WHERE IT ALL BEGAN: HAMPSTEAD HEATH LIDO
Back in 2016, while helping set up the Parliament Hill Fields Lido Community Café, I watched cold-water swimmers emerge from 5°C water looking lighter, brighter and somehow more themselves. It wasn’t fitness. It was a ritual — a way people reset from stress, midlife pressures and the relentlessness of everyday life.

Seeing that transformation planted the first seed: heat and cold together do something meaningful.

LEARNING THE SCIENCE BEHIND SAUNA
Years later, creators like Sweaty AF helped me understand why sauna feels so grounding — especially for women in peri- and post-menopause.

In simple terms, heat exposure can:

lower stress hormones after an initial rise
support thyroid, adrenal and ovarian function through increased blood flow
boost dopamine and norepinephrine for better focus and mood
activate “heat shock proteins,” which help regulate energy, insulin and estrogen signalling
With regular use, sauna has been linked to deeper sleep, steadier mood, improved metabolic health and long-term cardiovascular benefits. It’s a whole-body reset, not just a sweat.

(Always check medical guidance if you use HRT or have health conditions.)

BRINGING THE RITUAL TO PEMBROKESHIRE
As our beach house in Freshwater East took shape — a contemporary, low-impact home designed for clean air, comfort and calm — the idea returned:

What if we could offer the same grounding, restorative heat here by the sea?

Greenshutters already sits in a landscape that softens people: big skies, unpolluted sea air, the coastal path on the doorstep. Adding a sauna began to feel like a natural next step.

WHY SAUNA MATTERS TO ME PERSONALLY
Midlife brings a new awareness of energy, stress and hormonal resilience. I wanted a tool that supported my system rather than fought it — something simple, nurturing and sustainable.

Sauna offered exactly that:

gentle hormonal support
calm for the nervous system
a beautiful pairing with cold sea dips
a rhythm that matched the spirit of our home
So I decided to bring a wood-fired sauna to Greenshutters and create something deeply restorative for guests and for myself.

SUPPORTING IRONMAN WALES & COASTAL ATHLETES
Each September we welcome Ironman Wales athletes — people who push their bodies to extraordinary limits. For them, sauna provides:

warmth and circulation after long training days
support for recovery alongside good nutrition and rest
a quiet space to settle the nervous system post-race
With the sea just steps away, the hot–cold contrast becomes a simple, powerful ritual.

EARTH, SEA & HEAT: A NEW CHAPTER
The sauna at PembrokeshireBeachHouse isn’t a spa extra. It’s an invitation to:

slow down and breathe
feel your body warm and settle
step outside between rounds into salt air and shifting skies
optionally add a cold shower or sea swim for an energising reset
It’s a gentle way to reconnect with yourself — whether you’re navigating midlife, training for a challenge, or simply seeking rest.

AN OPEN INVITATION
What began at Hampstead Heath has become Earth, Sea & Heat on the Pembrokeshire coast. If you’re curious about sauna — for hormones, for recovery, or for wellbeing — you’re in good company.

When you stay at PembrokeshireBeachHouse, I hope the sauna becomes part of your own story too: a place to soften, recalibrate and feel more fully yourself.