5 Best Ways To Enhance Your Sauna Session
- Taylor Proffitt
- Feb 10
- 6 min read
A sauna session is an experience — not just a room you sit in. Knowing how to use a sauna intentionally can help you relax more deeply, recover faster, and leave feeling noticeably better than when you arrived. Whether you’re visiting after a workout, before a massage, facial, acupuncture, or nail appointment — or simply carving out time for self-care, these practices help you maximize the benefits of sauna bathing.
At Boiler House Saunas, many guests build a full wellness routine around their visit by combining heat therapy with movement, breathwork, cold exposure, and hydration. We also offer discounted sauna sessions for guests who book with our on-site wellness practitioners, making it easy to pair your sauna time before or after a massage, facial, or acupuncture appointment for deeper relaxation and enhanced recovery. If you’re wondering what to do in a sauna or how to get the most out of your session, start here.
#1 Enhance Your Sauna Session With Wellness Treatments
We’re incredibly lucky at Capitola Mill to host a diverse and growing community of wellness professionals right here on the first floor. What began as a historic mill restoration organically evolved into a true wellness destination — and after the flood of 2024, transforming the former spa into individual suites for local practitioners felt like a natural and intentional next step.
Today, our first-floor wellness community includes massage therapists, a full-service acupuncture and herbal medicine clinic, an esthetician, a nail technician, and a hair professional. Each brings their own area of expertise, contributing to a well-rounded, thoughtful approach to wellness and restoration.
To encourage a full-body wellness experience, we offer discounted sauna sessions for guests who book appointments with our on-site wellness professionals. Sauna sessions can be used before or after your service, making it easy to pair heat therapy with massage, acupuncture, facials, or other treatments for deeper relaxation, recovery, and nervous system support.
Here are the wellness professionals you can connect with — follow the links below to learn more about their services and book your appointment: Studio 2: Suite 1: Rachel Estes Skincare — Esthetics & Skincare | 828-442-1852 | Instagram Suite 4: French Broad Nails — Nail Services | 828-206-5618 | Instagram Suite 5: 3 Sisters Wellness — Massage Therapy | 828-575-6443 | Website Suite 2: Marshall Acupuncture & Herb Clinic — Acupuncture & Herbal Medicine | Website The Muscle Whisperer — Massage Therapy | Website Office 9: Marlowe Frey Hair — Hair Professional | 618-559-9627 | Website
#2 Light Stretching, Breathwork, and Meditation
As your body heats up in the sauna, blood vessels dilate and circulation increases, allowing muscles and connective tissue to soften. This is why the sauna feels so relieving for tight or overworked areas — your body is naturally shifting into a state that supports release and relaxation.
Seated stretching takes advantage of this warmth without overstimulating the body.
Why it helps: As heat increases blood flow, muscles become more pliable and responsive. Gentle stretching during this time can help release built-up tension, improve joint mobility, and reduce stiffness — especially in areas that commonly hold stress like the neck, shoulders, hips, and spine.
Seated stretches to try:
Neck stretches (ear to shoulder, slow half-circles)
Shoulder rolls and gentle chest opening
Seated spinal twists
Seated hamstring or hip stretches
Move slowly and stay within a comfortable range — the heat is doing most of the work.
Breathwork works alongside the physical effects of heat.
Why it helps: As your body warms, your heart rate naturally increases. Slow, controlled breathing helps signal safety to the nervous system, encouraging a shift from “fight or flight” into a calmer, more restorative state. This can reduce stress, improve relaxation, and help you stay comfortable in the heat.
Breathing techniques to try:
Slow nasal breathing (inhale 4 seconds, exhale 6 seconds)
Box breathing (inhale 4, hold 4, exhale 4, hold 4)
Longer exhales to encourage deeper relaxation
Just a few minutes of intentional breathing can noticeably change how your body experiences the sauna.
Meditation or sound-based relaxation allows your nervous system to fully settle.
Why it helps: As heat exposure continues, the body begins to release tension and shift into a more parasympathetic (rest-and-restore) state. Meditation or calming sound helps quiet mental noise, deepen relaxation, and anchor your attention in the present moment — making the sauna feel less like “waiting out the heat” and more like active recovery.
