USA Today: Aufguss sauna, the next big wellness trend you need to know about

A combination of heat, sweat, and showmanship

Even in Las Vegas, the last place I expected to find a show was in the spa. But thanks to the aufguss sauna ritual at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas, that’s precisely what I got.

When I entered the sauna event room at Lapis Spa & Wellness, a dozen other people were already seated on natural wood tiered seats. Like an arena, we all faced a video screen; ours flickered with a scene from a babbling brook with dragonflies and hummingbirds flying in and out of frame. Serene music and glowing lights filled the space. It was hot, and the sweating had begun.

Suddenly, a lithe woman in a bikini top and wrap skirt came in with a bucket filled with snowballs — snowballs on a 115-degree day in the desert! They were doused with pure essential oils so that when the woman placed them on hot sauna rocks, the melting snowballs emanated calming aromas. As the steam rose, it got even hotter.

Read More