Now that the website is live and there are actual humans in this forum, it feels like the right time to be straight with you about where the Australian Sauna Association is, what we are working towards, and what it will take to get there.
Where we are
The ASA is young.
We have picked up the torch from the Australian Sweat Bathing Association, which formed in 2016 with the goal of helping build a proper sauna culture in Australia.
What we have today is a small volunteer committee, a not-for-profit structure, and a strong belief that Australia needs and wants more sauna.
Everything you see on this site has been built from the ground up, with volunteer time and no outside funding. The national sauna map, forums, Jobs Network, Expert Network, events and membership systems. We are proud of what we have built.
But a website is not a movement.
Our membership is still small, most people are finding us through word of mouth, and our influence is only as strong as the community standing behind us. That is where things are right now.
What is already moving
The Big Sweat
Our first national sauna gathering is happening on 22 and 23 August in Leura, NSW, hosted at Blue Mountains Sauna.
It will be two days of communal sauna, Aufguss ceremonies, live music and good company. If you come to one ASA event this year, come to this one.
Building the national sauna map
We want the map to become the clearest and most useful directory of sauna across Australia.
If you know a sauna that is missing, add it. Professional members who operate a sauna can also claim and manage their listing.
Regular news and useful content
We will be sharing more of what is happening across Australian sauna, including new venues, events, projects, resources and opportunities.
What comes next
These are the areas we keep coming back to as a committee:
Aufguss training and a Sauna Master pathway
Naomi Gregory is heading up this work for the ASA, with the aim of bringing proper Aufguss training and development pathways to Australia. Further down the track, we would also like to support Australian participation in the Aufguss World Championships.
A practical education hub
Resources covering sauna building, operations, insurance, safety and compliance, so people do not have to learn everything the hard way.
A stronger operator and supplier network
Including local meetups and better ways for people running sauna businesses to share knowledge. Operators should not have to figure all of this out alone.
More workshops, screenings and community events
Not everything needs to be a large festival. We want to create more regular ways for the sauna community to meet, learn and spend time together.
The ambitious stuff
Longer term, we want to work towards:
- Sauna being properly considered in public projects, parks and swimming locations.
- Australian sauna standards and quality assurance developed alongside the industry, not imposed on it.
- Research into sauna and its health and community benefits in an Australian context.
- Grant funding and other support that can make the association sustainable beyond volunteer goodwill.
What it actually takes
Every item on that longer-term list depends on one thing: numbers.
When we speak to a council about putting a sauna near a swimming spot, one of the first questions is: Who do you represent?
When we apply for funding, people want to see a real membership base.
When we work towards standards, they only carry weight if operators, builders, bathers and researchers are part of the conversation.
A peak body without members is just a website with opinions.
So, if you want to help this become something real:
Become a member
It is the most direct way to support the work, and every new member makes our answer to "who do you represent?" stronger. Get involved here.
Post in the forums
Share what you are building. Ask the question you think might be dumb. Answer someone else's. A living community is one of the strongest arguments we can make.
If you work in sauna, make yourself visible
Professional members can claim and manage their sauna listing, join the Expert Network and post opportunities through the Jobs Network. The more clearly the industry is represented here, the more weight we carry.
Spread the word
Tell a sauna friend. Share what we are doing. Bring someone to The Big Sweat.
We are not pretending to be bigger than we are.
Right now, we are a handful of people who love sauna, with a solid foundation, a clear direction and a lot of work ahead of us.
The difference between this remaining a nice idea and becoming a genuine national movement is the people reading this post.
See you in the heat, and hopefully in Leura in August.
Nikita Miltiadou
President
Australian Sauna Association
p.s. Big shout out to my mum, who would not have the slightest clue what I am excited about in all this, but supports me none the less.