How to do it:
Sit comfortably on the bench with back supported if needed
Close your eyes or soften your gaze
Use earbuds for guided meditation, body scans, or sound bath music
Let the heat, breath, and sound work together
“Heat exposure from sauna bathing elicits physiological responses similar to moderate exercise — increasing circulation, activating heat shock proteins, and supporting cardiovascular and nervous system function.” — Dr. Rhonda Patrick, Ph.D., biomedical scientist and sauna researcher
#3 Cold Showers Between Sauna Sessions
While we would love to add a cold plunge, it’s just not in the cards for us right now — but our waterfall shower is an excellent next best option. The shower offers multiple water features, including a handheld hose, overhead spray, waterfall flow, and wall-mounted stream, allowing guests to choose the level of water exposure that feels right for them. The shower can also be warm if that’s your preference — no judgment.
Personally, I’m a bit of a wimp when it comes to cold exposure, but I still want the benefits. I start with the handheld hose at my toes, then slowly work my way up my legs and body until I decide I’ve had enough. I’ve found that the more often I do it, the easier it becomes each time.
Whether you’re a seasoned cold-plunge enthusiast or just curious about trying contrast therapy, our waterfall shower offers a flexible, approachable way to experience the benefits — without having to jump straight into an ice bath.
Why it matters: Alternating heat with cold helps stimulate circulation and can leave the body feeling refreshed and alert. After time in the sauna, a brief cold shower encourages blood vessels to constrict after dilation, which many people find energizing and grounding.
How to frame it:
Short, intentional cold exposure (30–60 seconds is plenty)
Focus on steady breathing
Optional between rounds or at the end of your session
#4 Fitness at Capitola Mill: Move, Sweat, Recover
Our on-site fitness center makes it easy to pair movement with recovery, whether you’re here for a full workout, a quick sweat, or as part of a broader wellness routine. The gym is designed to support strength training, cardio, mobility, and functional movement — without intimidation.
Many guests choose to work out before a sauna session to wind down and support muscle recovery, while others prefer to sauna first and then move once their body feels warm and loose. There’s no “right” order — the best approach is the one that feels good in your body.
We offer monthly fitness memberships, with discounted rates for quarterly and annual commitments, making it easy to build consistency over time. Fitness members also have the option to add UNLIMITED sauna access at a discounted rate, allowing you to combine exercise, heat therapy, and recovery into one simple, sustainable routine.
Whether you’re lifting, stretching, or easing back into movement, our fitness space is here to support long-term wellness — not pressure or performance. Learn more about our Fitness Center
#5 Hydration: Support Your Body Before and After the Sauna
Sauna use encourages sweating, which means your body is releasing heat — and fluids. Supporting that process with proper hydration helps you feel energized, comfortable, and grounded rather than depleted.
Why it matters: As you sweat, your body loses both water and minerals. Drinking fluids before and after your sauna session helps support circulation, temperature regulation, and recovery. Proper hydration can also reduce feelings of lightheadedness or fatigue after heat exposure.
What works well:
Water before and after your session
Electrolytes if you’re sweating heavily or pairing sauna with exercise
Herbal teas for gentle replenishment
Water-rich foods before or after your visit, such as fruit, soups, smoothies, or vegetables, which can help replenish fluids while also providing natural minerals and nutrients
There’s no single “right” approach — the goal is simply to support your body in a way that feels nourishing and sustainable.
And that’s our five — thanks for sticking with us. 😮💨
One last thing: Using the sauna can become such a joy in your day. I’ve learned firsthand that my body loves the stress relief, the rhythm and structure of a wellness routine, and honestly one of my favorite unexpected benefits — not overheating nearly as much in the summer anymore (yes, that’s a real thing).
I love hearing about everyone’s unique experience with the heat. Some people swear by it for aches, pains, or old injuries. Others find it relieves stress like nothing else. And some simply enjoy sharing the experience with a friend while doing something genuinely good for their bodies.
However you decide to warm up — quietly, intentionally, socially, or somewhere in between — we’re here for it, and we’re glad you’re here.
Wanna know more about Boiler House Saunas? Visit our website or follow along on Facebook ❤️
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