A bunch of buddies and I went to a non-public session on the Rivanna River Sauna. We alternated between a sizzling steam sauna and the icy Rivanna River. Right here’s the recap!
Smile everybody!
Saunas are having a sizzling second
Saunas are positively having their 12 months! I’m seeing increasingly sauna homes pop up, and we now have three sauna spots you possibly can go to in Charlottesville – the Rivanna River Sauna, Fireplace & Ice on the IX park, and Reset in Crozet (Thomas has been). Plus the saunas on the gyms and spas. A couple of of my buddies have put them of their homes, and naturally I like my sauna blanket.
The Rivanna River Sauna
The Rivanna River Firm constructed their sauna in 2022 on a 20-foot tiny home trailer. It’s so cute! There’s a sizzling sauna room, a small lounge / entryway, two exterior altering rooms, and loads of decking to unfold out by the fireplace pit. There are bucket showers (included) and clawfoot tubs (an add-on) for close by plunging. And naturally there’s the Rivanna River flowing good and chilly proper past the fence!
Sauna season
Sauna season runs from the autumn by means of March. I’d completely do that 12 months spherical so I hope they’ll think about opening up extra occasions and months! The second all of us left the property we have been able to e book it once more, however from what I can inform all personal periods are full.
e book it
Should you dwell in Cville, you should utilize the sauna in just a few alternative ways: purchase buying slots in group periods (with folks you may not know), ladies’s solely periods, or reserving a non-public session for as much as 10 folks. We beloved making this a social occasion with a bunch of buddies from our gymnasium! Together with an added tub of ice and snack boards throughout social time, the price was slightly below $40 an individual for the ten of us.
Arrival
Our session began at 6pm, and we met within the Cantina the place the earlier group was ending up. There was a candy pet there to greet us!
Orientation
We got a brief orientation to go over the most effective methods to make use of the options. We had a REALLY chilly day – it was within the 30s – so sadly being exterior was actually chilly! I used to be actually doubting I’d get sizzling sufficient to the touch that ice tub in the beginning. I do assume this expertise would have been ideally suited on a hotter day the place we may have used the fireplace pit and chairs extra, however because the sauna was so sizzling, it didn’t matter all that a lot.
Ice Tub
How chilly does this look? I used to be planning to only use the chilly air for my “plunge.” Getting in a river scared me, and I simply didn’t know if I’d have the ability to deal with ice! I did need to attempt it, and I used to be pleasantly stunned with how I did. Our buddy Emily stated we might actually need to add on an ice tub for the comfort of not having to go to the river (which was perhaps 30 yards away?) She was proper, and we truly wished we had paid for 2 on the finish of the evening. The tubs have been $40 so as to add on. It was actually nice to have the ability to go 10 ft as a substitute of the lengthy stroll to the river as a result of that stroll was fairly chilly! So positively get your group a bathtub!
The Lounge
The entryway lounge was very cute with room to place your garments and something you needed useful however didn’t need to take into the sauna – water bottles, telephones, flip flops. Additionally they had important oils to placed on the rocks.
Future was so good and introduced her gown:
The Scorching Room
The sauna was about 175 levels and was a lot sizzling to begin. The longer the evening went on, the extra we opened and closed the door and let warmth out. Subsequent time we will likely be smarter concerning the door. But it surely was nonetheless highly regarded within the sauna, and our purpose of a fantastic sweat was achieved. They advocate staying in about quarter-hour per spherical, however I may have used extra to get actually tremendous sizzling. It takes longer for me to sweat than most individuals.
Most of us had coronary heart price monitor watches on. I famous my coronary heart price would get between 120 and 140 once I was able to get out. We beloved placing eucalyptus on the rocks. And we additionally had a cellphone close to the ground that wasn’t too sizzling (since warmth rises!) so we had some tunes and a “cold and warm” playlist. The highest shelf was the most effective spot, so we rotated up and down as wanted. Convey loads of towels to sit down on and extra to wipe your face!
The River
For our first plunge, we went to the river as a result of the river temperature was reported to be 47 levels vs. the ice tub being 32 (I’d assume). 47 appeared simpler to get in! By the point I had make the trek to the river, I used to be a lot cooled off, so I put my ft in and that’s it. I knew I needed to get even hotter within the sauna first if I used to be going to get IN the river!
