This limited issue is dedicated to heat and its transformative power. When we step into the heat of a steaming banya or the warm embrace of a pool of water, we find ourselves cleansed, renewed, and activated. Dig into these stories as you bathe and notice the heat that surrounds you. 

In this issue, we turn up the heat with a guide to perfecting the art of the platza, including the relative merits of silver eucalyptus, juniper, and more. Become transported to the hamams of Turkey through the evocative portraits of Turkish photographer Ahmet Sel. Or, peek into a public urban sauna experiment in Brussels. Discover this and more stories at the confluence of heat and bathing.