After a successful debut last winter in Boston, Moki Sauna — an outdoor pop-up sauna experience — has rekindled its wood-fired sauna stoves for the season at the trendy Somernova campus in Somerville.
This year’s sauna village brings the familiarity of its setup on the Rose Kennedy Greenway in Downtown Boston from last year with transportable wood-paneled sauna cabins, reception and changing areas, and the freezing cold plunge pools, but with notable changes too, said Mark Peloquin, CEO and founder of Moki.
Across its three saunas, affectionately dubbed “Cozy Cabin,” “Big Trailer,” and “The Treehouse” — all kept at varying levels of intensive heat for the spectrum of first timers to pros — the sauna village can host up to 24 guests at a time, and will run until mid-April at its new 14 Tyler St digs.
One of three sauna cabins at Moki Sauna’s pop-up winter village at Somernova in Somerville.Chris McLaughlin
What’s New This Winter
Peloquin said one of the biggest upgrades for Moki this year is its proximity to the varied offerings in this part of Somerville like Aeronaut Brewing Company, which sits directly next to the sauna village and whose murals of tropical plants and of a lion provide a “playfulness” in contrast to Moki’s Nordic-inspired ethos.
Kristin Phelan, the vice president of real estate development for Rafi Properties and Somernova, said Moki now sits “surrounded by [the] entrepreneurial ecosystem” of the campus, which is home to a total of 2,000 employees that include such climate tech employers as Greentown Labs, and entertainment spaces like rock climbing gym Bouldering Project.
Peloquin and Phelan said this “cross-pollination” can make for an overall more enjoyable experience for guests.
Not only can people come to the sauna and cold plunge, but they can make more of their time at Somernova through its different drink and dining options, such as Venezuelan cuisine restaurant Carolicious to the brand new Asian-fusion Mimi’s Chūka Diner, they said.
While most outside food and drinks aren’t currently allowed into the sauna space itself — meaning guests can’t bring a pint of beer from Aeronaut into the sauna — this year Moki is also offering hot chocolate to sauna-goers from Somerville Chocolate as well as some snack options.
A seating area around a fire pit at the center of Moki Sauna’s winter village at Somernova in Somerville.Chris McLaughlin
There’s also now a fire pit in the village’s central seating area to help keep guests warm when they’re exposed to the wintertime air in nothing more than their robes or bathing suits.
But before guests get too cozy, Peloquin said Moki has added another cold plunge pool to keep up with what he said was high demand, having previously “underestimated” guests’ interest in the ice water baths.
Similar to the saunas, the cold plunges are also kept at a range of coldness levels, from milder to a deep chill.
The space in Somernova’s courtyard also provides Moki with perks like built-in speakers to play music and overhead lights for evening glow, and a few quirks, like a large unicorn statue donning one of the sauna’s branded hats.
A unicorn statue at the Somernova campus stands beside the Moki Sauna village setup for the 2024-2025 winter season including a cold plunge pool.Chris McLaughlin
What Are The Benefits?
Peloquin said that visiting a sauna is not only healthy for one’s physical wellbeing, but can also foster social connection and better mental health during the gloom of winter.
While a brewery sits next door to Moki this year, he said that many are drawn to bars because it’s a warm social space to hang out with friends or meet new people.
Peloquin said that the sauna experience can act as an “alternative” to this thanks to the more intimate nature of sitting with others in a sauna cabin.
“You’ll come here and meet people and talk to people,” Peloquin said. “And it’s just so rewarding to see how quickly people interact with each other when their phones are not present. And it’s one of the rare places that like you can meet people, with no intimidation.”
Some of Peloquins top tips are that guests shouldn’t feel pressure to do anything beyond their limits. Moki generally recommends three to five cycles of 10 to 15 minutes inside the sauna, before taking a few minutes to cool down outside or in the cold plunges, and then resting and relaxing for another 10 to 15 minutes before repeating.
Peloquin said to drink plenty of water beforehand and throughout, noting he himself will “easily” go through half a gallon to a gallon of water over the course of a two-hour sauna session.
Mark Peloquin, the founder and CEO of Moki Sauna, pictured here at the business’ winter village at the Somernova campus in Somerville in January 2025.Chris McLaughlin
He said there’s a common “myth” that a sauna itself will help cleanse one’s body of toxins. But really it’s stimulating users to hydrate more and in turn the extra fluids help the body to naturally flush out its system.
Mentally, Peloquin added that coming to Moki can be a stress reliever, acting as a “reset” from daily life and that the back-and-forth between hold and cold can trigger one’s endorphin responses.
Moki will also start offering 10-minute breath work classes on weekends inside the saunas he said, giving guests the chance to learn how to control their breathing and heart rate better inside the sauna environment.
Peloquin said going to a sauna can be a “catalyst” for improving one’s health and wellness. He recommended the practice consistently, even in the warmer months.
Last summer, Moki set up in Mashpee, where Peloquin said the business was warmly received and generated a group of regular clients, including players from the Cape Cod Baseball League.
Peloquin noted that even in the summer, the temperature inside the sauna is largely irrelevant and that the cold plunge becomes all the more inviting.
Guests soak in the heat from wood-fired stoves within sauna cabins at Moki Sauna at Somernova.Chris McLaughlin
What to Know When You Go
Inside the saunas, there are rows of wooden benches with heat from Finnish-imported wood-fired stoves rising to fill the cabins. Guests will notice the scent of charred wood radiating across the sauna village.
Those inside the saunas have buckets of water and ladles available for dousing the hot coals, producing sudden and extreme bursts of warmth.
The interior of the saunas typically ranges from 180 to 190 degrees Fahrenheit. Peloquin said the Moki sauna stoves have ten times more rocks than a traditional gym sauna, making for a more intense heat.
Before entering the sauna guests can change into their bathing suits and store their personal items in a tent with lockers.
Sam Stillman and Bastian Lasse, a married couple trying out the saunas at Moki, told MassLive they enjoyed the “cozy” atmosphere of the pop-up sauna experience on their day off from work together.
Lasse said that he liked how Moki offers co-ed saunas for couples to use, unlike other Boston area saunas or gym saunas which may be segregated by gender.
A leafy mural is reflected into one of the cold plunges at Moki Sauna at Somernova.Chris McLaughlin
Stillman, who found out about Moki through Instagram, said she was interested in trying the cold plunge for the first time, but admitted she couldn’t muster the will to go in above her knees due to the bone-chilling temperature of the water after a few attempts.
Stillman added she found Moki’s sauna village “soothing and relaxing,” and both her and Lasse recommended the experience saying “It was very much worth it.”
Moki is open Tuesday through Sunday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. until April 15. The business recommends making a reservation in advance, but walk-ins are welcome based on availability. A 1-hour session costs $45, while a standard 2-hour session costs $60 per person.
