The Sauna Saga: From Scotland to Tenerife, One Sweat at a Time.
I still remember my first sauna experience.
It was 1995, and we had just returned from our first deep dive into spirituality in Poona, India.
Fresh from that journey, full of dreams and intentions to leave Israel and move to the Netherlands, we found ourselves in Findhorn, Scotland—a magical eco-community where people talked to plants, lived in harmony with nature, and, most importantly, fired up the sauna every evening.
Now, at that point, I had never been in a sauna before.
But when the sun went down, everyone stripped down, stepped inside, and sweated away all their troubles.
And just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, they jumped into a giant whiskey barrel filled with ice-cold water.
Let me tell you… that water was freezing.
I’m talking “brain freeze but for your entire body” levels of cold. But I was hooked.
Sauna: A Lifelong Love Affair
When we moved to Amsterdam, even when we were broke as church mice, I still made sauna sessions a priority.
I would go to the sauna in the center of the city a few times a week—because once you’ve experienced that kind of relaxation and rejuvenation, you don’t just let it go.
Later, when we built our company, we took it to the next level.
Our monthly team meetings? Held in the spa.
Business strategy, a jacuzzi soak, a great dinner, and, of course, lots of sweating together in the sauna.
Because nothing says team bonding like enduring 90°C heat in silence.
Bringing the Heat to Tenerife
Fast forward to Tenerife.
A hot island compared to the Netherlands, but still, the winters get chilly.
And even though they’re short, I quickly realized that I missed the sauna—not just the warmth but the whole ritual of it.
So, two years after moving into Casa Alegría, we decided to build our own sauna in the garden.
At first, I had a grand idea: a half-buried sauna in the area where the old solar panels used to be.
It sounded perfect.
But then reality hit… digging deep enough in our rocky terrain? Yeah, not happening.
After a few failed excavation attempts, we ditched the underground sauna dream and went with a classic, wood-burning, above-ground design.
I sketched out my vision:
- 2m x 2m x 2m
- A circular window with a view of the ravine
- Three benches for maximum comfort
- A transparent glass door
.
Our talented carpenter friend, Ceri, took my rough idea and transformed it into a wooden masterpiece.
He also ordered a wood-burning stove from Finland (because if you’re doing this, you do it right).
Then, in May 2017, Ceri and his team arrived to install the pre-fabricated sauna onto the freshly laid concrete base that Drew had prepped just days before.
A few days later, Drew added his artistic touch to the exterior, turning it into a true work of art.
The Best Investment Ever? Quite Possibly.
Since then, the sauna has been an essential part of our life.
Some periods, I’ve used it almost every evening. Other times, less frequently.
Sometimes with friends, but mostly alone or just the two of us.
But one thing remains true—out of everything we’ve built at Casa Alegría, this sauna was, without a doubt, one of the best decisions we ever made.
