Banya No.1

Today I went to Banya No1 in Hoxton with my buddy in health @raniswords from @ultimateperformance. Now you know I love a good sauna for all the health benefits - emitting toxins, cardio vascular health etc, but this version, practiced in several Baltic states, also included a scrub, mud treatment and aromatic massage with fragrant branches. 

First off we changed into our swimmers, sat in a hot sauna for a few minutes to work up a sweat, then took a cold shower and an even colder dip into a giant barrel of freezing water. 

Then we had a sauna treatment using boughs of oak for the body and eucalyptus for the face, which released wonderful aromas to be breathed in. Did you know by the way, that the sauna beanie hats are to stop you absorbing too much heat through the head? 

Next stop an invigorating body scrub with honey and salt, followed by a mud mask for the face and neck. 

Another sauna involved air infused with garlic no less! 

Cleansed, relaxed and with skin as smooth as butter, we went to our relaxation booth where we were served cucumber water, sea buckthorn tea, fresh cranberry juice, borscht soup, smoked ham, pork lard (my favourite) and cottage cheese pancakes with blueberries. 

You can easily spend three hours in here dipping from one treatment to Another.  The sauna masters are knowledgeable and make you feel very comfortable.

It’s a wonderfully relaxing and invigorating experience and the food was really truly delicious. 

Banya No1 was a genuinely great experience. I would go again. 9 Corks out of 10 😀