in the right direction
Winter changes more than the weather. It changes the body. As daylight shortens and temperatures drop, many people experience measurable shifts in mood, sleep, energy, and motivation. According to the American Psychiatric Association, approximately 5% of U.S. adults experience Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a type of depression linked to seasonal light changes.
Somewhere between smoke saunas in Finland and perfectly filtered Instagram reels, sauna changed.
What was once a communal ritual rooted in resilience, winter, and togetherness has, in many corners of the internet, become a performance. Timed rounds. Optimized temperatures. Branded “protocols.” Extreme cold plunges. Detox promises.
So we asked a bigger question:
What does the science actually say?
And perhaps more importantly, what have we misunderstood?
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
We design a small selection of extraordinary custom saunas each year. Submit your vision to secure your place on our consideration list.
