I went to a 2-hour comedy show inside a sauna — the best health benefit hit when I got home

You’ve heard the old trick about picturing the audience in their underwear to calm stage fright… but what if you were stripped down to your skivvies too?

On Tuesday night, four standout comedians did exactly that, performing not on a stage but on the steps of a sauna at one of the city’s buzziest bathhouses, delivering the hottest show at this year’s New York Comedy Festival.

Between punchlines, guests at Othership in Flatiron swapped sweat for shivers, plunging into icy pools and turning the night into a wild fusion of comedy and contrast therapy — one of the trendiest practices in wellness.

Founded in Toronto, the social schvitz has developed a cult following in both Canada and New York.

The business got its start during the pandemic, when Robbie Bent was suddenly flooded with interest from people eager to “experience the transformative powers of hot, cold and community” in the sauna, ice bath and tea lounge he’d built in his three-car garage, the co-founder and CEO previously told The Post.

Clearly, people were craving both warmth and connection. So Bent and his four co-founders took the plunge, turning the homegrown setup into a full-fledged brand: Othership.

Fast forward to today, the company curates a robust lineup of alcohol-free events that aim to reimagine nightlife through the lens of wellness, including sober DJ performances, live music, singles mixers and comedy sets.

Last night, I joined fellow festival-goers in a cozy lounge centered around a fireplace, sipping steaming chamomile tea in our bathing suits as we mingled and chatted.

The vibe was relaxed yet energized — impressive for 9:30 on a Tuesday night.

Before long, we made our way to the cold plunge room. I braced myself as guides led us through three icy 30-second dips in pools that ranged from freezing to frigid — 32 to 40 degrees — rotating groups to keep the momentum going.

Immersed in icy water, I followed the guides’ breathwork instructions. I came to the event solo, but before I knew it, a small crowd had gathered around my pool, counting down the seconds and nudging me to stay in just a little longer.

All the while, a guide pounded on a drum head while another circled a tuning fork over our heads, the vibrations humming through the room.

Thrill aside, I reminded myself that research shows cold plunges are good for most people, boosting circulation, metabolism and mood, while lowering stress and inflammation.

Shivering and exhilarated, we next followed the guides into the sauna, which is heated between 165 and 185 degrees Fahrenheit during social events.

I took a seat as host Andrew Packer welcomed guests before welcoming the first comic of the night, Mark Normand. He stepped into the stifling room, towel over his trunks, and launched into a set packed with sauna-inspired humor.

The heat, the laughter and the buzz in the room felt electric. Normally, I’d reach for a drink or two to loosen up at a comedy show, but here I didn’t need it.

“Sauna Comedy brings that perfect mix of sweat, laughter and energy we live for,” Emilio Savone, owner of the New York Comedy Club, which partnered with Othership for the event, said in a statement.

He was right. Even though I’d just met most of the people in the room, I felt an unexpected sense of connection, a communal bond that reminded me why humans have been sweating together in saunas for centuries.

But it’s not just the camaraderie: Research suggests saunas can boost heart health, ease pain and promote calm, while laughter itself reduces stress and enhances mood.

Normand performed for about 10 minutes before passing it off to Juan Nicolón, who did a cheeky set as we sipped iced tea and laughed.

Despite the long work day behind me, I felt energized, fully present and surprisingly recharged — a far cry from my earlier self, wishing I were home in bed instead of on the M train heading to cover an event.

We then went back to the cold plunge room for another icy round before Sienna Hubert-Ross and Gabe Rodriguez-Tossas closed the night with rousing sets.

In the final half hour, guests were invited to explore the space on their own, with some returning for a third plunge while others lingered in the tea room or sauna, chatting and unwinding.

I see a lot of comedy in New York, and few other times come to mind where I’ve walked out of a bar or theater feeling as genuinely happy as I did last night. And I’m pretty sure the jokes were only part of it.

The comedians were great, of course, but the whole experience — sweat, shivers, laughter and shared human energy — elevated it beyond an ordinary night out.

Even better? I went home and fell asleep immediately, something this insomniac rarely achieves even with a hefty dose of melatonin or other sleep aids.