Hot and cold therapy – sometimes called contrast therapy – has been part of human ritual for centuries.
From ancient bathhouses to Nordic saunas and modern ice immersions, the principle remains the same: use temperature to bring the body back into balance.
This practice can do more than boost recovery or resilience – it can teach us to find calm in intensity and energy in stillness.
🔥 Why It Works
Heat dilates blood vessels, increases circulation and relaxes muscles; cold constricts them, reducing inflammation and improving cellular recovery.
Moving between the two strengthens cardiovascular tone, stabilises mood, and teaches the body to adapt to stress with more ease.
“The cold is your warm friend. It’s a doorway to deep calm and control.” – Wim Hof
The magic lies not just in the temperature shift, but in the regulation that follows – that deep, balanced exhale when your body returns to equilibrium.
🌙 When It’s Good for You
For women:
- Follicular phase (after your period): Heat exposure like sauna or infrared can feel energising and support detoxification.
- Luteal or menstrual phase: Go gently – shorter sessions, lower heat, and warm baths instead of extremes to avoid stress on the system.
- Cold exposure: Beneficial throughout the cycle, but keep it brief and always re-warm slowly.
For men:
Regular sauna and cold therapy can support testosterone balance and muscle recovery, but long, very hot saunas or immediate post-training ice baths can temporarily blunt strength adaptations. Timing and moderation matter.
Avoid extremes during fever, acute illness, pregnancy or unmanaged hypertension.
🕯️ Where to Experience It – London
&Soul Sanctuary (Shoreditch)
A sanctuary for the modern wellness crowd: sauna, plunge and a calm café space under one roof. Expect functional drinks, natural light and music that slows your nervous system down in real time.
USP: Calm social energy and thoughtful, design-driven environment.
AIRE Ancient Baths (Covent Garden)
Candlelit, cinematic, and sensorial. A series of thermal pools from ice to heat, designed for silence and total immersion.
USP: London’s most atmospheric hot-and-cold experience.
Rebase (Marylebone)
A performance-driven recovery hub offering contrast therapy, oxygen, compression and red light. Equally loved by athletes and founders.
USP: Precision recovery meets modern calm.
Photo Credit: Rebase, Louis Waite Photography
Revitalize Urban (East London)
A more intimate, local retreat offering sauna, plunge, and breathwork sessions that feel authentic andinclusive.
USP: Community-first, real-world wellness.
Wellnest (London Bridge)
Soothing interiors, Himalayan salt walls and a warm community vibe. Sauna, plunge, and guided rituals for grounding and emotional balance.
USP: Warm hospitality, heart-led programming and beautiful simplicity.
Arc (Canary Wharf)
A sleek, high-tech wellness studio bringing together cold immersion, compression and IV therapy.
USP: Science-based recovery in a luxury setting.
Photo Credit: ARC Community
Banya No.1 (Hoxton)
Traditional Russian bathhouse rituals – heat, steam, venik leaf treatments and cold plunges.
USP: Time-honoured ritual meets modern execution; deeply cleansing and invigorating.
🌿 Beyond London
Wasing (Berkshire)
Woodland saunas, wild lake plunges and forest bathing.
USP: Elemental immersion – where nature and ritual meet.
Heckfield Place – The Bothy by Wildsmith (Hampshire)
Nature-centred design and botanical treatments that weave in heat and hydrotherapy.
USP: Quiet luxury and deep restoration.
💧 What to Wear (and What Not To)
What touches your skin matters. Most swimwear is made from synthetics that release microplastics and off-gas under heat.
We’re testing non-toxic sauna and plunge attire made from natural fibres and Oeko-Tex certified fabrics – our edit will drop soon in the Bright Edit.
🌬️ At-Home Rituals
- Contrast shower – end hot showers with 30 seconds cold, 60 seconds hot, 30 seconds cold.
- Red light + breathwork – pair gentle warmth with 3–5 minutes of nasal breathing post-plunge.
- Magnesium bath – finish with Epsom salts and grounding oil (try Sacred + Wild).
Bright Souls Picks:
- Bon Charge Sauna Blanket – use code BRIGHTSOULS15 for 15% off
- Celler8 PEMF Mat – use this link for 5% off
- Phoenix Gravity Water Filter – use this link for 20% off
🌞 More Like This
If you loved this, you might also enjoy:
- The London Sound Bath Guide – where sound becomes medicine for the mind.
- Our Red Light Therapy Edit – light, energy and recovery made simple.
✨ Upcoming: Abundance
Our next Bright Souls gathering, Abundance, takes place this November – an immersive evening of heart energy, mindset and sound healing designed to help you move from stress to expansion.
Discover more or join us via our events page.
💫 Closing Thought
Contrast therapy is a practice of opposites – surrender and strength, stillness and sensation.
It teaches the body to regulate and the mind to stay steady.
And perhaps that’s why it feels so good – because balance, after all, is the truest luxury.
Check out our Instagram to see our recent Cryotherapy Experience!
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Some of the links featured in this article are affiliate links. We only ever recommend products we genuinely love and use – this helps support our work in curating calm, considered wellness. If you choose to buy through these links, Bright Souls may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.
The Abundance event and related content are for wellbeing and educational purposes only and do not constitute financial advice or financial services.
Information shared in this article, including any discussion of contrast therapy or other wellness practices, is for general informational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before beginning any new therapy, treatment, or wellness routine, especially if you have underlying health conditions or concerns.
