Borealis x Laugaren 2026
Borealis x Laugaren: Trance Bath
Borealis once again joined forces with Laugaren during Borealis festival in March 2026.
— to continue our shared exploration of sound, heat, and collective practice.
Built and maintained by a dedicated volunteer community, Laugaren serves as a social and cultural meeting point, bringing together people from diverse backgrounds and fostering an inclusive, welcoming community.
This year, Laugaren hosted Julia E. Dyck, a Canadian artist and hypnotherapist based in Brussels, as resident artist.
During the festival week, an installation featuring resonant instruments such as chimes and singing bowls, along with towels with musical scores, was accessible to visitors throughout the sauna’s opening hours, providing an immersive experience. Several unique sessions took place as part of Julia E. Dyck’s residency at Laugaren.
It was possible to take part in the following sauna sessions, led by Julia:
Listening Session, a collective listening experience that combines guided breathwork with immersive compositions blending chakra frequencies and atmospheric field recordings.
Guided Bathing Meditation, a restorative session combining breathwork, cold plunges, guided visualisation, and reflection. The aim is to help participants sweat out what no longer serves them while exploring the connection between body, mind, and community.
Queer Sauna with Archival Activation and Utopian Dreaming session invites participants to engage with the Pussy Palace archive and their own queer archival material through collective readings, private reflection, cold plunges, and discussions or guided visualisations of queer utopian futures. Participants are encouraged to bring their own materials to help spark conversation, reflection, and collective dreaming — anything from magazines, photographs, articles, and artworks to personal objects.
Singing Sessions with Towel Scores, an immersive performance workshop where participants explore vocal warm-ups, cold plunges, and collaborative singing with harmonisation and improvisation.