The Art of Sauna
In the Ricote Valley, the Latvian pirts ritual is reborn — heat, cleansing, stillness, the whisk and touch flowing into one unbroken path back to yourself.
“The sauna itself becomes the teacher — once you learn to listen to its silence.”
I grew into this the way you grow into a language. My parents run a sauna school in Latvia, and I’ve practiced since I was a teenager — long enough that I was eventually invited to teach the tradition myself. I didn’t invent what I teach. I was given it, the way it was given to the people before me.
From mid-October to mid-March, two years ago, I spent six months in the Ricote Valley building a wood-fired pirts by hand — a long, unglamorous piece of inner work. The Art of Sauna is the sequence that came out of it: taught the way it was given to me, in order, in place, on the body.
This isn’t a technique workshop. It’s the whole arc — heat, touch, stillness, the whisk, the cold — practiced until the sequence, not just the skill, is yours. This first pilot is small on purpose: six places, held the way it was held for me.
38.1247° N, 1.2989° W — Archena, Región de Murcia
Five steps, one ritual, taught like a song.
Heating opens it, cleansing and stillness carry it, the whisk and the water break it open, and massage brings it home — each movement only means something once body, rhythm, nature and the people around you stay connected.
Oak, maple, linden — each step is a note
Sildīšanās · LatvianHeat
The passage from everyday life into yourself. We build heat slowly — breath, silence, the first sweat — until the nervous system stops negotiating and simply arrives in the room.
Opens the ritualSkrubis un attīrīšanāsCleanse
Releasing the outside world, and returning to your own body. A full salt-and-herb scrub, hand to skin, before the ritual asks anything more of you.
Activates ritual intentMeditācija un atjaunošanāsRenewal
Sound, silence, rest — and the quiet work of regaining strength before the ritual’s second half. Nothing is performed here; this is the chamber the whole sequence rests on.
Ritual centerPēriens un ūdens lidojumsThe Whisk
Maple, oak, linden, birch, aspen, rowan — each whisk carries its own meaning: warming, cleansing, strengthening, protective, and more. Then the cold water — the sharp contrast opens a deep, meditative state, taken over by the parasympathetic nervous system.
CulminationMasāža un integrācijaIntegration
After the flight into cold water, we return to the sauna, where sound carries the meditative state onward. The ritual closes with oil or honey — amber or foam massage available by choice — to soothe the skin, feed it, and close the pores, letting the ritual come to rest.
Closes the ritualThe Ricote Valley
Thermal springs and centuries-old irrigation channels, farmed continuously since before record.
Older than writing
This method predates the written word. What I was given was the chance to receive it — and now I’m ready to carry it into the world. But the sauna stays the teacher: it goes on teaching, for a lifetime, the discipline of mental, emotional, spiritual and physical hygiene. The pirts is where earth, water, fire and air meet — in Latvian tradition, a place to meet your own soul.
Al Baraka
The house in the Ricote Valley where the whole pilot is held — a wood-fired sauna, the cold plunge pool, a palm garden, and a terrace looking out over the valley.
How the days run
A short theory grounding, then progressively fuller practice — ending in the complete ritual, done unassisted, in pairs.
Everything the five days need
Who’s holding it
Matīss
Sauna ritualsLeads the rituals and the individual work with each participant — holding the room, start to finish, from the first heat to renewal.
Inese
CoordinationKeeps the program running — coordination, day-to-day support, and translation into Spanish.
Jorge
Local partnerHosts the venue, and our partner on the ground in Spain.
Choose how you stay
Base program without accommodation: €955. Add the room that suits you — the total below is what you pay, per participant.
Optional: a private session with Jorge (+€200) · an extra night before or after the program (+€30).
Flights to Spain and personal expenses are not included.
Before you apply
Do I need prior sauna experience?
No. The program builds progressively — from structure and fundamentals on day one to a full, self-led ritual by day three. Every step is taught before it’s asked of you.
What language is the program taught in?
In English, with whisper translation into Latvian and Spanish throughout, so no one holds up the group or misses the nuance.
Is the heat-and-cold contrast safe for me?
The pace is adapted to each person, and no step is mandatory. That said, if you have a cardiovascular condition, are pregnant, or have other health considerations, please check with your doctor before applying and tell us in your application.
What should I bring?
Whisks, plants, transport and all the gear you need are included. Bring comfortable clothing, swimwear, and whatever personal items you need for five days.
I’m coming alone — is that unusual?
No — most participants come alone. The group is small on purpose (six people), so it quickly becomes a shared space rather than a room of strangers.
Who is this for?
It doesn’t matter where you come from or what your culture, nationality, or identity is — the pirts is a place for everyone. You can also be an experienced pirtnieks looking to add to your practice with my own pirts experience.
How do I get there?
The nearest airport is Alicante (ALC) if you’re flying in from abroad — a short drive from there to the Ricote Valley. We collect you from the airport at the start of the program and bring you back at the end; just send your flight times when you apply.
What happens after I apply?
Tell us a little about yourself and your practice — we’ll reply personally with next steps and any details you still need.
Held for six people, once.
Small enough that every step happens on you, not near you. Tell us a little about yourself and we’ll follow up with the details.
Two places already reserved.
2–6 November 2026 · Archena, Murcia, Spain