HEALTH + WELLNESS
SAUNA & WILD: A NEW WAY TO WARM UP THIS WINTER
A CONVERTED HORSEBOX, ONE COLD PLUNGE AND A DRIZZLY WORK CAR PARK … TEAM iK EMBARK ON AN UNEXPECTED WELLNESS TREAT. BY SAMANTHA READY
There is something deeply compelling about stepping into heat while the world outside is grey and damp. Which is why, after being cryptically told to arrive at the office bright and early on a cold and drizzly December morning with a swimsuit and towel, team iK found themselves in the carpark outside iKHQ about to do exactly that.
No, I hadn’ t finally lost my mind( although this is questioned on a daily basis by the team); instead, I had found Sauna & Wild, Kent’ s newest mobile wellness experience: a mobile sauna housed inside a beautifully converted horsebox, complete with cedar cladding, soft lighting, a cold plunge bath and a zen-like lounge area created from foldable furniture, mats and throws. It may sound unlikely, but it works brilliantly.
The concept itself was born from two best friends, Kellie and Georgina, who’ ve known each other since they were four. One works in property management, the other in finance, and like many of us, they were craving something‘ just for us’- a side hustle project perhaps, but also a ritual, a calm space and a way to switch off. A sauna by the sea planted the seed, followed by months of conversion of their horsebox. The result is thoughtful, elegant and surprisingly joyful: a real moveable sanctuary that brings heat, cold and stillness wherever it parks.
106 • www. insidekent. co. uk
Sauna culture, of course, isn’ t new. Scandinavians have been doing this for centuries, and with good reason. Regular heat therapy is linked to better sleep, improved circulation, lower stress and that peculiar, earthy feeling of being rewired from the inside out. But what makes Sauna & Wild special is the simplicity. Step up into the horsebox and the air hits you: warm, fragrant( you have a choice of oils, too) and woodscented. A compact stove glows to the rear and while steam rises, you sit in silence or chat softly( albeit with the occasional giggles and exclamations that there’ s never a dull day at insideKENT!) watching rain bead against the window. It is meditative and intimate- a far cry from the fluorescent-lit saunas often found in hotel basements.
Eventually, someone suggested the cold plunge. That someone was me and I had to lead by example seeing as this was my bright idea and I had been virtuous in coercing everyone. Outside, we padded across the damp tarmac to a steel tub filled with water that looked- and felt!- like it had melted off a mountain. The shock is immediate and electric; deep inhale, deeper exhale, before you emerge tingling, flushed and absolutely more alive than you were five minutes earlier. Back in the heat, the body glows, the heart steadies and the mind empties. A few cycles of this and we were all giddy with endorphins.
What impressed us most, aside from Kellie and Georgina’ s effortless hosting, was how quickly the car park disappeared. In our minds, we could have been beside the sea, on a farm, or tucked into woodland, which is exactly how Sauna & Wild is intended to be used. It’ s available for private hire- great for birthdays, hen dos, wellness retreats, gatherings- and regularly pops up at farmshops, hotels and countryside venues. The setup is fast, reaching temperature in around an hour, and the footprint is small- all you need is a patch of ground and a willingness to slow down.
There is something quietly romantic about the whole thing. Two friends creating an experience for themselves, then deciding to share it. No fuss, no pretence, just wellbeing made accessible and charmingly nomadic. In a world of high-tech spa and digital detoxing, it feels refreshingly analogue: wood, water, heat, cold and friendship.
As we wrapped up in blankets, rain still falling, we felt calmer, clearer and more awake. Sauna & Wild is not grand and neither is it glossy. It is actually something much better- simple, soulful and strangely addictive. The team can’ t wait to try it again!
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