Gabrielle Reason

Gabrielle Reason is a Director and Council Representative of the British Sauna Society, bringing strategic leadership across governance, research, technology, and long-term organisational development.

With an academic background in Psychology, Physiology and Philosophy from the University of Oxford, Gabrielle’s work sits at the intersection of science, culture, and wellbeing. She is a passionate advocate for the physical, mental, and social health benefits of regular sauna use, particularly its capacity to restore community connection, support longevity, and address modern challenges of isolation and stress through embodied, communal practice.

In 2022, Gabrielle co-founded Hackney Wick Sauna Baths, helping to pioneer a new wave of urban, community-led sauna spaces in the UK. This practical experience - building and operating sauna as public health infrastructure - continues to inform her work at a national level through the Society.

Within the British Sauna Society, Gabrielle leads on organisational strategy, governance, and operational resilience. She has played a central role in establishing the Society as a robust institution: developing its governance structures, supporting the formation of the Council, and helping to define the Society’s long-term mission, priorities, and measures of impact. She also oversees the Society’s digital and membership infrastructure, including platforms for membership growth, communication, and sector coordination.

Gabrielle leads the Society’s work on science and research, building relationships with academic and institutional partners to support UK-based research into the health impacts of sauna and thermal bathing. She works to ensure that emerging evidence is translated into credible public narratives, policy conversations, and practical adoption, strengthening the case for sauna within public health, wellbeing, and preventative care frameworks.

Alongside her role at the Society, Gabrielle is a trustee of a local health and wellbeing trust, and has experience working with universities, public bodies, and large institutions to embed sauna and contrast therapy within longer-term health and community strategies.

At the heart of Gabrielle’s work is a belief that many contemporary wellbeing challenges are cultural rather than technological, and that sauna, as an ancient, communal, and evidence-supported practice, has a vital role to play in the future of public health in the UK.