Some like it hot

Best known as a noughties BBC1 Radio DJ and cofounder of music festival Bestival, Rob da Bank has recently swapped spinning discs for steam and plunge pools. Ella Foote dips into Dorset to visit his new SLOMO (Slow Motion) venture in Christchurch

We have all fallen into a 3-for-2 offer trap, but perhaps nothing like Rob da Bank’s recent impulse purchase. When one of his pals was buying a couple of mobile saunas from Lithuania he asked Rob if he wanted one too, mainly because it worked out cheaper to buy three instead of two.

Today, Rob now owns five wood-fired saunas with three more on the way. He has taken his mobile sauna on the road and hosted a pop-up at Kings Cross in Central London, at Wilderness festival and near his home on the Isle of Wight. One venture at Elkins Boatyard in Christchurch, Dorset, opened this summer and is set to be busy as the cooler months arrive. “Our end game is to take sauna to the High Street,” says Rob. “A bit like spin and yoga studios, there should be a contrast therapy like sauna in local communities too.”

Slow Motion (or Slomo) is about offering wellness in many ways. It is “Next Generation Contrast Therapy,” says Rob. “Supplying, hosting and building carefully curated retreats, meditation courses and Nordic spas. We are an antidote to the insane chitter chatter of 21st century life.” Slomo is curated and designed by Rob and Josie, his wife and wellness partner. The duo has over 30 years’ experience in wellness and events. “I have been meditating for 30 years and practicing yoga; mine and Josie’s home life is a lot less rock n’ roll than you might think. We have a yoga studio at home, I teach meditation and we have always offered wellness areas at our festivals.”

Slomo started around six years ago when Rob started offering sleep retreats. “I could see a lot of people were battling with insomnia and not sleeping properly. I helped people sleep better with meditation and breathwork, which turned into Slow Motion and then recently we renamed as Slomo. When the sauna arrived in June last year, I could see that sauna was becoming popular in the UK and it is such nice way of living. It’s a great thing for people to share, which is part of my mission. We took delivery of the sauna on my 50th birthday weekend and all our mates got in; it was bloody amazing and we haven’t looked back since.”

Rob is a grafter and despite the appearance of a glamorous DJ career, he has always enjoyed a busy life both professionally and at home. Like many of us he reached a point when he was at burnout and turned to meditation and yoga for grounding.

“Many people in the wellness or outdoor swimming world have turned to these activities for similar reason,” says Rob. “Yeah, it looks nice to jump into a freezing lake, but it is more than that, it is because we need to. For people who practice regularly – daily or weekly – there is probably an underlying reason why. I love that. I love that there are all these different things you can turn to, whether it is getting into cold water, a sauna, doing some breathwork, a meditation session or yoga, you can draw on these things to actually have a pleasant morning, afternoon or day!”

Rob is now fully embracing sauna culture. Not long after his sauna arrived, Josie and Rob headed to Finland to learn more about the culture. “It is not just part of my life, it is crucial to my life,” he says. “I have four kids, I run music festivals, I still DJ with a residency and I teach meditation. Sauna has become a part of what I do, and I love being part of that scene. Visiting Finland has made us more determined to make sauna accessible to everyone here in the UK.”

Rob has set up the first floating sauna in the UK, in the Isle of Wight, and he has created a Nordic Spa in his local area. Slomo at Elkins Boatyard offers two saunas, plunge baths and river views. It’s simplicity along with retro fabric parasols and snug outdoor seating is all part of the charm. Another Kings Cross pop-up is planned and he has ideas for Bristol and beyond.

“I am the first to admit I am a newbie with all of this,” says Rob. “People have been using sauna globally for centuries. It isn’t a new thing but it is something new we can offer to people as a lifestyle here. Lots of people, like me, realise at some point life is quite short and we need to look after ourselves. Sauna is a beautiful thing to do; it makes you feel really good and it is something I can do with my partner, my kid or my mates. There are a million reasons to do it.”

Fancy slowing things down? Book into Slomo at slomo.me and follow on Instagram for updates.