Before wellness was trending..

Before saunas became popular destinations.

There was heat, stone, water—and people.

Aufguss comes from Central European sauna culture, most notably Germany and Austria, where sauna evolved not just as a place to sweat, but as a ceremony. A shared ritual guided by a Saunameister, someone trained to steward heat, timing, scent, and energy.

At its simplest, Aufguss means "infusion." It also means "to pour on"

Water or Ice — often blended with essential oils — is poured onto hot stones.

Steam rises.

And instead of letting that heat drift upward and disappear, it is returned to the people.

With towels.

With rhythm.

With intention.

This is not about intensity for intensity's sake.

It is about distribution.

Of heat.

Of attention.

Of presence.

In traditional Finnish sauna—Finland—steam is called löyly: the spirit of the sauna. Aufguss takes that spirit and gives it choreography. What was once spontaneous becomes deliberate. What was ambient becomes communal.

The Saunameister doesn't just move air.

They read the room.

They sense when to build and when to slow..

Heat comes in shared waves.

Relief comes with breath.

Time stretches.

Everyone is in it together.

What Aufguss brings to modern sauna culture is not performance—it is participation.

You don't disappear into your own head.

You don't scroll.

You don't rush.

You sit.

You feel.

You stay.

The towels snap and circle.

The steam rolls down the skin.

Scents open memory—pine, citrus, smoke, forest.

Your nervous system listens.

In a world obsessed with personalization, Aufguss reminds us of something ancient:

regulation happens together.

Breath syncs.

Silence deepens.

Strangers share a single experience without needing to speak.

This is why Aufguss has endured.

Not because it's dramatic.

But because it's human.

It turns sauna back into what it always was:

a place of ritual, humility, and shared heat.

At Lore, we practice Aufguss not as spectacle, but as stewardship.

Guiding the fire.

Respecting the steam.

Holding space for the collective nervous system to settle, expand, and reset.

Hot.

Intentional.

Meaningful.

Together.

That's Aufguss.

In the beginning

Aufguss may feel modern—but its roots are ancient.

The earliest sauna tradition can be traced back to the Finland savusauna—stone rooms heated for hours by fire, no chimney, smoke filling the space until it was aired out. When water hit the stones, löyly rose thick and alive. There was no separation between heat and spirit. The steam was the ceremony.

Central Europe—especially Germany and Austria—took that elemental act and shaped it into form. What had been intuitive became intentional. Someone took responsibility for the room. Timing mattered. The air was guided, not left to chance.

This is where Aufguss, as we recognize it today, emerged.

From Ritual to Craft

By the late 20th century, German sauna culture formalized the role of the Saunameister. Training programs developed. Technique mattered. Essential oil dilution, stone temperature, pacing, towel movement—all became part of a respected craft.

Out of this refinement came performance.

Aufguss Competitions

The most well-known is the Aufguss World Championship, held annually in Europe. Saunameisters from around the world compete in individual and team categories, judged on:

• Heat distribution and safety

• Towel technique

• Scent composition

• Timing and structure

• Presence, storytelling, and control

Some performances are dramatic—music, costumes, narrative arcs. Others are minimalist and meditative. At their best, competitions are not about ego, but mastery:

can you move extreme heat while keeping a room calm, coherent, and connected?

The competition world pushed technique forward—but it also clarified something important:

The ceremony must still serve the bathers.

The Towels

Towels are not incidental. They are the primary instrument.

Traditionally used towels are:

• 100% cotton or linen (synthetics don't breathe or move heat properly)

• Long and narrow for precision

• Heavy enough to carry steam, light enough for endurance

Common styles include:

• Single-towel classical technique – fluid, circular movements

• Double-towel technique – symmetrical, powerful air control

• Figure-eight and wave patterns – to layer heat without shock

A skilled Saunameister doesn't "whip" heat.

They shape it.

Where Aufguss Is Studied Today

Some of the most respected places to experience or study authentic Aufguss include:

• Aquamotion – home to elite Saunameisters and competition-level rituals

• Therme Erding – one of the largest sauna complexes in the world

• Saunaseura – deeply rooted in Finnish tradition

• Satama Sauna – where old-world sauna meets contemporary practice

These places emphasize lineage, not novelty. Technique is taught as responsibility.

What Aufguss Brings to Sauna Today

In a modern world of self-optimization, Aufguss does something radical:

It removes choice.

You don't decide when it gets hotter.

You try not to leave when it's uncomfortable.

You trust the guide.

And you trust the group.

Heat arrives in waves.

Breath synchronizes.

Aufguss reminds sauna of its original role—not as a product, but as a practice.

At Lore, we hold Aufguss in that spirit.

Not spectacle.

Not performance for performance's sake.

But stewardship of heat.

Care for the room.

And reverence for tradition.

Hot.

Guided.

Connection..

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