We catch up with the Irish entrepreneur on launching her own sauna, ice bath and breathwork studio
Katie Donovan is the founder of Align Wellness. It’s Dublin’s first design-driven sauna, ice bath and breathwork studio based in Harold’s Cross. A space to step away from the noise outside, it provides a luxury sauna and cold plunge experience for those keen to connect with their minds and bodies.
Catching up with Katie in her studio, she tells me that discovering the benefits of using saunas and cold plunge after a bout of extreme anxiety and painful endometriosis symptoms, made her want to bring her knowledge to the masses.
“I used to work in H.R actually,” she begins. “I became quite sick around 2021, I thought I was having heart attack but it was actually anxiety. It was so bad that I ended up in hospital, where I learned that my body was reacting to the anxiety I was experiencing. From there, I knew something had to change.”
Leaving her former job behind and embarking on traveling and visiting friends in places like Canada and Sweden, Katie immersed herself in sauna and cold plunge culture, learning that it benefitted her wellbeing hugely. ” I just fell in love with it and what it did for my nervous system. It is the kind of reset I need to regulate myself. I was really fascinated as to how much sauna, ice bath and breath work benefited me on my journey, it literally changed my life. I went from physically not being able to breathe to feeling like I was functioning normal again.”
As well as helping to manage her anxiety, Katie also discovered that regular use of saunas helped to manage her endometriosis symptoms. “It really helps with my pain management and cramps. Of course you can never cure endo, but I can categorically say that it has eased my symptoms so if I’m a case study for that, I feel it’s my duty to share my experience and knowledge with it and try to help others.”
This knowledge and understanding has created a unique sauna and cold plunge experience in Align Wellness. Different from your usual spots and studios, this one combines a spa-like experience with an on-hand guide to advise you on how you can gain the most from your hour-long slot, while tailoring your experience. “We have essential oils that we use in the sauna during each session which our team chooses specifically for the needs of those using the sauna. If I am looking after a slot, I will often ask women where in their menstrual cycle they are if they’re comfortable sharing that with me and I can advise them on which temperature cold plunge to use, how long to stay in etc.”
“Then aside from your menstrual cycle, we also tailor sessions depending on what a person is looking to gain from it. If you come to an evening session, we work on regulating to help your sleep. We have some people that might come in the middle of the day and they want a little bit of energy, so then we’ll do essential oils for an energy boost.”
Looking to the future, Katie hopes to see her business continue to scale and grow, expanding to other locations around Ireland and bringing the benefits of sauna and cold plunge to more people. “I have my pipeline dreams of expanding. Of course, being a young entrepreneur isn’t always easy, but it is hugely rewarding and I want to continue on this trajectory. If I can help other people with something I love doing, then that’s amazing.”
