By Maggie Reil, Director of Event Operations
📍 Minneapolis, MN | July 2025
"I still remember the first time I experienced Guided Sauna at Superior. I was in a hot box with 15+ strangers and really not sure what to expect. The guided breath work and reflection was healing, so healing that I cried. The experience completely changed my idea of what sauna can be, and instead of feeling uncomfortable with the idea of sweating with people I didn’t know, I craved the connection it created and knew I had to learn more."
That’s what I think about when we open the sauna door: not just heat, but invitation.
At Superior, I help create those moments. Whether it’s at The Yard in Minneapolis or the residency at Pryes Brewing, my job is to make sure the sauna is ready to hold whatever people bring into it — joy, exhaustion, celebration, grief, curiosity. All of it belongs.
Sauna as Gathering Place
People often think of sauna as solitary, but I’ve learned it’s one of the most communal spaces we have. I’ve watched strangers become friends between rounds. I’ve seen kids fall asleep on their parent’s lap in the cool-down. I’ve witnessed impromptu therapy sessions, poetry readings, even a birthday serenade.
Sauna softens us. It reminds us we’re human. And that’s what I try to carry into every event I host or plan.
Learning From Pryes Brewing
When we launched our sauna residency at Pryes Brewing, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Beer and banya? It turns out, the mix of craft brewing and thermic bathing is… kind of magical.
You get people who came for a casual hangout and leave having had a truly transformative experience. You see folks take the bucket shower after their second round, eyes closed, and suddenly - something shifts. They embrace the cold. They connect. They sweat it out and laugh with someone they just met. It’s both unexpected and unforgettable.
The rhythm of a busy taproom just feet away from a quiet sauna bench has taught me something new about hospitality — how joy and rest can live side by side, how contrast can create balance, and how unexpected pairings sometimes lead to the deepest connection.
A Living Space
The Yard has become more than a pop-up. It’s a living space — where hosts light fires, guests bring friends, neighbors walk by just to wave. It’s not fancy. But it’s warm, and it’s real.
And that realness matters. Especially in a world that feels increasingly disconnected.
We’re not just here to run operations. We’re here to tend to something. A culture. A rhythm. A way of caring for people through presence and heat and attention to detail — whether that’s clean robes, stacked wood, or the right playlist at sunset.
What I’ve Learned
If sauna teaches us anything, it’s how to slow down and listen. I’ve learned that no two nights are the same, and that people remember how they felt — not just the temperature. I’ve learned to watch closely: when someone lingers after a session, or asks if they can just sit by the fire a little longer, it’s usually because something’s landing for them.
From My Bench to Yours
So from my bench to yours, thank you — to everyone who’s shown up this season, to our incredible staff who make this magic possible, and to the future guests we haven’t met yet.
The door’s always open.
Just make sure to close it behind you.
Maggie
Director of Event Operations
Superior Sauna & Steam