Thomas acquired in though- entire physique down. By the tip of the evening he had dunked underwater!
The second time I went to the river, I ended up sitting down within the shallow finish. Apparently one secret to chilly plunging is leaving your palms and ft out, so I sat down and tried to submerge as a lot of my core as I may by saved my ft out by doing a “boat pose” from yoga. I set a 1 minute timer and did it!
Again within the Sauna
After every plunge we went again within the sauna to hang around till one-by-one we left to chill off. We did numerous chatting and laughing.
The Ice Tub
Emily and Matt win for many enthusiastic concerning the ice tub. They went for it immediately! Emily stayed in fairly some time till she began growling (haha!) It’s so loopy that the air was 32 levels and so they have been in ICE! Matt appears to be like thrilled right here:
Aaron wins for many formidable ice person. He took his plunges very severely! (He loves ice and hates warmth.) He even dunked his head beneath!
And he was calm sufficient to take this pic, ft in and all:
Julie received for longest plunge! Whereas her arms and ft have been out, she was in there fairly some time….
Lengthy sufficient that different folks needed to be a part of her to get in!
My Flip
I lastly acquired courageous sufficient to attempt the ice tub on my final spherical. You’ll be able to see how sizzling I acquired first by how purple my face was! Emily got here with me for ethical assist. With each of our ft out, we regarded like a lady giving start to a large – LOL! I feel the ache degree was on half with halfway by means of labor contractions. It is vitally just like attempt to breath by means of the ache discomfort. Haha.
How was it?
It was chilly, however it wasn’t as unhealthy as I assumed it will be! Partly as a result of among the ice had overflowed and I’m positive the water was just a little hotter and decrease then when the evening began. And partly as a result of my ft and shoulders have been out (though I type of wished I may have had my legs in additional). I stayed in a full two minutes, and I most likely may have finished just a little longer!
How did I really feel?
Once I acquired out, my entire core was positively attempting to shiver. I felt just a little woozy, like I used to be drunk or floating for a couple of minutes. It took about 5 minutes again within the sauna to really feel regular once more. It was sort of enjoyable although! I’d positively do it once more.
Sidenote: as somebody who’s all the time chilly this time of 12 months, I can’t fathom chilly plunging with out a sauna to heat up in earlier than and after. The folks I see who chilly plunge with out heating up first are arduous core!
Occasions Up!
Our session was 90 minutes lengthy, and truthfully we may have stayed one other hour! I did three rounds of sizzling + chilly (cut up about 20 minutes of sizzling and 10 of chilly and transition) and would have finished yet one more for positive. They gave us a 15 minute warning and nobody needed to finish with out a closing heat up. It was bizarre to go from soaked in sweat to dry garments with out a cleaning bathe. Convey a 3rd dry towel for this objective! It was SO chilly out we didn’t even need the fireplace pit – we needed to go inside!
Altering
Since we had 10 folks, everybody scattered to vary. The lounge would have made a fantastic place for both all the boys or women as a result of it was considerably heated, however we didn’t use it. As an alternative we took turns freezing our ft off in moist bathing fits within the altering rooms on the again of the constructing one to 2 at a time. Altering was the worst a part of the evening!
The Cantina: Social Time + Cheese Boards
Again within the Cantina by the wooden range, we have been ravenous! I drank a full 32 ounce water bottle in the course of the 90 minute session and two cups of tea after.
We had pre-ordered boards of cheese, crackers, and apples plus smoked salmon and sausage for our social time. Additionally they had ginger tea with lemon and honey. It was nice to have the ability to chill out and debrief what we beloved and what we might do in another way subsequent time (preserve the door closed!)
Pounding the scrumptious cheese!
All of us agreed how a lot enjoyable it was and the way we’d like to do it once more quickly. RRC, please open extra months up!
Hogwaller Brewing
Hogwaller Brewing is true subsequent door, so we headed there after for some beers and burgers.
Cheers!
Are you a sauna particular person? Have you ever ever chilly plunged?
