How to use a steam room well

What a steam room is like

A steam room is filled with warm, wet air. It feels heavier to breathe than a sauna, which uses dry heat. Within a minute or two the skin is beaded with water, much of it steam settling on you as it cools.

The first minute is the strangest. The air feels thick, and it can take a few breaths to get used to it. Sit back against the wall, breathe slowly and give it a moment.

Ours is small, and sits on its own beyond the Ayurveda room. It’s a room for sitting, and nothing clinical happens in the steam room.

Before you go in

Eat lightly beforehand and skip alcohol on the day. A glass of water before you start is sensible.

Take off jewellery, because metal heats up in steam. Keep the phone out of the steam room too. Heat and damp are hard on phones, and the room is better without screens in it.

Tie long hair up, or wrap it in a towel. Steam undoes a fresh blow-dry quickly, so if the salon is also on the list for the day, book the steam first. Take make-up off beforehand if you can.

From the gym, cool down first and rinse off if you can. Walk in once the sweating from the session has stopped. There’s more on pairing the two in potli massage and steam after the gym.

What to wear depends on the steam room. Swimwear, or a towel wrapped round you, is usual. When reserving, ask what to bring and what we provide.

How long to stay

Start short. On a first visit, sit for a little while and see how it feels. Nobody gives a prize for staying longest, and pushing past comfort gains nothing. The length of each booking is confirmed when you reserve.

Step out as soon as it stops feeling comfortable. Sit somewhere cooler and drink some water. Go back in only if you still want to. Several short sits with breaks in between are often more comfortable than one long one.

If you feel dizzy, light-headed or sick, or get a headache, leave straight away. Sit down, drink water and tell one of us. Don’t go back in that day.

Steam room etiquette

A steam room has a few unwritten rules, and they’re the same for men and women.

Sit on a towel. Keep voices low, or don’t talk at all if someone has clearly come for the silence. Leave the controls alone, and close the door behind you quickly so the heat stays in.

Oils, scrubs and razors stay out of the steam room. Please don’t shave in there. The next person sits on that bench.

Mention any preference about who else is in the room when you reserve. We’ll tell you what we can arrange for that day.

Afterwards

Cool down before heading out. Sit somewhere cooler for a few minutes, drink some water and let your breathing settle.

In December and January, don’t walk straight from the steam into cold air with damp hair. Dry off, dress properly and give it a few minutes more. We’re at Subhash Nagar metro station, and the train home can wait.

The steam room also pairs well with a potli or other Ayurvedic massage in the Ayurveda room. Ask for both when you reserve and we’ll suggest an order.

Who should check first

Anyone who is pregnant, unwell or unsure whether steam suits them should check with their own doctor before reserving. We can’t answer individual health questions online. That conversation belongs with a doctor who knows your history.

If you train and would like steam with a massage on the same visit, see after the gym in Wellness.