It may be winter and there may be a biting chill in the air, but the dozen men and women who have packed a small sauna room in East London are happily sweating away in their swimwear.
It is more than 90 degrees Celsius (194 degrees Fahrenheit) inside – and it is about to get even hotter.
As ice blocks infused with lavender oil melt over sizzling hot stones, releasing fragrant steam, “sauna master” Oliver Beryl turns on some ambient music and starts to vigorously wave a towel in a circular motion above his head to spread overpowering waves of dry heat around the room.
“Now try finding someone and sit back to back with them,” Beryl suggests. “Or, if you want, maintain eye contact with the person sitting next to you.” A brief hesitation, but most gamely oblige for a few minutes.
Sauna bathing has taken London and the rest of the UK by storm, particularly among trendy twenty- and thirtysomethings interested in trying a new pastime that is healthier than nights out in pubs and bars.