Why I Started Reading in the Sauna
Heat has a way of slowing things down
Lately, I’ve been bringing a book into the sauna.
Not every time.
But often enough that it’s become part of my routine.
I’ll finish an ice bath, take my book in, and read for a while before the next round.
At first, it was simply a way to pass the time.
Then I realised something.
I was reading differently.
I should probably mention that this isn’t great for the book. Between the heat and the sweat, the pages end up curled and slightly wrinkled. If you’re someone who likes keeping books in pristine condition, the sauna may not be the ideal reading room.
Not faster.
Not more efficiently.
Just differently.
I found myself staying with each page longer.
Sometimes I’d read a paragraph and sit there for a while thinking about it.
Not because it was particularly profound.
Just because there was nowhere else I needed to be.
The heat seemed to slow everything down.
Including me.
I think that’s part of the reason I’ve always been drawn to practices like Bikram Yoga.
You can’t rush a 90-minute class.
You can’t skip ahead to the end.
You can’t squeeze the practice into 20 minutes because you’re busy.
The room has its own pace.
The dialogue has its own pace.
The class unfolds whether you’re impatient or not.
Your only real choice is whether you’re willing to stay with it.
The sauna feels similar.
The heat creates a natural pause.
Not a forced pause.
A real one.
For twenty minutes, I’m not trying to get somewhere.
I’m not trying to finish something.
I’m not trying to be productive.
I’m just sitting in a hot room reading a book.
And somehow that feels increasingly rare.
Reading in the sauna didn’t teach me anything revolutionary.
But it reminded me of something I’ve been practising for years through Bikram Yoga, ice baths, and writing.
Inside the paid section, I’ll share:
• Why some environments naturally create better attention
• The surprising similarity between reading, Bikram Yoga, and contrast therapy
• What happens when we stop rushing every experience
• Why staying with one thing has become a practice of its own
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Practice Letters explores how repetition, discipline, and nervous system training reshape not only the body, but how we meet effort, stress, and change over time. Paid subscribers support this work and receive deeper reflections on practice each week.
