From Finland to the Kootenays, BC: 10 Lessons We’re Bringing Home from World Sauna Forum 2025

By Kamu Sauna — A Canadian Sauna Company Sharing Authentic Finnish Sauna in Canada

This past June, we packed our towels, curiosity, and a little courage for a trip from our (now) home in the Kootenays, British Columbia, to our 2nd home in Jyväskylä, Finland for World Sauna Forum 2025 with Sauna From Finland. It was a gathering of sauna leaders, sauna companies, designers, researchers, and culture-keepers from around the world - all exploring what it means to protect, grow, and share authentic Finnish sauna culture.

As a now-Canadian sauna company that builds saunas and hosts authentic Finnish sauna experiences, we went not only to learn, but also to contribute. Thanks to the invitation from Sauna from Finland, we had the honour of supporting the hosting of the event. And more importantly, we had the privilege of sharing deep conversations and powerful löyly with people who understand sauna not as a “trend,” but as a way of life.

Below are the 10 insights that have stuck with us most since returning home. These are ideas we’re still unpacking as we think about the future of authentic Finnish sauna in Canada - from small mountain towns to cities across the country.

Our Top 10 Insights from World Sauna Forum 2025

1. Keep it simple.
Good sauna design doesn’t shout. It prioritizes beauty, balance and reciprocity. Windows are optional. Connection is essential.

2. Sauna ≠ trend.
This isn’t just a wellness fad or trend. Sauna is a timeless, global practice rooted in culture and place. In Finland and Estonia, it’s a way of life. In Japan, Norway, Ireland, the UK, and beyond, it’s a reclaimed rite/right and a ritual for community care and restoration.

3. Sharing sauna is an act of service.
Hosting sauna is both a responsibility and a gift. We stepped up both locally and globally because it matters. Thank you to Sauna from Finland for the opportunity — and for doing vital work to protect the heart of true sauna.

4. “The elements teach us who we are.”
Kiitos, Heikki Huovinen and Hanna Markulsela, for sharing: “Nature’s elements offer us the kind of healthy, cyclical stress we’re missing in today’s chronically stressed world.” Hot. Cold. Water. Stillness. These shape us and make us stronger, by nature.

5. “Sustainability can only ‘sustain’ when it’s rooted in culture.”
During the opening of the Forum, Becky spoke to sauna’s deeper purpose. Sustainability isn’t just about materials — it relies on shared meaning and responsibility. As the global movement grows, we must remember this or risk missing, and misusing, the whole point.

6. Finland leads with generosity.
Sauna from Finland has become a global guide, showing what authentic sauna culture can look and feel like. Finland isn’t gatekeeping sauna — she’s holding a critical thread and creating space for others to learn, adapt, and build from ancient tradition held with deep care.

7. Canada is ready for real community saunas.
So many asked, “Why isn’t Canada doing this at scale like other places?” The truth is, Canada is ready. People want more than amenities — they want spaces that restore and reconnect. Too often, new projects prioritize luxury over community. To meet this need, zoning and policy must evolve. We’re here to help.

8. Sauna builds connection fast.
Charlie from London’s Community Sauna Baths said it best: “Every networking event should have a sauna.” Walls drop and words flow. Silences are shared. We connect more honestly and more openly. Sauna makes space for real, rapid human connection that sticks.

9. Good sauna? Good design.
Dr. Lassi Liikkanen reminded us that quality sauna design starts with respect for löyly + the science of room dimensions + ventilation. Architects like Sami Rintala showed us what’s possible when spaces draw us inward in order to transcend.

Sauna is ancient design with a simple formula. Start there. The rest is co-creation.
10. Sauna is radical equity.
In Finland, there’s no timer and no titles. Every body is welcome. Whether CEO or student, you share the same bench and löyly together. The power of sauna is that it levels things out.

(Bonus) Speak less, listen more.
After finishing this Top 10, we realized the most important lesson was actually to listen. Clarity often comes through quiet. Sauna invites conversation but also teaches us to notice what lives in the spaces between.

Bringing It Home to Canada

At Kamu Sauna, we believe Canada is ready for more authentic Finnish sauna experiences — not just as wellness amenities, but as true community spaces. As a Canadian sauna company, we’re committed to building and hosting saunas that respect tradition, foster connection, and invite everyone to the bench.
The lessons from World Sauna Forum remind us that sauna is more than heat and steam. It’s culture. It’s care. And it’s a chance to connect — from Finland to the Kootenays and beyond.

​Warm wishes,

Becky + Juho
Kamu Sauna – Your Canadian Sauna Company for Authentic Finnish Sauna in Canada