Why Vancouver’s Largest Sauna Is The Ultimate Life-Hack For Your Overall Health (Win!)

Move over, basic spa days—Vancouver is now home to the largest sauna in North America, and it’s officially redefining “the reset” for city dwellers. Spanning 4,200 square feet in the heart of downtown, Tevah Wellness isn’t just a gym or a luxury retreat; it’s a science-backed sanctuary designed to help people move from a state of constant “doing” back into “being”.

While the 60-person sauna and deep cold-plunge pools are the stars of the show, the real magic lies in how this guided contrast therapy supports women’s health—from regulating the nervous system to finding a rare moment of emotional safety in a high-pressure world. We sat down with founder Andrew Ao to discuss the “resilience over tolerance” philosophy, the surprising ways the heat helps strangers become friends, and why a 90-minute circuit might be the most productive thing you do all week. —Noa Nichol

Tevah is now open in the heart of downtown Vancouver. Since opening, what have you noticed about what people are most craving when they walk through the doors? Is it physical recovery, mental stillness, or something deeper?

What we’ve noticed is that people think they’re coming for recovery — sore muscles, better sleep, less stress — but what they’re actually craving is regulation.

Most guests arrive carrying a quiet urgency: notifications, expectations, the weight of always needing to be somewhere next. Within minutes of entering, something shifts. Their breathing slows, their shoulders drop, and they remember how to pause.

So while physical recovery and mental stillness do happen, what they’re really responding to is permission — permission to stop doing and return to being.

North America’s largest sauna is a standout feature. How have guests responded to the communal scale of the space, and what kind of energy or connection does it create during sessions?

The scale actually changes behavior.

In smaller saunas people tend to stay in their heads — eyes down, isolated even in close proximity. In a larger communal sauna something shifts. Breath deepens. People stay longer. The nervous system relaxes because the space gives permission to either connect or simply exist beside others.

We often see strangers leave talking like they’ve known each other for years. Not because they were forced to socialize, but because shared discomfort dissolves social barriers. The heat becomes a common language.

The energy isn’t loud — but it’s deeply alive.

Your guided circuits blend sauna, cold immersion, and breathwork. Why was it important for Tevah to offer structured guidance rather than a purely self-directed experience?

Contrast therapy is powerful, but without context it becomes endurance.

Most people approach cold exposure with tension — bracing, rushing, competing. Guidance shifts the goal from surviving the cold to learning how to rest within stress. Breath gives them a tool, and structure gives them safety.

We designed guided circuits because transformation happens when the nervous system understands what’s happening, not just when the body experiences intensity. Many people can enter a position of rest while still holding a posture of distress — the body is still, but the mind never slows. Guidance helps them actually arrive.

Having a guide allows guests to receive more from the experience as they connect to their breath and learn how to rest.

The difference is subtle but important: self-directed contrast builds tolerance; guided contrast builds resilience.

Sauna and cold therapy spaces haven’t always felt accessible to everyone. How did you intentionally design Tevah to feel welcoming and supportive—particularly for women and first-time guests? Also, from what you’ve seen so far, how are women using sauna and cold immersion differently—from stress regulation to cycle support, perimenopause, or nervous system balance?

We began by removing the intimidation factors.

Clear orientation, coached first plunges, lighting that feels warm rather than clinical, private change areas, and staff trained to read body language, not just explain protocols. Many guests don’t need more information; they need reassurance, and that can come from both the design of the space and the presence of our team.

For women especially, comfort and predictability matter. There’s no pressure to perform, no expectation to stay longer than feels safe, and no culture of toughness. The space signals: you’re allowed to listen to your body here while still being gently challenged.

We also hear from many women who arrive hesitant because they’ve been told cold exposure may not be supportive for them. Yet through guided breath and gradual exposure, some who attend consistently share that their experience feels restorative and deeply positive, one guest told us she couldn’t reconcile the warnings she’d heard with how good her own experience had been.

We always encourage people to honour their body and consult professionals when appropriate, but ultimately, we want guests to safely experience it for themselves.

Accessibility isn’t only physical design it’s emotional safety.

The design of Tevah—from natural finishes to the fireside lounge—feels deeply intentional. How does the physical environment support emotional regulation and post-session integration?

The nervous system processes environment before it processes instruction.

Natural textures, soft lighting, warmth gradients, and quiet transitional spaces allow the mind and body to settle into rest. Without that integration window, contrast therapy can feel energizing but incomplete.

The lounge is intentionally slow. You’re not rushed back into the outside world — your physiology has time to stabilize, allowing the benefits to carry into the rest of the day.

Recovery doesn’t end when you leave the sauna.

It completes when your system feels safe again.

Now that Tevah is open and evolving in real time, what kind of transformation or feedback has stayed with you most from guests experiencing the space?

The most meaningful feedback hasn’t been about performance metrics it’s been stories of healing and real life change.

We’ve had guests who once struggled to walk long distances or sing for extended periods return to exercise, singing, and even being cleared to fly again after years of limitation. Others who lived with chronic back pain for over a decade after trying everything and losing hope, have experienced relief and a renewed sense of possibility. 

One moment that stayed with us was a guest being guided through breathing in the sauna who became emotional and shared that, for the first time in a long time, she felt nurtured. It wasn’t just physical recovery it was emotional.

Many tell us they didn’t realize how tense they were living until they felt what relaxed actually felt like. Some say it’s the first time they’ve been present in years. Others return not because they’re sore, but because it helps them show up better for their families, for their job and in life.

What stays with us most is hearing: “I didn’t know I needed this,” or “I wish I found you sooner,” and often simply, “thank you for opening here.” That’s when we know the space is doing what it was meant to do, helping people pause long enough to reconnect with themselves.

Win! A Tevah Wellness Prize Pack!

Congrats Amanda P. of Coquitlam, BC, who will receive from Tevah: a 5 Credit Pack, REYAL Performance Body Wash + Body Lotion, Tevah Tote Bag! Please note: if you are the winner, you will receive a DM (direct message) in Instagram directly from @vitadailymedia. Please be wary of fake accounts, which often use similar handles with an extra or missing letter, number or symbol. We will never ask for a payment or for your credit card number, and we will never ask you to click through a link. If you are unsure whether you have been contacted, via Instagram, by us or a fake account, email us before responding. Full contest rules/regulations here.