In the late Middle Ages, the bearded and tattooed Viking warriors were a threat to be reckoned with. The sight of their red-and-white striped sails on the horizon sent villages across Europe scurrying for safety. Once they had arrived on land, they were an unstoppable force.
Today, wellness is under a similar onslaught. Topping the lists of the world’s happiest and healthiest people, the Nordic nations are dominating in the well-being arena. Scandi-style contrast therapy is all the rage. The experience consists of a ritual-led hot sauna session — guided by a sauna master and involving local herb oils and programmed music — followed by ice baths, cold plunges and sea swimming. If you haven’t seen, tried or joined one, it’s likely you will soon.
Condé Nast Traveler has called it a sauna evolution. “Viking wellness takes this a step further, with a focus on raw, elemental experiences,” says lifestyle journalist Jessica Burrell. It’s not just about the bathhouse and sauna practices; this form of the experience fosters a connection with nature and community as well. We’re talking chanting, twig-tapping (where the skin is brushed or tapped with twigs), and communal dining.
Illustration by Michael Iver Jacobsen
What’s behind the trend? We’re seeking solace in these fundamental experiences because modern life has become increasingly overwhelming. “In Denmark, well-being is rooted in the simple things: fresh air, movement, time in nature and moments of rest,” says Susanne Åberg, CEO of Danish spa retreat Kurhotel Skodsborg, whose Nordisk Retreat series has sold out for the past two years. “The Nordic program offers an opportunity to embrace mindful connection, full-body presence and restorative renewal. Guests leave fundamentally changed.”
The experience requires some grit, as I found out. Standing shivering on a bathing platform covered in icicles at Skodsborg Spa Hotel in Denmark, I queued up to spend a few thrilling moments dipping in the frozen Baltic Sea in February, sinking into a slushy ice hole cut out of the ocean moments earlier before running back down the platform to a waiting sauna in the hotel. My skin pinkened, my heart raced and my body felt the most intoxicating wave of endorphins. It’s the combination of the mental challenge (beating a fear and challenging yourself) and the physical exhilaration (suspending yourself in below zero temperatures) that makes it so addictive.
I’ve been a longtime follower of these wellness trends and feel so passionate about them that I wrote a book about my experiences earlier this year. The Year I Lay My Head In Water is a memoir about chasing cold water experiences and community across the Nordic nations. And it was in Iceland that I found it expressed in the most interesting way. With nonstop flights available from most U.S. cities, the country has one of the longest living spa traditions in the region. The destination also offers a slew of new spa openings that reflect the growing desire to connect with nature and culture.
Artful Living | How Nordic-Inspired Rituals are Taking Over the Wellness World
At Hvammsvík hot springs, there’s an even more tangible link to the Vikings. On the shoreline beside the complex’s eight geothermally heated swimming pools, you can try an ancient Viking test of strength by lifting a series of Atlas boulders (enormous specifically weighted stones of differing sizes). The area around it has its own ancient history and is listed as having been inhabited during the Icelandic Viking age. For me, the contrast between the cold sea and the hot pools was the biggest boost of all.
Then, just outside Reykjavik, Sky Lagoon offers a unique spa ritual in a turf-roofed house as well as the main geothermal pool. In it, visitors walk through a room full of Icelandic mist, scrub their bodies with sea salt and drink a shot of local crowberry juice to gain a holistic take on Icelandic health. It’s elemental and purifying, and it makes for a great spectacle.
While the experience is most authentically felt in its native lands, you don’t have to jump on a plane to get the benefits of a Scandinavian wellness routine. In Minneapolis, community-focused Portal offers saunas and a shared plunge pool, and confirms it is on a mission to spearhead the era of “social wellness” where recreation and connection come together in a shared space. Elsewhere in the city, Embrace North offers a public sauna and cold plunge wellness spa modeled on contrast therapy research in the heart of the city.
The rise in Nordic-inspired therapies can be attributed to a few different influences, notes Sonal Uberoi, a wellness expert and founder of global hospitality consultancy Spa Balance. “We’re seeing a generational evolution in spa use,” she says. “From Millennials downward, there is an increasing focus on well-being. They want to look after their overall health, particularly their mental health. And this generation spends on wellness.”
Nordic wellness routines, when experienced in their native lands, are more than just a pursuit of beauty and individual health. The practices prioritize community, too — the people you swim with, the chats you have in the sauna and the bonds you create while partaking in a group dinner. It’s about wanting to be healthier, yes, but it’s also about being part of something more expansive on a human level. It’s clear, the Vikings were on to something: Surrounded by a strong community, we’re an unstoppable force.
