As we step into a new year, many of us start thinking about fresh intentions, new habits, and ways to support our wellbeing. January often brings a natural pause — a chance to reflect, reset, and maybe even try something completely new.
This month, I wanted to showcase a local wellbeing experience that invites people to slow down, reconnect with themselves, and step outside their comfort zone in a really positive way — Sonder Experience, currently running sauna sessions based at Lopemede Farm.
Reconnect with mind, body and soul
Sonder Experience offers more than just a sauna. It creates space — physically and mentally — for people to reset, breathe, and reconnect with their body and mind.
Set within the natural surroundings of Lopemede Farm, the experience combines the grounding energy of nature with the powerful physical and mental benefits of sauna therapy. There is something deeply restorative about stepping out of busy daily life and into a space designed purely for wellbeing.
For many people, sauna is not just about warmth — it’s about:
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Relaxing the nervous system
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Supporting circulation and recovery
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Creating mental clarity
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Taking intentional time away from screens, stress, and constant noise
- Meeting new, like-minded people
New Year, new experiences
January can often come with pressure — pressure to change everything overnight, to “start again”, or to become a completely new version of ourselves.
But sometimes, wellbeing starts with something much simpler: trying one small new thing that helps you feel more like yourself.
For some, that might be:
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Trying sauna for the first time
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Spending more time outdoors
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Giving themselves permission to rest
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Exploring new wellbeing practices without expectation
Sonder Experience offers a gentle way to do exactly that — step into something new, but in a supportive, calming environment.
The power of nature-based wellbeing
There is growing awareness of the importance of nature connection for our overall health. Being outdoors, breathing fresh air, and stepping away from artificial environments can have a huge impact on mood, stress levels, and mental clarity.
Having a sauna experience located within a farm setting brings together:
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Heat therapy
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Fresh air
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Natural surroundings
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A sense of stepping away from everyday life
For many people, this combination can be incredibly powerful.
Supporting local wellbeing businesses
Trying local wellbeing experiences also supports small, heart-led businesses that are working to bring new and meaningful services into our communities. Kathy, who owns the Sonder Experience, runs it from the heart and is just great. If you’re new to cold plunge, she can talk you through the initial uncomfortable sensations and explain exactly what’s happening in your body minute-by-minute. Very interesting!
Spaces like this help widen what wellbeing can look like — moving beyond just gyms or traditional treatments, and into more holistic, experience-based approaches.
An invitation to try something new
If your New Year intention is simply to feel better, slow down, or try something different, experiences like this can be a really accessible place to start.
You don’t need to be “into wellness”.
You don’t need to have done sauna before.
You just need curiosity and willingness to try.
Sometimes the most powerful shifts come from the simplest experiences.
For more information, check out the Sonder Experience website
