With its custom-built wood-burning stove, Empeiria Sauna House is designed as a literal hotspot for recovery, relaxation and social connections. Writer: Libby Nichols Photos: Morgan Kelly Photography Move over, food trucks. Saunas are the next big thing on wheels. Empeiria Sauna House is a new, mobi le, wood-fired sauna and cold-plunge experience that pops up on Saturdays at the Des Moines Biergarten at Water Works Park. Inspired by Scandinavian sauna culture, the concept blends wellness and community into a uniquely Des Moines experience. The name Empeiria (em-peer-EEah) comes from the Greek word for “experience,” which is exactly what friends and founders Trevor and Danielle Masten and Leah and Anthony Gianaras hope people feel the moment they step inside the cedar-paneled sauna. Before they were business partners, the couples were neighbors who bonded over cold plunging in their backyards. As their daily rituals brought them closer as friends, they wanted to share the experience with others. “We wanted to build something we would genuinely love ourselves,” Danielle said. “And if we were going to do it, we wanted to do it really well.” Scandinavian sauna culture differs from our typical American idea of a spa day. It emphasizes the sauna as part of daily life rather than a “treat yourself” blip in time, and it’s meant to be communal rather than individual. Perhaps unsurprisingly, in-home saunas are considered normal — not just luxury additions — across Nordic countries. Families and friends all rest and reset together. The Empeiria team chose Water Works Park as their first location because it’s surrounded by biking and running trails and a growing outdoor wellness culture. They saw an opportunity to create something that feels equal parts recovery space and social gathering. “It’s perfect after a run, a bike ride or just meeting up with friends,” Leah said. “You can sauna, take a cold plunge, and then hang out afterward.” Empeiria co-founders Trevor and Danielle Masten and Leah and Anthony Gianaras. The experience From the wave of steam created by the wood-fired stove and the wafting fresh cedar smell to the shock of the ice bath afterward, the entire experience is designed to feel immersive, grounding and restorative. Contrast therapy — rotating between heat and cold exposure — has grown rapidly in popularity for both physical and mental wellness benefits. The practice is known to boost circulation, reduce inflammation, accelerate muscle recovery and promote relaxation. For the founders, the appeal goes beyond wellness trends. They’re creating spaces to slow down, connect and reset. “It doesn’t matter if you’re a major athlete doing the cold plunge for recovery or someone looking for a relaxing moment in the sauna. We want it to be inclusive. [Wellness] doesn’t have to be hard or take long. Just come as you are,” Leah said. She’s seen strangers become friends while chatting in the sauna, and friends build deeper connections while cheering each other on in the cold plunge. Unlike infrared saunas commonly found in gyms or spas, Empeiria’s sauna is heated entirely by a small wood-burning stove and lined with cedar, creating a softer, steam-filled heat that feels and smells more traditional. A Duluth company named BW Sauna custom-built it to retain heat efficiently while remaining fully mobile. The owners say that mobility is one of the most exciting parts of the concept. While they’ve started at Water Works, they envision additional popups around the metro, collaborations with athletic groups, private events, memberships and even appearances at birthday parties, bachelorette weekends and recovery-focused community events. “There’s really nothing else like this in Des Moines right now,” Danielle said. “People are craving experiences that help them slow down and feel good.” Libby Nichols is the creator and founder of Meet DSM, an Instagram account dedicated to showcasing Des Moines. She also writes about local businesses and events for dsm magazine. More ways to warm up Baby, it’s cold outside! Personally, I find it harder to motivate myself to leave my cozy house during this dark, chilly time of year. I prefer to revert to the ways of my heat-seeking lizard ancestors who sunned themselves on rocks, so a sauna might be the closest thing I can get to that during a Midwest winter. Here are a few places to coax you out of your heated-blanket cocoon: Hush, Johnston. This suburban spa offers your typical menu of facials and massages, but what sets it apart is the lounge that houses several touchless services like dry float beds, massage chairs and its unique infrared salt sauna. A trip into this dry-heat sauna is boosted with essential oils, salt particles and polychromatic light frequencies, combining multiple therapies into one seriously relaxing spa perk. Oxygen Yoga Fitness, Urbandale. What better way to warm up than with a workout? At this specialty hot yoga studio, rooms are heated with far infrared light (the longest infrared wavelengths) that warms the skin directly, not the air. This method keeps the room from getting stuffy and makes breathing a bit easier during a hot yoga session. You’ll still get all the benefits of a good sweat. Pace317, East Village. At first glance, the ground-floor space looks like a standard studio gym in the new Tempo apartment complex. But in addition to modern equipment, personal training and nutrition coaching, users get unlimited access to the infrared saunas during the studio’s open hours with any membership or $15 day pass. Pause, West Des Moines. This boutique wellness clinic focuses on recovery services like cold plunges, epsom salt floats, IV drips and compression therapy, which are all good for boosting athletic performance and general wellness. They also offer an LED light bed and an infrared sauna, which both warm you from the inside out and leave you feeling like you just came back from the beach. — Hailey Evans, associate editor ...read more read less