Lucy Britt and Ryan Williams, of Lewiston, run into the water at Popham Beach while taking a break from Cedar Grove Sauna’s mobile outpost. Derek Davis/Portland Press Herald

PHIPPSBURG — The trio emerged from the wood-fired sauna at the edge of Popham Beach rosy-cheeked and renewed after more than an hour relaxing in the dry heat and taking several dips in the chilly ocean.

The three college professors had driven down from Lewiston for a fun winter break adventure. Andreas Jozwiak, 33, was visiting from Grinnell College in Iowa, where he is a political science professor and department chair.

The air temperature hovered around freezing. A stiff breeze stirred the scent of cedar and wood smoke. Pond Island Lighthouse stood watch in the distance.

“I sauna at the gym every once in a while,” Jozwiak said, “but this is much more picturesque than a dingy basement.”

This mobile outpost of Cedar Grove Sauna at Spinney’s Restaurant & Lodging in Phippsburg is one of several wood-fired sauna businesses that have opened in Maine in the last five years. The original Cedar Grove Sauna opened in 2020 at a 200-year-old farmstead in Montville and this month moved to a 30-acre wooded parcel across town that features spring-fed ponds.

Ryan Williams, of Lewiston, and Andreas Jozwiak, center, of Grinnell, Iowa, peer out at Popham Beach while visiting Cedar Grove Sauna. Derek Davis/Portland Press Herald

Waterstruck Wellness opened on 20 acres of woodlands in Newcastle in November, following the October opening of the Sauna at Glidden Point in Edgecomb, where bathers can cold plunge into an empty oyster cage at the edge of the Damariscotta River.

Similar options are now available at Sea Smoke Sauna on North Haven island, Riverview Sauna in Bowdoinham and Washington Baths in Portland. Several hotels, inns and spas offer saunas and a variety of businesses have cropped up to sell, rent and teach you how to build your own.

Cedar Grove Sauna host Leslianna Federici welcomes a group to the private sauna on Jan. 10. Derek Davis/Portland Press Herald

The expansion of sauna options in Maine reflects a growing interest in wellness and outdoor activities, especially among millennials, and a global effort to promote the health and social benefits of the ancient Nordic ritual.

“It changes people’s lives,” said Jackie Stratton, owner of Cedar Grove Sauna, who was a presenter last week at an international conference on the culture of bathing in New York City.

Phoebe Adams, of Phippsburg, said she enjoys the social aspect of visiting the sauna. “It’s an opportunity to connect,” she said.  Derek Davis/Portland Press Herald

Stratton, 35, became familiar with the benefits of the ritual about 12 years ago when she attended weekly saunas at a friend’s house. Her experience compelled her to share it.

Before she opened Cedar Grove, she traveled to Lithuania, Latvia, Finland and Sweden to study sauna culture. She sees similarities between that part of the world and New England.

“Winters in Maine are long and cold and dark,” Stratton said. “We can look to our neighbors in northern Europe to see how they cope. People feel good when they sauna. I get to see that in other people and I really enjoy that.”

Ryan Williams, of Lewiston, heads back to the sauna after jumping into the water at Popham Beach. Derek Davis/Portland Press Herald

Lisa Jones, owner of Black Travel Maine, is glad sauna options are increasing. She specializes in “mind, body and soul” travel experiences, and she’s been getting more calls lately from travel clients seeking saunas in Maine and elsewhere.

“People need to escape,” Jones explained. “There’s too much noise in the world, and people need to turn that noise off. Saunas are one way people want to do that.” 

BENEFITS OF SAUNA

While scientific research is minimal, sauna enthusiasts claim the practice has many physical and mental health benefits, including increased blood circulation, stress relief, immune support, body detoxification, skin rejuvenation and sore muscle recovery.

A group sits in the public sauna at Cedar Grove Sauna at Popham Beach. Derek Davis/Portland Press Herald

Still, they see proof in a practice that spans millennia and seems to be catching on in Maine despite its Puritan roots.

