Mikkel Aaland

"It's All An Adventure"

Experience the Global Art of Sweat Bathing

 

Watch "Perfect Sweat"!

 

Dive into our captivating seven-part docuseries, "Perfect Sweat," and journey through Finland, Italy, Germany, Russia, Japan, Turkey, Norway, and even Burning Man. Join Sweat author Mikkel Aaland as he unveils the rich traditions and cultural significance of sweat bathing around the globe.

 

We also have produced a new option available on the Watch page - Host a Screening / License the Series where people can submit a form for licensing requests for screening events

 

Explore Each Episode:

 

Finland  - In Finland, saunas are everywhere, and no steam is left unexplored with guide Samuel Aarnio. Mikkel and Samuel island hop by boat, visit old friends for a traditional smoke sauna, and test their limits in 60+ saunas at the Mobile Sauna Festival in Teuva.

 

Aufguss - Guide Christine Rose shows us that a sauna is better with a show. She takes us along the Italian-German border, where cultures, languages and fragrant steam-bathing traditions collide. Fierce competition for the World Aufguss championship is sweat entertainment at its finest.

 

Russia - Recalling his days in the Soviet Union, Mikkel discovers a new side to banya with guide Anna Artemieva, who shows him how bathing is done in modern-day Moscow, St. Petersburg and beyond. But the banya experience is not complete without visiting a remote forest retreat and taking an ice-cold plunge.

 

Japan -  Discover how Japan's younger generation is embracing and reinventing sweat bathing culture, blending ancient practices with Finnish-style saunas. Mikkel explores the land of over three thousand hot springs and various historical sweat baths influenced by Buddhism. Guided by Miki Tokairin and Sho Ikushima, he visits a 700-year-old Kara-furo, experiences a unique fusion of art and sweat bathing, and participates in modern tent sauna parties.

 

Turkey - Where cosmopolitan life blends with vestiges of the Ottoman Empire, Elizabet Kurumlu guides Mikkel through the streets of Istanbul, Bursa, and beyond. He meets soldiers, artisans, and a bridal party on a journey to experience the historic and modern-day hammam.

 

Norway - Thanks to his Norwegian roots, Mikkel’s love for sweat bathing started with the badstue. Adventuring through Norway with guide Lasse Eriksen, he visits Oslo’s hippest badstues, a fishing boat-turned-spa, and the remote resort of a legendary polar explorer.

 

Burning Man -Mikkel, along with guides Teresa Yung and Zack Robertson, navigates the extreme heat of the Playa to uncover a thriving community of sweat bath enthusiasts. They journey from San Francisco to the Steam of Life base camp, visiting over 15 unique sweat bathing camps, including the Sauna Dome and Steam Bath Project. The episode showcases inventive practices like the "John Payne method," Wim Hof breathing techniques, and a banya shaped like an amethyst geode, capturing the imaginative spirit of Burning Man and concluding the inaugural season of Perfect Sweat.

 

Enjoy Limited-Time Bonus Content

 

Delve deeper into the world of sweat bathing with an exclusive panel discussion recorded during the premiere of the series on Global Wellness Day. We've also included Q&A Sessions after each episode with cast members. Be sure to immerse yourself in the full experience now and make the most of this exclusive content.

 

Ways to Watch

 

Order Passes

 

All Access Pass

Unlock all seven episodes, including

the premiere, with the All Access Pass.

 

Order Episodes

Individual Episodes

 

Visit our Virtual Premiere Catalog

to select the episode of your choice.

Enter Discount Code: PSLOYLY for 20% Off!

 

Thanks to Our Partners

 

International Sauna Association | Therme Group | British Sauna Society | Kivia Podcast | Sauna Times |  Norges Badstulaug |  Global Wellness Day | Insider's Guide to Spas | Harara Hammam Baths | Alchemy Springs | Archimedes Banya | Banya London | Australian Sweat Bathing Association (ASBA) | Canada Art Spin | Design for Leisure | Aromen | Finnmark Sauna | Cedar & Stone Sauna | Christie Pearson | 612 Sauna Society Cooperative | Saunologia

 

 

 

©2024 Mikkel Aaland

All Rights Reserved