From Russia with love: the sauna treatment that's captivating London spa goers

Some spas are made for luxury, others for relaxation, and others... well, others are transformative. Banya No.1 - Hoxton is the latter. Like no other wellbeing experience you will ever have had in the UK, this unique destination is imported straight from Russia, honouring their own variation on sauna tradition that can be traced back more than 1000 years.

Bringing Banya to London

Fast forward to 2012, and Banya enthusiast and entrepreneur Andrei Fomin was enjoying life in London, but felt that something was missing. The city had everything he and his Russian counterparts could ask for - culture, hospitality, entertainment, bars, restaurants, but Banya was missing. So, he decided to do something about it, along with a co-founder, beginning with Banya No.1 - Hoxton.

Today, Banya No.1 has four locations - two in London, one in Paris, and one in Georgia, with more set to open around the world. For those who visit, the experience is described as transformative, creating a feeling of being renewed, or reborn, in the process. Andrei, who is also a Global Ambassador for Banyas at World Wellness Weekend, speaks passionately about Banyas and their benefits - not merely as a business owner, but on a personal level as well.

He says: “Banya is based on the nordic thermal cycle of hot, cold, rest and repeat, and while there is a booming interest at the moment in saunas and cold exposure therapies, most miss the importance of the rest part. None are really like Banya, however, which really has to be experienced to be understood.”

What is Banya?

The premise, to the untrained eye, is that this is a bathhouse, where you journey through different heat, ice, and restful experiences. The main event is the intense heat of the Parnaya steam sauna, stimulating blood circulation, profuse sweating, detoxing and boosting the immune system, before you take a dip in the icy plunge pool, relax in a private booth, and then repeat. The thermal massage, which takes place in the steam room, is the real cherry on top, where fragrant bundles of birch, oak, and eucalyptus are used to perform a hypnotic ritual that leaves guests feeling somewhat blown away.

When describing Banya No.1 - Hoxton, Andrei is clear on the brand’s vision and what they set out to achieve, and that this should not be confused with any ordinary steam room:

"We took the best of the Russian tradition, which is thousands of years old, and we didn't cut any corners. It’s a pure Banya experience done to the best standards. What people often don’t realise is that the difference between a standard sauna, and Banya, is that the temperature in Banya is generally lower than saunas - 60 to 70 degrees celsius, as opposed to 90 degrees. However, the humidity is much higher - 60 to 70% instead of perhaps 15%.

It's not just the relative humidity either - a hammam has 100% humidity, but they have a kind of foggy steam. The Banya steam is transparent, but with 70% humidity. That’s because we create this super heated steam by throwing water onto a tonne of cast iron loaded inside the furnace, heated to 700 degrees celsius. For context, a traditional sauna will have a stove filled with stones heated to about 250 degrees. That immense heat means that the water practically explodes into vapour and rises to the ceiling - we build up a thick layer of steam, and then it starts to settle if you just leave it, or we can manipulate it and shift it around the body in a Thermal Parenie Ritual."

How to experience Banya

Banya can work in one of two ways - simply sit in the sauna and enjoy the benefits of the heat that way, or experience the Parenie Ritual. Of the steam bathing itself, Andrei says:

"It's intense, but it's easier to stand than a regular sauna because of the humidity. It goes into the body more deeply so you start to sweat much quicker than you would in a dry sauna, plus the water that condenses on the skin carries heat more effectively than dry air. The effect is therefore more potent, but you can choose to sit higher or lower to increase or decrease the intensity."

Describing the Parenie Ritual, Andrei lights up. He emphasises its physical and mental health benefits but also notes that there's a social and performative element to it that makes it joyful as well. Guests can choose to have a private ritual or join a group of up to 15 people.

Clear that it's designed to push you out of your comfort zone because of the intensity of the heat, this ritual sees expertly trained practitioners manipulate the steam around the body using branches of bundled birch, oak, and eucalyptus.

Andrei adds: "Then you couple the experience with contrasting temperatures - you're led from the steam room by one of our steam masters, to a drench shower with cold water to wash off the sweat. Then you plunge into a cold pool - ideally with your head submerged for the full effect - and you come out tingling. You feel a rush of dopamine, serotonin, and all the happy hormones, as well as adrenaline. You feel euphoria at that point. Then you go through the same process again. In a way it's a form of stress, but the good kind, that helps you build resilience."

What follows is a deep state of relaxation, a clear mind, and a sense of happiness:

"It's really an art form, and it's fun to watch and be a part of, so it's a great treatment to have with friends. Russians will always tell you that Banya makes you feel reborn afterwards, and I often hear clients who have been for the first time saying that as well - it creates a feeling of euphoria which you carry through with you for a couple of days afterwards."

The benefits of Banya

Speaking of its benefits (natural high aside), Andrei notes that if you do Banya regularly, then you train your body to be more resilient to the heat.

He says: "It's almost like sport, because Banya is like a good cardio workout. You have to be careful to hydrate because you do lose water - you sweat out toxins and drive blood to the skin and the extremities. It makes your body work hard. What's important though is that you go at your own pace - there are no prescribed timeframes."

Andrei is also emphatic on the point of rest - something that's generally not emphasised in other spa experiences:

"We do guide you as to best practice, and one of the crucial parts of that is rest. If you spend 10 minutes in the heat, for example, you should spend at least two times that resting after the cold plunge, so that your body has time to rebalance itself. We encourage you to rehydrate and replenish your electrolytes, with opportunities to eat and drink. For example, we have a lot of herbal teas and drinks like kombucha, and fermented or salted foods - traditional Russian foods - to try."

Cultural tradition and Banya

What's clear is that there is also an essential cultural element to Banya - it's not prescriptive, and perhaps one of the best examples of that is the availability of beer and vodka as part of the opportunity to replenish. He notes that some of his Russian peers would not consider Banya complete without a shot of vodka or a glass of beer at the end, and he invites all guests to treat the experience that way if they choose.

There are also other therapies available alongside the Parenie Ritual, including their unique take on aromatherapy, where they use herbs and plants in the steam room, releasing their essential oils in the process. He says that the wormwood herb is especially popular and excellent for calming the nervous system, sweet clover is also a favourite, as well as beer ("which smells almost like bread"), and garlic ("a personal favourite"), which he assures us does not actually smell like garlic as we know it, at all.

There are also sound baths, but no facials, and massages are deep tissue - perfect once the body is warm from the steam room.

Ultimately, it’s hard to define Banya as adjacent to any other spa experience - it’s an offering in its own right, and it appears to be one that creates devotees amongst all those who try it.