are used to circulate the steam ( or löyly) created when water is poured onto the sauna rocks. The result is waves of naturally scented warmth, leaving a sense of calm and relaxation. We also use whisks to tap, slap, and sweep the body to cleanse the skin, relax muscles, and invigorate you by increasing blood circulation, leaving you feeling revitalised and refreshed.
I can’t wait to bring my skills to Hive @Hathersage and I look forward to sharing my love of sauna with everyone. 🔥🔥

Fi, Sauna Host @Hathersage

“Before starting a sauna business I went on a road trip around Europe in search of authentic sauna experiences. It was actually Brighton Beach Box where I had my first pirtis session and was introduced to the Lithuanian style of sauna bathing. The next year I headed over to Vilnius to learn with Birute and Rimas. The training was at a historic windmill site outside of the city. Everywhere was covered in snow and we spent 3 days in a wooden sauna house learning traditional methods of sauna bathing, experiencing whisking lessons with students old and new. experimenting with salts, honeys and other natural products and dipping in icy lakes.
At Hive we’ve embrace this spirit of experimentation with the rituals and ingredients that we bring to the sauna; to elevate your experience and your feeling of wellness.

Os, Sauna Host @Hathersage & @Manchester