Is it the Sauna That Will Save Us? Or Each Other?

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I started washing my face with cold water about a year ago. A tip from a friend to take better care of my skin. This time of year the cold water is that much colder and I have to brace for just a second before it hits my face.

Every time I do this, I think about the trend that went viral awhile back (is it still viral?) to splash ice cold water on your face to help regulate and soothe your nervous system. It was getting a lot of air time right around when I was getting interested in cold plunging and cold exposure in general. I remember being curious if the ice water face bath was worth a look, and then got too busy to care.

It’s been six years now that I’ve been deep into the science and research on nervous system health. I have practitioners I follow for my own education, many of whom would roll their eyes at an ‘ice bath to the face’ kind of tip for nervous system regulation. And I get it, we’re complex beings, our systems have multifaceted needs. A five minute somatic fix is not likely to eradicate our anxiety.

But I also respect the fact that healing starts somewhere. Where did my own journey begin? Was it the hot yoga classes I took in my twenties? A pilates class around the same time? The acupuncture I made time for during my first pregnancy? None of those things was ever going to be a comprehensive space to hold my full wellness. But that doesn’t mean they weren’t still valuable in better understanding my body, and bringing me to a deeper understanding of the nuances in holistically being well.

So what I say now to myself, and to others if they ask is, listen to what works for you. That’s wildly frustrating if you haven’t developed the practice of listening to yourself and to when and how your body speaks. But it’s the holy grail. Learning to listen to when your body feels drawn to something, and when it recoils. When it gets curious about what else is possible. When something that has worked for a long time no longer does, or perhaps just doesn’t in this season. Learning to hear those cues in your body is beautiful wisdom. It’s a powerful language.

If we’re going to get a bit more curious about what this looks like in practice, here are my tips…

We are each wildly and beautifully unique.

What works for your sister, cousin, neighbor, or friend may not be your fit. If everyone is cold plunging or strength training and you just don’t enjoy that, listen to that. There is growing science showing the benefits of cold plunging for hormonal and nervous system health, but if our systems are overloaded or in a chronically activated state, cold plunging can have adverse effects.

Our bodies sense this when our minds may not. I am admittedly not an expert in any sort of science that evaluates bodies in a physiological, structural or functional way. But I am trained to listen to the ways the body seeks and the ways it resists. I know how to support my clients as they recognize what will feel supportive and nourishing, and how to grow the inner alignment of loving exactly what works for one’s Self, even if it’s not popular.

I also work with experts in nervous system health for our Women’s Wellness Retreat and elsewhere, that have taught me how to pay attention to the nuance in what works for different bodies. So while I can’t make recommendations for physiological health, I do pay attention to when and how the body speaks and understand why it might be asking for something that is incongruent with what the culture is telling us is optimal right now. Learning to listen to our own selves speaking and trusting that voice is one of the most powerful things we can do to be well.

Our bodies (and nervous systems) seek connection.

The evolutionary history we carry in our bodies tells us to connect meaningfully to be safe. Having deeper, richer, more trusting relationships with Self, with the people (and animals) around us, and even with nature and our sense of Place, has historically offered us a greater certainty of survival.

Yet our culture is increasingly organized in ways that isolate us throughout the day. We drive in cars, work in front of screens, checkout with kiosks instead of clerks. It takes a lot of work to have daily conversations with strangers, which research shows is one of the most important things we can do for our mental and emotional health.

So to be well, we need to be intentional about building connection into our lives. I have clients that prioritize walks in nature, putting their desk in front of a window, building a regular pilates class into their weekly schedule. No one thing is everything, but each point of connection nourishes us.

Even that ice bath to the face could help, if it’s the right thing for you. Perhaps it offers a moment to connect meaningfully with your Self and listen to what your body is asking for. Or perhaps instead it’s a quiet 15 minutes with your eyes closed on the couch. Intentional connection can look like a lot of things.

Regular noticing will bring us deeper.

Working with a chiropractor during my second pregnancy then brought me to fascia work to rehabilitate my pelvic floor. That led me to craniosacral therapy where I learned the importance of tongue function for nervous system health. Each of those steps brought me into relationship with people I could trust. Yes, it’s been a long journey, Yes, it’s been much harder than ten minutes a day of somatic exercises (though I tried those too). And yes, it’s been worth it.

At each step I learned to pay better attention and to listen. To partner with my practitioners so that I could take my healing home with me. I know now that when I have bodywork and feel the safety of hands on me, I can also feel that same safety from knowing how to use my own hands. I’ve learned how to understand the sovereignty of my own body.

Coaching has been a powerful way for me to practice this noticing. I receive my own coaching several times a month and it helps me bring my attention to what’s working and what’s not. It helps me clarify my thinking and feeling. It helps me move through loops I would otherwise stay caught in.

It also gives me the confidence to know that I am worth being heard, that my voice matters, and that someone will listen to me with care and believe in my biggest possibility.

You may have another practice that feels like this for you, and I find it beautiful that there are so many ways for us to find our way Home.

I am in many ways in the healthiest place I’ve ever been in my life, because I’ve learned to trust myself as a source of deep wisdom. That didn’t happen because of a yoga class, but that class might have been one of the places where it started.

So I’ve learned to stay humble about what makes us well. Is it the sauna, or the people we chat with in the sauna? Is it the run, or the trees we immerse ourselves in on the run? How does it change over time, and as we ourselves change? What works for you? I honor each of us as wildly unique. and I trust that if we keep paying attention, we’ll draw closer to knowing our own language.

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Here’s a recent article I’m loving about fascia, posture, neck tension and overall nervous system wellness, if you’re curious!

Neck Guide: release tension, remodel fascia, lift the face, slow aging, calm the nervous system. By VitallyMelanie, visit here

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If you want to experience fascia release and nervous system regulation yourself, join us at our Women’s Wellness Retreat at Doe Bay this March 19-22! Dr. Aimee and Dr. Sharonrose will be teaching us what to look for, and offering hands-on bodywork.

We have just two spots left! Visit us here.

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Here are some of the places (and smells, and sensations) that help my body feel beautifully alive…

© 2026 Briana Thiodet. All language and images are original and protected.