Playing around with some new classroom tools this week — wanted to share a draft of what I'm building for the Nervous System Primer module. This is still rough, but the direction feels right. Would love to know what lands for you and what you'd want more of. 👇 Drop your thoughts below.

Happy Monday everyone! I’m spending today converting more of our core Sauna Skool material into video — taking what we’ve been building in writing and translating it into something you can practice in real time. This is the heart of it: Saunas can proliferate across backyards and rooftops.But if the practice doesn’t deepen, it’s just another amenity. The real gift of thermic bathing isn’t the heat. It's what the heat asks of you. Steadiness. Elasticity. The pause before reaction. That can’t be installed. It can only be trained. Sauna Skool exists because more access doesn’t automatically mean more depth. Practice does. As we build this resource out together, I’d love to hear from you: Where in your life right now do you most need that pause before reaction? Work?Family?Partnership?Decision-making?Your own inner dialogue? Drop it below. And thank you for being here this early. What we’re building isn’t content — it’s capacity. Your participation shapes it. Let’s train steadiness this week.

Hey everyone! I just published an article that’s close to the heart of how I think about why heat actually heals — and I’d love to hear what this community thinks. 👉 The Parasympathetic Theory of Thermic BathingIn short: heat only becomes regenerative when the nervous system feels safe enough to let go. It’s not about hotter or longer — it’s about restful surrender into the heat. I explore how traditions from sweat lodges to onsen all tap into this same pathway, and why safety is the real medicine of thermic practice. Read here: https://thermaculture.substack.com/p/the-parasympathetic-theory-of-thermic Would love to get your thoughts and reflections — especially from folks who’ve witnessed the difference between heat as challenge vs. heat as restoration. Let’s discuss! 🧖‍♂️💬

Happy Thermaculture Thursday all you Sauna Skoolers! I'm getting ready for tonight's guided session at Hewing Hotel. I left and arrived a little early due to all this new snow so I have a moment to jot a quick note here to welcome all the recent new members, especially @Andrew Waller, @Christy Conlon, @Kelsey Price, @Amber Caskey, @Scott Anderson, @Alissa Kindred, @Nadine McCurry, @Maddie Bonham, @Laurent Sou, @Catherine Watch, @Marlee Leebrick-Stryker, @Andrea Bruner, @Shayden Frankhouser, @Shannon Hady, @Mallory Johnson, @Theresa Larson, @Melissa LeGrand, @Johnny Stang, @Cynthia Sterle, @Mary Anderson You’re joining at an interesting moment. Sauna culture is spreading across the Midwest — and across North America. Backyards. Floating saunas. Hotel rooftops. Community bathhouses. The visibility is growing. The interest is real. And that’s beautiful to see. But here’s the quiet truth beneath the headlines: More places to sauna doesn’t automatically mean deeper practice. Sauna Skool exists because of that distinction. The goal isn’t to steam in one specific location. It’s to understand thermic bathing well enough that wherever you are —your practice deepens. Heat, cold, and rest are simple. But when practiced intentionally, they become something much more than contrast therapy or relaxation. They become training. Training in: - Steadiness under intensity - Expanding parasympathetic capacity - Developing a pause before reaction - Staying connected when things get hot

Before we get into lessons, language, or techniques, I wanted to start here—with a new simple introduction. This short video explains why Thermaculture exists, what it’s pointing toward, and what this Skool is really for. Thermaculture isn’t about performing sauna culture or chasing some ideal of authenticity. It’s about translation—understanding how humans have used heat, cold, rest, and contrast for thousands of years, and learning how to practice that wisdom where you actually live. If sauna has ever felt like more than a habit to you— If you’ve sensed that it reliably changes your state in a way that’s hard to explain— You’re in the right place. Watch the video when you have a quiet moment. No rush. Then, if you’re up for it, drop a comment below and share: What first drew you to sauna—or what made it start to feel like something more than just heat? I’m really glad you’re here. —John