Behind the scenes of the Aufguss rituals: The European adventure
Remember our two Aufgussiers who travelled to Europe to expand their knowledge of sauna rituals? Jade and Gabrielle are back and feel completely inspired!
During their trip, they rubbed shoulders with experts, met passionate people, and took part in many training sessions in order to take the rituals offered at Nordik Spa-Nature to the next level.
Want to learn more about their European excursion? Youtuber Fred Bastien tagged along on the trip to document part of the adventure in his own way and share his initiation into the world of sauna rituals. To admire beautiful landscapes, watch our Aufgussiers study in European saunas, and be surprised along with Fred’s discoveries. Watch his vlog! (Available in French only.)
Meeting with our two Aufgussiers upon their return to Canada
Q. What did you learn on this trip?
Jade: Two things that really struck me were the variety of sauna rituals and the exceptional level of cooperation between Sauna Meisters! Everyone works together to develop the field and share knowledge.
Gabrielle: The approach of Sauna Meisters in Europe is based on sharing knowledge. It’s like a big family! Competitions are friendly and collaborative. We met passionate people who have dedicated their lives to these rituals. It’s very inspiring and really speaks to me.
Q. What was your favourite part?
Gabrielle: The competition inspired me a lot. I discovered new techniques to practise with the towel. It was awesome to see acrobatics and dance mixing with the Aufguss rituals.
Jade: My favourite part of the trip was in Norway, when we participated in training sessions with four great Sauna Meisters who each had a different specialization. It helped inspire us for projects to implement at home, in Canada.
Q. What impact will this trip have on your work at Nordik Spa-Nature?
Gabrielle: We’ve come back to Canada with our heads full of ideas and really motivated to establish new rituals at Nordik Spa-Nature, Chelsea as well as at Thermëa, Winnipeg, to train our Aufgussiers, and to organize events and competitions. This trip just reinforced my desire to pursue a career in the field of wellness rituals.
Jade: All of the learning we did during this trip has given us the expertise to train people in Canada and increase the number of Sauna Meisters, broaden their horizons about the variety of rituals out there, develop competitions to help us gain global recognition, and generally improve sauna culture in the country.
During their adventure, Gabrielle and Jade gained a deeper understanding of several areas, including the benefits and use of herbs and essential oils in aromatherapy and the practice of new Aufguss techniques to better control the steam in the sauna. They were also introduced to many rituals like the Hammam ritual, the Rhassoul ritual, guided meditation, Tibetan singing bowl meditation, and pirts rituals.
They got involved by practicing Banya rituals, performing different types of exfoliation, and learning different ways of handling birch veniks. This ritual, originally from Russia, is offered at Nordik Spa-Nature under the name of the Banyä treatment.
Make sure you visit us soon to discover the secrets of sauna rituals for yourself!
Caroline B. Courcy
Wellness Blogger