EARTH ZONE

Plants are powerful, and so is heat and the practice of combining them together. How do we navigate what is the right plant and the right practice for an individual? Whether you are a self-care sauna lover, or a provider of a sauna experience for others, this workshop will introduce you to the major plants in sauna traditions, their benefits and limitations, and will guide you through some practical steps of choosing the right plant or the right practice for you.

Sweating is one of the body’s most profound pathways of detoxification and temperature regulation. In Ayurveda, perspiration is directly connected to Meda Dhatu (the fat tissue) and Meda Vaha Srotas, the channel system responsible for lubrication, moisture balance and the smooth functioning of heat and metabolism.

In this workshop, Anja will guide participants through:
• The Ayurvedic physiology of sweat — how and why the body produces sweat and what it reveals about internal balance.
• Understanding Meda Vaha Srotas — its structure, functions, signs of imbalance and its relationship to the skin, digestion and fat metabolism.
• Excessive, deficient or irregular sweating — interpreting these signs through an Ayurvedic lens.
• Practical tools to support healthy sweating and srotas function including herbs, dietary adjustments, yoga practices and mindful heat therapy.
• Energetic and emotional aspects of sweating, including the release of accumulated tension and subtle ama.

Participants will leave with a deeper appreciation of sweating as an intelligent, cleansing and healing process.

Tuku atu Tuku mai weaves storytelling, taiao, and connection through contemporary tukutuku practice. Founder of Whatu Creative, Awhina guides participants through Māori weaving patterns that invite pause, reflection, and creativity. In this hands-on workshop, each participant creates their own mini tukutuku piece while exploring how ancient design meets present-day expression reminding us that the patterns of nature and the patterns within ourselves are deeply interconnected.

Join Graedon, Billy and the BROS Aotearoa collective for an experience in brotherhood connection and masculine wellbeing. Designed for the everyday man, this workshop blends simple wellness tools with sacred space for healthy challenge and connection. Participants may arrive as strangers but will leave feeling valued, connected, and part of something greater than themselves. Open to all males over 12 years of age.

BROS, facilitators Graedon & Billy have been active in the field of men's work for the past 7 years. BROS (Building Resilience of Self) is a collective with a mission to restore the vitality of men, cultivating generations of healthy, honest masculinity. Our regional "Local Fires" project supports the facilitation of men's circles across Aotearoa - spaces of connection, accountability, and support. Our mission - more men, around more fires.

PLEASE BOOK FOR THIS WORKSHOP
Limited spaces available

- Head to the info tent to register
-$10 per person. Paid by cash or bank transfer

Create a soft, durable sauna hat using natural New Zealand wool. This relaxed, hands-on felting experience requires no prior experience, and you’ll leave with a beautiful sauna hat to wear at the festival and enjoy for years to come.

Sit back and enjoy learning about the history of oils and historical use, modern day use, and how to use them for everyday wellness. Also explore the physical, emotional and spiritual benefits.

TAKE AWAY OIL BLEND (OPTIONAL) - make your own oil blend - essential oil rollers = $10pp

Open to singles, couples, and friends.

This 90-minute experiential workshop explores how to cultivate deeper, more honest, and nourishing connections — with partners, lovers, friends, and yourself.
Many of us long for relational depth and intimacy yet create distance through speed, self-protection, or unconscious patterns.

Slow down, tune in, and experience real connection — with yourself and in relationship with others. Through simple, playful, and heartwarming embodied practices, this session cultivates safety, presence, and authenticity — the foundation for intimacy, aliveness, and meaningful relationships.

Participants leave grounded and inspired, having made sweet connections and feeling resourced with practical tools to make all of their relationships safer, more alive, and more real.

For the benefit of all participants, the workshop is designed to be experienced from start to finish.

PLEASE BOOK FOR THIS WORKSHOP
Limited spaces available

- Head to the info tent to register
-$10 per person. Paid by cash or bank transfer

Sharn from Make and Mend returns to Sauna Fest to facilitate a hands-on workshop in sustainable craft. This 90-minute session invites participants to create their own one-of-a-kind sauna hat using a fresh palette of wool (pre-dyed with plant and food waste).

With pre-cut panels ready for assembly, Sharn guides the group through essential hand-sewing techniques. These skills are designed to be practical beyond the workshop, offering versatile mending and crafting methods for daily life.