Sauna, Ice Bath & Steam: A Guide to Heat & Cold Recovery
Our sauna and ice bath sit on site, a short walk from the rooms and the pool, so a hot-cold recovery session is built into the schedule rather than treated as an occasional extra. Heat, cold and steam each work on the body in different ways, and used together they make for one of the more effective recovery routines available on a surf and yoga week.
Hot baths: relaxing muscles and easing tension
A hot bath relaxes the muscles, eases tension and increases blood flow, leaving you feeling loose rather than wound up. The warmth brings a fairly immediate sense of calm, which is useful after a long day of surfing or a demanding yoga session.
Cold baths and ice baths: reducing inflammation and speeding recovery
Cold water works the opposite way. An ice bath constricts blood vessels, reduces swelling and helps muscles recover faster after a strenuous surf session or workout. It also tends to wake you up, both physically and mentally, in a way a hot bath does not.
Saunas: sweating it out
Saunas use dry heat to bring on a proper sweat, which many guests find leaves them feeling cleansed as well as relaxed. The heat itself loosens muscles and has a calming effect on the nervous system, and saunas have been part of wellness routines in various cultures for centuries.
Steam rooms: a gentler kind of heat
Steam rooms work with humid heat rather than dry heat, which is gentler on the skin and a good option for anyone who finds a sauna too intense. The moisture and warmth together ease muscle tension and help you slow down, much like a sauna does, just with a different feel.
How a hot-cold session works in practice
A simple contrast routine starts with heat to loosen up — a few minutes in the sauna — followed by a short cold dip in the ice bath, anywhere from thirty seconds to a couple of minutes. Most people repeat that cycle two or three times and finish on the cold, which leaves you alert rather than sleepy. There is no need to push it: build up your tolerance gradually, breathe slowly through the cold, and step out if you feel light-headed at any point.
Why the sauna and ice bath are part of the retreat schedule
On a surf and yoga retreat, the body takes on more in a week than it normally would between surfing and yoga sessions, so the sauna and ice bath are scheduled in across the week rather than added on as an afterthought. Guests use them to ease muscle soreness, sleep better and be ready for the next day. Once a week, the group also visits Istana Spa, a cliffside spot with a sound dome sauna, for a longer session away from the property; this and the day-to-day recovery routine are both covered on the wellness page.
If a structured week with surf, yoga and proper recovery built in sounds useful, the full day-by-day structure is on the retreat programme page, or you can book your retreat directly.
Frequently asked questions
Should I start with heat or cold?
Heat first is the usual approach — it loosens the muscles before the cold. Finishing on the cold tends to leave you feeling more awake.
How long should I spend in each?
A few minutes in the sauna and a short dip in the ice bath is plenty, repeated for a couple of rounds. Let comfort guide you rather than the clock.
Is contrast therapy safe for everyone?
It is well tolerated by most people, but if you are pregnant or have a heart or blood-pressure condition, check with a doctor first, and never stay in to the point of dizziness.
About the author
Written by the team at Uluwatu Surf & Yoga Retreats. Yoga, breathwork, meditation, and the wellness side of the week are led by Captain Bingo (ERYT500), who has taught internationally for over 30 years. Meet the team.