A Queenstown company is allowing people to use their traditional Finnish sauna in the traditional European way — in one’s birthday suit.
Wellspace owner Rick Gutzewitz says the facility, based on the banks of the Kawarau River, offers contrast hydrotherapy, which involves a sauna and cold-plunge.
After 15 minutes in the steam-infused sauna, which sits between 80 and 90°C, users either submerge themselves in an ice bath, or take a cold shower.
He notes Kiwis tend to be "quite a prudish bunch", but nuding up in a sauna’s not uncommon.
"When you remove a layer of clothing, you remove a layer of status and a layer of judgement.
"If you’ve ever been for a skinny dip, you understand the sense of liberation and freedom."
Gutzewitz says people don’t have to go naked, and the emphasis is on the overall health benefits of hydrotherapy, which include improving blood flow, decreasing the risk of heart attack, stroke and dementia and massive mental health improvements.
"We started seeing that mental health of Queenstowners declining, and to help improve this we thought we would provide wellbeing services, to empower people to come together and be their selves in whatever way they feel comfortable."
Users typically do three rounds of the hot-cold treatments and can often experience a "natural high".
He says in the heat of the sauna the body releases a hormone that helps cool the body down, and the chemical reaction of the hormone release increases the susceptibility to endorphins, or the "happiness hormone", that lowers stress, eases pain and generally makes people "feel good".
Gutzewitz ensures sessions are above board and facilities are kept hygienic — sauna users have to bring a towel to sit on and cover up with.
