The aufguss master enters the sauna arena, filled to the last seat with an audience eager for another gripping storytelling ritual. Waves of heat and aromas of citrus fruits and herbs waft over the audience as the performer skilfully waves and whips his towel across the steaming stones.

“And don’t forget to cool down afterwards,” called Robert Heinevetter, world champion aufguss trainer, as he brought the Grand Aufguss Masters 2022 event to a close.

Contrast bathing effect
In recent years, there’s been a rise in demand for large, communal event saunas – known as sauna aufguss – that seat 40+ people. However, to get the most out of any sauna session it’s essential to follow the heat with a burst of cold to create the contrast bathing effect, ensuring the body receives the full physiological benefits.

This can reduce inflammation, relieve muscle soreness, stimulate circulation, support mental wellbeing and contribute to fat-burning and improved sleep.

The ritual of combining social sauna and cold therapy is fast becoming a hot trend, according to the Global Wellness Institute, with converts gathering to share the experience at a growing number of well-attended events.

One such example – Grand Aufguss Masters – was recently organised by Heinevetter in Satama Sauna Park near Berlin. Sponsoring the event this year was Italian snowroom specialist TechnoAlpin Indoor, a company passionate about championing cold therapy and its numerous health benefits.

To ensure guests complemented their sauna performances appropriately, TechnoAlpin Indoor supplied one of its signature snowrooms filled with real powder snow and refreshing cold air.

This meant aufguss masters could hand out portions of snow to the audience to help cool them down during performances. Plus, visitors and performers alike could chill out after the heat of the sauna with a revitalising visit to the TechnoAlpin Indoor Snowroom.

“We had a great variety of aufguss masters competing from 10 different nations, all with different techniques and strengths,” said Heinevetter, “but the TechnoAlpin SnowRoom made our event extra special. It was always well attended and everyone was delighted by this special sensorial experience. It was a gentle yet memorable and effective method of cooling down.

“The TechnoAlpin SnowRoom offers something completely different from traditional cold therapy modalities. Instead, the room filled with fresh snow right after the aufguss provides a special and unforgettable method to complete the contrast bathing cycle,” he added.

More: www.indoor.technoalpin.com