Seattle: Banya 5

Cold wind glides through the air, cutting to your core with its icy breath, an incessant reminder that the grip of winter firm and unyielding. Nights are long, dawns are dim and unresolute, with a haze of grey lingering over the days as they blend together in a nearly seamless medley of chill and dark. Times like these, a hot bath or a long, steamy shower can work wonders to revive your body and refresh your mind, and a sauna can decongest your dehydrated and winter-weary lungs like few other things. While there are many options for getting your social bathing time in, one of the most accessible might be Banya 5 in downtown Seattle. Not far from the 99, and just off of Denny way, they even have their own private customer parking lot around back to ease your urban parking anxiety (unless that's just me). I was fortunate enough to be invited to attend a work-funded outing to the Banya 5 bath house with a few of my coworkers, and while you might be cringing in horror imagining everyone in the nude, you can relax- this isn't that sort of establishment. There are, of course, plenty of bathhouses where you'll be going in fully nude, in traditional jjimjilbang style, but those are generally gender separated while Banya 5 is all co-ed, so bring your bathing suit and prepare to relax! 

Given that the interior of a bathhouse is slick, wet, and splashy, I didn't take my camera inside the actual bathing areas. I'm sure my fellow bathers wouldn't have been terribly pleased to be filmed while trying to relax, anyway- not only would that be rude, but I'm fairly certain that would be illegal, even if it's a nudity-free bathing zone. There's something about the sanctity of a bathing space that just makes yielding a camera creepy, let alone a reckless endangerment. Suffice to say, it was a relaxing and rejuvenating way to spend a brisk winter evening! I'm grateful for having the opportunity to attend. If you wish to experience it for yourself, know that once you find the building you'll go in to their front lobby and check in with one of their lovely clerks. They'll give you your locker key and explain everything to you, so if it's your very first time at a public bathhouse rest assured that you'll be at the right place to glide in for the very first time. Once you've got your key, which should be on a handy water-proof wrist-band, you'll change in your designated locker room, then join the fun inside the actual wet areas. There are several tubs to soak in, with varying heat levels, and several warm saunas to choose from as well. I always tend to go to a hot area, like the heavy humidity steam sauna, then quick rinse under the showers (to wash away sweat) before plunging into the cold pool. I absolutely love cold pools, which are usually kept somewhere just neigh of freezing. The shock of cold water wrapping around your body stimulates all sorts of systems in the body, and the alternating between hot and cold really gets your blood and lymph moving. On a hot day, I love the cold pools even more for their ability to quickly bring your core body temperature down, and just like icing an injury the cold helps bring down inflammation, which is fantastic after a long day of walking or working. So, in short, I highly recommend it. Don't forget to rinse off your sweat between tubs, though, to keep the shared bathing water as hygienic as possible!

So if you've never been to a Banya before, try giving Banya 5 a go! It's not a huge place, so you shouldn't get overwhelmed with decisions, just dip your toes and see what you think. 

Until next time~

💋

XOXO,

NAU