The Resilience Reset
Experts discuss hot and cold therapy for nervous system health
In our increasingly dysregulated world, anxiety continues to rise despite a $5 trillion global wellness industry. Our frenzied pace of life, ultra-convenience culture, and diminishing community connections have created a perfect storm of chronic stress that affects us all. It presents in many forms, as mental health challenges and diseases all with chronic stress at the root.
Nervous system regulation is central to managing life's inevitable challenges. Recognising what’s happening, and crucially, developing the ability to return to baseline when we feel stressed and overwhelmed. It’s a skill that has become essential for thriving in our modern world.
We gathered at Arc, London, with five experts to explore the science behind nervous system training with contrast therapy, they share their personal experiences and we discover the depths of the mind body connection.
Meet the panel
Jamie Clements
Jamie is a breathwork specialist who provides deep insights into nervous system regulation. Drawing from his personal experience with panic attacks, he explores the concept of our "window of tolerance" and how intentional stressors like cold exposure can expand it. Jamie balances scientific explanations with practical wisdom about putting knowledge into practice rather than simply collecting it.
Alanna Kit
Alanna is a neuroscientist and co-founder of Arc who explores the brain science behind cold water immersion. She explains how cold exposure creates beneficial hormetic stress, activates the amygdala, and ultimately transitions us from fight-or-flight to a blissful parasympathetic state. She also discusses fascinating connections between cold exposure and psychedelics.
Matt Willis
A musician and podcast host, Mat shares his personal journey with cold water immersion as a recovery tool. Having previously relied on drugs and alcohol, he found that cold exposure provides a natural, healthy alternative that improves his mood, performance anxiety, and creative clarity. He particularly values how it helps him "go inward" rather than escape.
Leanne Hainsby Aldis
Leanne brings perspective from her experience as a Peloton instructor and breast cancer survivor. She discusses how cold exposure builds resilience through challenging experiences and makes her feel alive. Her journey shows how extreme experiences like cold immersion can help rediscover vitality and confidence after significant health challenges.
Ben Aldis
As Leanne’s husband and co-Peloton instructor, Ben approaches cold exposure from a fitness professional's perspective. He draws parallels between training the body physically and training the nervous system through cold exposure. He emphasizes the importance of curiosity and stepping outside comfort zones to discover personal capabilities and build resilience.
Why is the nervous system so important?
The nervous system is your body's control centre, coordinating everything from movement to emotions through a complex network of nerves. It operates in two main modes: "fight-or-flight" (the sympathetic nervous system) when facing stress, and "rest-and-digest" (the parasympathetic nervous system) during recovery and calm.
In today's chronically stressful world, many of us get stuck in high-alert mode (sympathetic), causing anxiety, inflammation, and exhaustion leading to disease and illness. Training your nervous system through practices like cold exposure teaches it to shift between these states more efficiently, building resilience, improving recovery, and creating a more balanced response to life's challenges.
Contrast therapy and ice baths for beginners
Just starting your cold water (or contrast therapy) journey? Cold water therapy. Cold water immersion. Cold exposure.
It goes by many names, but they all come down to the same thing: immersing your body—ideally up to the neck—in water below 15°C to support your physical, mental and emotional wellbeing.
Practised for thousands of years across many cultures, cold water therapy taps into your body’s natural ability to heal, grow and thrive.
Download our free DCE (Deliberate cold exposure) guide
Master your physical, mental, emotional health with our one-stop guide to deliberate cold exposure. Get the science behind the benefits, discover why it’s so good for you and how to get started.