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Preparing and heating
Prepare and heat a traditional smoke sauna, following the fire with patience, timing and close attention.
- Next training
- 20–26 February 2027
- Place
- Võrumaa, South Estonia
- Group
- 6–8 participants
- Language
- English
- Price
- €1,338
A second training period is planned for 19–25 March 2027.
The training
Learning within the tradition
In Võrumaa, smoke sauna is a living tradition shaped by heat, smoke, water, plants, silence and shared work. Its knowledge lives in repeated actions: preparing wood and water, following the fire, tending the heat and caring for the people gathered in the sauna.
Over seven days, participants take part in the full process. Understanding develops through participation, observation and repetition. Technique, timing, atmosphere and responsibility gradually become parts of the same practice.
The group is deliberately small. This leaves time to work closely, listen carefully and let trust develop at its own pace.
Practice
What the work includes
Tending the sauna
Care for the sauna and its atmosphere before, during and after a gathering.
Whisking practices
Work with sauna whisks and study how touch, rhythm, heat and sensitivity come together.
Herbs and materials
Gather and use herbs and prepare traditional sauna salt and ash-based materials.
Ritual and tradition
Take part in established practices and learn how they are held with care and responsibility.
Keeping for others
Hold smoke sauna sessions within the group, remaining attentive to the space and the people within it.
Responsibility
The work of a sauna keeper
Sauna keeping begins with attention. The keeper prepares the wood and water, heats the sauna, follows the fire, tends the space and remains attentive to the people gathered there.
The sauna is approached with humility. The keeper creates the conditions in which heat, steam, plants, time and presence can do their work.
Daily rhythm
How the week unfolds
- Prepare
Wood, water, plants, tools and the spaces around the sauna are prepared together.
- Follow
The group learns to follow the fire, the changing heat and the pace of the sauna.
- Practise
Whisks, herbs, sauna materials and established practices are approached through doing.
- Keep
Responsibility gradually widens from individual tasks to the sauna and the people within it.
- Reflect
Experience is discussed and revisited as the week develops.
Readiness
How we take part
Practical participation
- A willingness to learn through doing and repetition
- Readiness for heat, smoke, physical work and changing conditions
- Participation in preparation, heating, care and shared daily tasks
Shared life
- Comfort with simple rural conditions and a close group
- Respect for privacy, boundaries and the pace of others
- Curiosity, humility and care for the tradition
Guidance
Guidance and organisation
Helen Möppel · Saunamoor
Helen lives in South Estonia beside a smoke sauna, ancient oaks and a large pond. Her work centres on smoke sauna practice, medicinal herbs and teaching. She opened a sauna school to pass on what she has learned and to accompany others as they develop their own relationship with the tradition.
Edina Csüllög
Edina is a Hungarian-born film producer and organiser of the Finno-Ugric Film Festival. Her work brings together documentary storytelling, community-based practice and cultural preservation. She supports the training, its organisation and its cultural context.
Volunteer alumni support
A circle of volunteer alumni helps Helen and Edina with applications, participant communication and practical arrangements. Alumni contribute when needed and help maintain continuity around the training.
The training is organised through Sanna Vägi OÜ, registry code 17041635.
Practical conditions
What to know before applying
Place and shared life
The training is held in a rural setting in Võrumaa, South Estonia. The week includes simple shared accommodation, meals and daily responsibilities. Detailed arrival information is provided when a place is confirmed.
Payment
The total price is €1,338. After acceptance, €150 reserves the place. A further €188 is due one month before the training. The remaining balance of €1,000 is due before the training begins, on the date agreed in writing.
Nudity, privacy and photography
Nudity is a customary and practical part of traditional sauna. Towels may be used whenever needed. Dignity, privacy and personal boundaries are respected. Photography is discussed separately and requires consent.
Health and responsibility
The training includes heat, smoke, physical activity and changing conditions. Participants are asked to consider their readiness and consult a relevant professional when needed. Alcohol and other intoxicating substances are not used during the training.
Cancellation
If you need to cancel, please contact the organisers as early as possible. Additional payments are returned when the place can be filled or when cancellation is sufficiently early. If the organisers cancel the training, all payments are returned.
Insurance
Participants are advised to have travel and health insurance that covers cancellation and sauna-related activities.
Application
A personal process
- 1
Application
You tell us about your experience, motivation and readiness.
- 2
Personal review
Each application is reviewed personally. Volunteer alumni may support communication and practical follow-up.
- 3
Smoke Sauna Weekly
Meet Helen, Edina, volunteers, alumni and other applicants. When no private conversation is needed, this can also serve as the application interview.
- 4
Confirmation
After acceptance, the place is secured by the €150 reservation payment and written booking terms.
A continuing circle
Smoke Sauna Weekly
Helen, Edina and involved volunteers meet online each week. The meeting is open to alumni and applicants.
It is a place for open questions, learning about one another, sharing experience and supporting continuity in the smoke sauna community.
For applicants, Smoke Sauna Weekly may also serve as the application interview when there is nothing that needs a private setting. A separate conversation can be arranged whenever privacy is needed.
February 2027
Begin with an application
The application is an introduction. It helps the training and coordination team understand your experience, motivation and readiness for the shared work.
Begin an applicationHelen Möppel · helen.moppel@gmail.com · WhatsApp +372 522 2373
Edina Csüllög · sara.kisari@gmail.com · WhatsApp +372 5887 7144