VIDEO! Why do international Aufguss sauna masters do what they do?

Elamus SPA sauna masters Johanna Jakobson and Karl-Peeter Kangur travelled to Germany in September to present Estonia at the Aufguss sauna masters’ world championship. Aufguss is a style of sauna ritual that originated in Germany, in which towels are used to move the air flow.

Today an Aufguss association has also been created, uniting the world’s best sauna centres. It currently has 17 different countries – for example Japan, Canada, Italy, Norway and many others. From Estonia, Elamus SPA is the only member of the Aufguss association. Elamus Spa is a new member of the Aufguss organisation, and as a result the sauna masters had the honour of presenting Estonia as a country with a strong sauna tradition, though not yet of competing officially. They will go to measure themselves against the world’s sauna masters in autumn 2024 in the Netherlands.

Photos: Ryszard Rak

Sauna masters from different countries talked about why they do Aufguss and what they themselves get from it

Aufguss is therapy – for the body, the mind and the soul

“I always come back to the main reason why I do this. It makes me happy when I see that other people are happy. I like challenges in the sauna. If I can change the energy, then I can change something in the world,” said Aufguss WM vice-president Lasse Eriksen.

I like challenges in the sauna. If I can change the energy, then I can change something in the world.

“When you see that something works for you yourself, it is natural that you want to share it with other people too. Aufguss is like a treatment – the way it can heal your body and mind,” said sauna master Henrik Baunkjær, who took third place in solo Aufguss in 2023 and third place in team Aufguss in 2017.

“Aufguss is therapy – for the body, the mind and the soul,” found sauna master Andrei Robert Serban.

“Aufguss is about creating a life-changing experience. I like the fact that it can change someone’s life within 15 minutes. I am a therapist myself, but therapy cannot change a person in 15 minutes the way the sauna can,” said sauna master Anders Hage, who took third place in team Aufguss in 2017.

Aufguss is about creating a life-changing experience. I like the fact that it can change someone’s life within 15 minutes.

Aufguss gives strength. Life force

“In Aufguss you can do many rituals, but it is a connection between people. Finding that shared vibration so that we can find a connection with one another. Sharing a moment that takes place here and now,” noted sauna master Jerome Richter.

“You think you are touching only one person, but you are touching their family, their work. You offer people relaxation, social contact, you have a positive effect on their health and make people happier,” said wellness director Cosmin-Nicolae Cîrîc about what Aufguss gives him.

“It is good contact between the visitors. It gives strength. Life force,” found Aufguss WM president Torsten Splanemann du Chesne.

“It is the most beautiful thing to see. When you do an Aufguss in a small sauna where there is a lot of contact between the visitors and you tell a story and see how people go into your story… They close their eyes, enjoy it, and later come out of that story and you see the smile on their face – that is the most rewarding thing in life,” said the president of the Aufguss judges, Martijn Vanhoorelbeke.

Sauna people are happy people

“In those 15 minutes we bring people a spark of joy. It is a wonderful feeling when people talk about us. I forget my problems in that moment and I am somewhere else. It is wonderful – that we sit in a warm place and take people to different places,” said sauna master Lukasz Dluzniewskie, who took first place in team Aufguss in 2019, second place in the solo performance in 2018 and first place in team Aufguss in 2016.

“I like it when people come to the sauna and say that they don’t like heat and they don’t like the sauna, but afterwards they find that it was an amazing experience and thank you from the heart. Not that I like applause, but it makes you push yourself more,” said sauna master Pavel Poliacek.

“Looking at this event and these people smiling… They are happy. Sauna people are happy people,” said the president of the Danish sauna association, Kim P. Pedersen.

Sauna people are happy people.

Photos: Ryszard Rak

Aufguss gives the chance to create something good in the world

“I am not an emotional teller of sad stories, I am more of an entertaining sauna master. I like to entertain people. The more people there are inside the performance, the better the Aufguss is,” noted sauna master Felix Reschke.

“I love Aufguss. With your own show you can convey many different emotions and scents,” found sauna master Massimo Gelli, who took first place in team Aufguss in 2022.

“We want people to talk about Aufguss. It is a wonderful feeling when people still remember your performance a year later,” thought sauna master Djuri Reijnen about what Aufguss gives him.

“For me it is important that my Aufguss is remembered. If people still remember my performance years later, that means more to me than winning,” said Michael Niedermair, who took second place in solo and team Aufguss in 2023.

“We can give people something. We can create something good in the world and offer people relaxation and the enjoyment of life. We can make the world a slightly better place,” said Elamus SPA sauna master Johanna Jakobson.

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