Recorded live before a full audience at Sauna Days 2025, this special episode of Sauna Talk brings together four authors, educators, and lifelong students of human experience for a conversation that moves well beyond sauna itself.

Joining me are Garrett Conover, author of Sauna Magic; Jesse Coomer, author and educator in breathwork and cold exposure; Harvey Martin, author of Breathe, Focus, Excel and Without Words; and myself, Glenn Auerbach, author of Sauna Build from Start to Finish. Together, we explore the experiences, obsessions, and questions that led each of us to write books and dedicate years of our lives to sharing what we've learned.

Our discussion ranges from sauna culture, cold plunging, breathwork, athletics, coaching, and creativity to broader questions about wellness, personal growth, and what it means to live an examined life. We talk about the tension between science and intuition, the limits of protocols and optimization, and why authentic experiences often teach us more than information alone. Along the way, we reflect on how writing changes the writer, how teaching changes the teacher, and how books become snapshots of who we were at a particular moment in our own journeys.

The conversation is candid, thoughtful, and at times deeply personal. Rather than presenting ourselves as experts with all the answers, we share stories of uncertainty, evolution, mistakes, and discovery. Whether discussing sauna, breath, cold exposure, nervous system regulation, or the search for meaning and connection in modern life, a common theme emerges: the most valuable lessons often come not from information, but from direct experience.

If you've ever wondered why practices like sauna, breathwork, cold immersion, and time in nature can have such a profound impact on how we feel, think, and connect with ourselves and others, you'll find plenty to reflect on in this conversation.

Recorded in the Great Lake Room at Sauna Days 2025, this is a live authors panel about writing, learning, teaching, and the lifelong pursuit of awareness, presence, and authentic human connection.