Welcome to the Friday Edit – what we’re trying, booking, listening to and talking about this week. With rumours of another late-summer heatwave, we’re not ready to move on to autumn quite yet.
If the next heatwave comes, you’ll find us here…
We spent a few days at South Lodge this summer and it’s hard to think of anywhere we’d rather be if we get another burst of proper heat.
The setting is beautiful, but it was the spa that really got us. Everything has been done so well: the natural swimming pool surrounded by greenery, wild swimming in the lake, the sauna, great food and plenty of places to simply lie outside and do very little. There’s a lovely energy to the whole place too — luxurious, but relaxed enough that you actually switch off.
We even took our Organised powder down to the pool and they happily turned it into a cacao shake for us. A small detail, perhaps, but exactly the kind of thing that makes us love somewhere even more.
And Coco road-tested her Pure Earth non-toxic bikini (use code BRIGHTSOULS10 for 10% off) in the sauna – the perfect place for it.
Natural swimming, sauna, good food and an afternoon outside. If the next heatwave comes, this is where we’d go.
New to People: Archie McAlpine
This week we’re welcoming someone rather fascinating to Bright Souls People.
Archie McAlpine is an interdisciplinary scientist specialising in brain health and neuroaesthetics — essentially exploring how our brains, bodies and environments interact to influence how we feel and function.
His work spans people, spaces and performance, but his Brain PT particularly caught our attention. Using qEEG brain assessment, Archie creates personalised audio-visual meditation training based on your own brainwave data, with sessions tailored around areas including focus, anxiety and sleep.
He also works in neuroaesthetics and multi-sensory design, exploring the science of awe, emotion and how the spaces around us affect our wellbeing — something we’re becoming increasingly interested in at Bright Souls.
Health Optimisation Summit: We’re going back
We went to the Health Optimisation Summit last year and loved it – from conversations around menopause and biological dentistry to trying an IV, discovering brilliant new products and catching up with familiar faces in wellness.
So we’re going back this September, looking for the people, products and ideas genuinely worth knowing about.
We’ve written more about why it’s back in our diary – and even better, Bright Souls readers get 20% off tickets with code BRIGHTSOULS. This applies to all ticket tiers, whether that’s general admission or VIP!
Health Optimisation Summit 2026: Why It’s Back in Our Diary – read the full guide here.
What’s On in Wellness
September is shaping up rather nicely.
Calling in the Divine Feminine through the Heart
2nd September | St James’s Church, Piccadilly
Crafted Pool Party
5th September | Powdermills, East Sussex
Sanctum Frequency Festival
27th September | Truman Brewery, Shoreditch
We keep adding the classes, talks, retreats, gatherings and slightly harder-to-find things we think are worth knowing about to What’s On in Wellness.
Endless Summer
We are absolutely not packing summer away yet.
Our new Endless Summer playlist is an hour of soulful, warm and increasingly joyful music for late drives home, dinner outside, windows open and squeezing everything we can out of these last weeks of summer.
Facesoul, Jungle, Weyes Blood, The Staves, First Aid Kit and plenty more.
The Bright Edit: Energise
Head to The Bright Edit for the best community discounts on these products and more.
And one little thing from us…
We’re increasingly helping brands and agencies navigate the wellness world too — from finding brilliant practitioners and experts to spaces, ideas and experiences.
Not sure who, what or where? Start with us.
Stay Connected with Us
For more calm moments and curated wellness:
Bright Souls is a referral partner of the Health Optimisation Summit and may receive a commission when tickets are purchased through our link. As always, anything we share or recommend is selected independently by Bright Souls.