“Public bathing culture is ancient, but here in New England, especially, it’s kind of a new thing,” said Asher Woodworth, 38, of Washington Baths, which opened in Portland in 2021.

Woodworth and co-owner Izabel Nielsen, 33, promote their business as family-friendly, queer-friendly and accessible to all, with special events planned regularly, including holiday celebrations and film screenings.

“We see the bathhouse as a community space,” Nielsen said, noting that it offers only walk-in public sessions that allow patrons to drop by anytime.

Izabel Nielsen and Asher Woodworth, owners of Washington Baths in Portland, next to a cold pool. Visitors to the sauna typically alternate between exposure to hot and cold temperatures. Ben McCanna/Portland Press Herald

Experts warn that children, older adults and people with medical conditions shouldn’t sauna without checking with a physician, and many saunas will ask patrons to sign a liability waiver.

Saunas typically offer private or public sessions, with bathing suits required or optional, and group or individual rates starting at $35 per person for an hour or more. Most have cold water tubs or pools, where people can cool off – alternating between hot and cold exposure is part of the Nordic tradition – but some have warm or hot water pools, too.

Lucy Britt and Ryan Williams, of Lewiston, run back to the sauna after dipping at Popham Beach. Derek Davis/Portland Press Herald

Many people are adding sauna to their outdoor winter activity routines, said Ashley Baldwin, co-owner of Waterstruck Wellness in Newcastle.

“People are coming here after hiking or snowshoeing in Dodge Point state park or ice skating on Damariscotta Lake or Pemaquid Pond,” Baldwin said. “Being outdoors in winter is easier if you know you have a hot box to come back to.”

A guest washes off their feet before returning to the private sauna at Cedar Grove Sauna after a dip in the ocean. Derek Davis/Portland Press Herald

The sauna at Glidden Point Oyster Farms in Edgecomb offers a unique opportunity to cold plunge in an empty oyster cage on the dock where the shellfish is harvested for retail, wholesale and shipping.

“People really love it,” said Mae Krieg, farm store and sauna manager. “We also serve oysters at the sauna or in the store. The window in the sauna is a whole wall, so you can watch what’s happening on the river. It’s really a cool oasis on the river.”

Cedar Grove Sauna host Leslianna Federici cleans the private sauna before the next group arrives. Derek Davis/Portland Press Herald

DISCONNECTING AND RECONNECTING

Zachary Kertesz, 34, decided to start a sauna business — the Maine School of Sauna — after he built his own at his home on Westport Island, near Wiscasset. Now, the documentary filmmaker is building a demo unit and creating a how-to video he plans to offer online. He also may offer in-person classes.

Lucy Britt, center, of Lewiston, smiles at Phoebe Adams, of Phippsburg, as they sit in the public sauna at Cedar Grove Sauna. Derek Davis/Portland Press Herald

“A lot of folks my age really want saunas,” Kertesz said. “It’s driven by a combination of factors. I think we value experiences over things, and there’s increased awareness of the health and wellness benefits of slowing down and unplugging.”

While sauna enthusiasts may appreciate the solitude or social aspects of the practice, some sauna operators take the step to ban cellphone use or at least encourage patrons to put them away. Stratton calls it “digital detox.”

Phoebe Adams, of Phippsburg, steps out of the public sauna after enjoying a session at Cedar Grove Sauna. Derek Davis/Portland Press Herald

Cellphones were out of sight when Jozwiak, the professor, visited the Cedar Grove Sauna at Popham Beach this month. He joined former colleagues Lucy Britt, 32, and Ryan Williams, 34, who are professors at Bates College and the University of New England, respectively.

But the sauna attracts all ages, including artist Phoebe Adams, 71, of Phippsburg, who joined the trio in a public session at the beach.

“I really like the social aspect of it,” Adams said. “It’s an opportunity to connect. You’re having this experience and you’re sharing with other people. It’s an opportunity to exercise being a human being.”