Richmond's first urban communal sauna is now open in Bellevue

State of play: Shawn Smith, a meditation and metaphysics teacher who's long used saunas for the wellness benefits, wanted to bring the communal sauna experience to RVA after moving here from L.A.

• When the pandemic started, just after he, his wife and son made the cross-country trek to relocate, they set up a private sauna in their backyard, but it lacked the community connection he was used to.
• So Smith began searching for a public space to create one himself.
• He was hoping to land his custom-built mobile sauna in a city park, but when that didn't work, he found a home for it behind Once Upon a Vine wine shop in Bellevue.

What they're saying: Communal saunas, Smith tells Axios, create an environment of connection that can help combat loneliness, which is especially important as many adults report feeling lonely post-pandemic.

• And Smith says a sauna like his differs from one you can find at a gym because it's located outside and uses natural elements, like wood and rock.

How it works: You can book a 1.5-hour session online for $40.

• For now, groups top at 7 people, and the booking site shows how many slots are open, so just how communal your experience will be.
• Swimsuits are required, so no nudes, or phones. Unplugging is critical to the process, Smith says.
• Private sessions for up to 10 people are also available for $350 for 1.5-hours.
• River City Sauna is open Friday-Sunday, 2-6pm.

Zoom out: Sauna experiences are also popping up at events at Celeste Farms in the East End or you can have one delivered via Sauna Plunge RVA, a mobile sauna service that started last year.