During Finlandia Foundation National‘s National Sauna Week 2026, Justin Juntunen, Co-Founder of Cedar & Stone Nordic Sauna, shared a message that continues to shape our work:
We are not in the business of building structures.
We are in the business of building resilience.
For the past decade, Cedar & Stone has built saunas across North America, from small private retreats to large public bathing spaces that hold more than one hundred people at a time. But what has become increasingly clear is that great sauna design is not about luxury or novelty. It is about strengthening people.
In this webinar, Justin referenced the work of author and documentarian Mikkel Aaland, whose study of thermic bathing cultures around the world identified a consistent pattern. Across Finnish saunas, Russian banyas, Turkish hammams, Japanese bathhouses, and beyond, the most meaningful bathing traditions supported three essential human needs:
Physical.
Social.
Spiritual.
Using Aaland’s framework, Justin explored how thoughtful sauna design strengthens each of these pillars of resilience.
Watch the full conversation:
Physical Resilience
Sauna is controlled stress.
Heart rate rises. Blood vessels dilate. The nervous system activates. The body works to maintain balance. When the environment is designed properly, this stress is safe and adaptive. It teaches the body to tolerate discomfort and recover efficiently.
But not all saunas create the same experience.
Ventilation, thermal mass, ceiling height, room volume, and bench placement all shape how heat is felt. Poor airflow can leave people feeling anxious, fatigued, or unwell. Thoughtful airflow supports oxygen exchange, steadiness, and calm inside heat.
When physical design is done well, the body learns to stay present under stress rather than flee from it.
That is resilience.
Social Resilience
Sauna has always been more than an individual experience.
Across Minnesota and the Upper Midwest, historic public saunas like the Ely Steam Bath have quietly served communities for over a century. Generations have gathered on those benches. Stories have been shared. Differences have softened.
Sauna functions as social infrastructure.
It is one of the rare spaces where teachers, firefighters, lawyers, students, and neighbors sit side by side. Titles fade. Conversation deepens. Community strengthens.
When public sauna is designed intentionally, it becomes a gathering place that builds connection and belonging.
Spiritual Resilience
The third pillar is quieter but equally essential.
Bathing traditions across the world remind us that sauna is a place of reflection and grounding. It teaches presence. It invites stillness. It challenges the mind to remain calm in discomfort.
Spiritual resilience is the ability to stay steady in uncertainty. Sauna trains that capacity through rhythm: heat, cold, rest, repeat.
It reconnects us to nature. To one another. To ourselves.
The Responsibility of Design
Every material choice. Every bench layout. Every ventilation decision.
These are not minor details. They shape the human experience inside the room.
As builders and operators, we are shaping environments that affect the body, the nervous system, and the community dynamic. Done thoughtfully, sauna becomes a tool for physical adaptation, social connection, and spiritual grounding.
The future of sauna culture will not be accidental. It will be intentional.
The movement to rebuild sauna as meaningful community infrastructure is already underway. We are grateful to be part of it, and even more grateful for those building alongside us.
