From Burnout to Breakthrough: My Sauna Sanctuary
Earlier this year, freelance journalist Leigh Singer found himself teetering on the edge of complete burnout. Juggling a precarious career, demanding family life, and overwhelming global anxieties, he was also grappling with the profound grief of losing both a close family member and a childhood friend. Despite trying conventional remedies like meditation, yoga, and therapy, a persistent sense of loss and stress continued to dominate his life.
Discovering a Community Oasis in Camberwell
The turning point arrived when Singer discovered the Community Sauna Baths in Camberwell, a not-for-profit initiative designed to make sauna culture accessible and affordable. From his very first visit, he experienced an immediate shift. He describes the space as "a pocket of calm in the chaotic city," a sanctuary where he could finally soothe his churning sadness and release bottled-up angst.
Now a regular visitor, Singer highlights the uniquely welcoming atmosphere. Even when attending alone, he finds it easy to connect with others, noting a genuine sense of community where people willingly make space for one another on the sauna benches.
The Tangible Benefits: More Than Just Heat
Singer has come to appreciate the multitude of benefits sauna sessions provide. The heat helps reduce stress by releasing endorphins and contributes to improved cardiovascular and muscle health. He reports a dramatic improvement in his perpetually tight hamstrings, feeling significantly more flexible.
The experience is also deeply sensory for him, encompassing the smell of wood and the sound of water sizzling on hot stones. While he admits to lasting only seconds in the subsequent cold plunge pools, he embraces the entire ritual.
Unlike previous sauna experiences that felt like endurance tests, his visits to the community sauna have become exercises in mindfulness. The heat helps him stay focused and present, flushing away negative thoughts in what he describes as a deep cleanse for both body and soul.
Emerging from each session, Singer feels rejuvenated—both deeply relaxed and strangely energised. The practice has helped realign his emotional balance, leaving him mentally and physically limber, as if old anxieties have literally evaporated. While his future remains uncertain, he now faces it with renewed vigour and purpose, all thanks to the transformative heat of his local sauna.
