Aufguss: Tradition and innovation to the beat

The Aufguss, a German term meaning “steam release”, is a ritual taking place inside the sauna and performed by the Aufgussmeister ‒ that is, a sauna master. Originating in Finland under the name of Löyly, it aims to quickly renew the air inside of saunas by waving a towel near an oven with hot stones after damping it with cold water. At first, the movements were only functional. Over the years, they have become more and more complex, making the Aufguss an actual ceremony. During the ritual, the Aufgussmeister traditionally places ice balls scented with aromatic fragrances on the hot stones of the oven, producing an intense steam jet. The sauna master then increases the heat with the towel, waved with skilful movements, and directs it to the people inside the sauna.

In this way, thanks to greater perspiration and vasodilation of the peripheral blood vessels, it is easier to eliminate toxins and obtain both mental and physical benefits. The ritual generally includes three cycles of water pouring and towel waving, for a total duration of 7-12 minutes. At the end of the Aufguss, it is crucial to apply cold water on the body, starting from hands and feet and up to the chest at heart level. Lastly, it is fundamental to recover the lost fluids with water, tea or herbal tea.

gozio

Originally, the Aufguss ritual was performed in complete silence. It is only recently that music and other kinds of accompaniment have been introduced. This is the topic of our interview with Nicola Gozio ‒ from Brescia ‒ one of the most appreciated sauna masters on the Italian scene. Graduated in Industrial Economy, he obtained an MBA master; today, he is Wellness Strategy Consultant & Professional Aufgussmeister at Hotel Quelle Nature SPA Resort in Gsies and works with a lot of businesses connected to the world of Wellness, both in Italy and abroad.

We know that your constant commitment to improve the experience inside the sauna with innovative elements has brought important recognition over the years, including the one of 3D Virtual Reality Experience: not just a treatment, but a real revelation. What is it about?

The awards have made me even more determined to continue in my work and research. On the occasion of the 2024 European Health & Spa Award which took place in Vienna on 27th June, I ranked second as Europe Best Spa Manager, and first as Italy Best Spa Manager. The treatment 3D Virtual Reality Experience that I designed with musicologist and guitarist Giordano Ravaglia for Hotel Quelle Nature Spa Resort was awarded the fourth place among the Best Spa treatments in Europe. It is based on a combination of traditional relaxation techniques and new technologies to offer a multi-sensory experience. Guests wear headphones and visor and travel to the most beautiful corners of South Tyrol, through an immersive, all-round vision. By combining the heat of the sauna, the sophisticated ventilation techniques of the Aufguss and the fragrances of the essential oils with the interactive video, you get a treatment that can reach and stimulate all five senses together. It is an adventure, designed with the support of psychologists, doctors, masseurs, music therapists and video directors, that offers authentic emotions at the discovery (or rediscovery) of nature’s beauty. I strongly believe that in this way it is possible to achieve a profound connection between mind and body: it is a fulfilling and engaging experience, one that can pave new ways for wellness treatments.

It seems that music has a paramount role: “Music 3D experience” brought holophonics to the sauna as early as 2022. Can you tell us more about it?

Holophony is a sound recording and playing technique whereby a sound is reproduced similarly to how the human auditory system perceives it: the result is a sound immersion identical to the real one. When listening through headphones, sounds seem to come from outside as if listening to a live scene. In this way, all the sound messages and sensations are perceived intensely by the listener, who is engaged ‒ fascinated, even. During this special Aufguss ritual, the guests in the sauna lie down, wear comfortable, enveloping headphones and, through the sound reconstruction of a mountain hike, they are guided through Gsies ‒ where Hotel Quelle is ‒ walking through green meadows, pastures, woods, streams and rocky paths, in an ongoing crescendo up to the climb among the glaciers on the mountain highest tops. Thanks to the over 800 3D-sounds designed and managed by Giordano Ravaglia, the treatment offers a complete sensory experience.

Let’s be honest: you are a Wellness rockstar. Since 2020, it’s possible to watch a truly unique sauna show with your “Aufguss show Rock Party LIVE”.

It’s a project that I really care about. I worked for three years to bring a real rock concert into the sauna. To turn it into reality, I needed special lights, a 2000-Watt sound system to connect the instruments and a fog machine. The “Aufguss show Rock Party LIVE” enabled me to enhance the sauna session with a complete experience for the wellness of not just body and mind, but also of the soul. Music reaches deep, stimulates the senses, gives us real emotions: when the guests of the Spa start gathering inside the sauna, I feel a responsibility to offer the best pyscho-physical experience to all of them. I perform my dance with the towel, while Giordano Ravaglia, playing the electric guitar, enters the sauna in the last part of the show. And it is always a true emotion, both for us and the guests.