Total Immersion: In Conversation With Bailey Meredith & Freya Berwick

Both Bailey Meredith and Freya Berwick have deep ties to bathing. Growing up in New Zealand and Australia respectively, the two women are drawn to water in a number of different ways. Here, they share notes on how nature, wellness culture and social connection play a part in one of the simplest acts of self-care.

BAILEY MEREDITH: It’s interesting to reflect on but I feel like I’ve had a connection to bathing ever since I was a small child. As I’ve grown up, the meaning has changed but ultimately it’s always been a way to recalibrate. I was a highly anxious child and I think getting into the water was a really nice way to just calm and be still. I’ve always seen it as a restorative act. Whether it’s drawing a bath or jumping in the ocean, it’s a moment to do something really intentional for myself that feels quite accessible.

FREYA BERWICK: Yeah, I feel quite similar. It’s a real circuit breaker for me. I own a bathhouse so it’s quite a particular luxury that I have. But water has always been a really big part of my life. I grew up in northern Queensland swimming every day, multiple times a day, in the ocean and in fresh water at Mossman Gorge. And it’s when I’m at my happiest. Particularly in nature, that’s a really big part of it for me.

BM: Definitely, I love being out in nature. When I’m home in New Zealand, I’m a big fan of swimming in fresh water, particularly lakes where there isn’t the tidal aspect and you can be really still. I come away feeling a little lighter and a little clearer.

FB: I think for me, it’s really about a deep connection. When I see water, I feel like I must get in. And it can be social as well. Sometimes it’s about quietness and having time to myself, and sometimes it’s about connecting with people around me.

BM: I know what you mean. When you’re at home, it’s obviously quite individualistic and you’re generally very alone in that moment. Whereas at a bathhouse or in the ocean, you’re surrounded in this very quiet feeling of community, which can be soothing, too.

FB: We’ve seen a real rise of bathing in wellness culture and the common vernacular in the past few years – there’s been all sorts of layers added and it kind of gets overcomplicated. But it’s the simplicity of bathing that is super beautiful to me.

BM: I agree. At its core, bathing is such a simplistic act and ritual. It reminds me that self care can be collective – especially in a world that can feel so individualistic. I love when I go for an early morning swim and there’s just a few others out there in the ocean – nothing connects you other than this shared moment. I find that quite comforting.

FB: That’s what belonging feels like. You’re one among many. And everyone has a story around their connection to water and bathing – whether it’s from their childhood, culture or self-care rituals. It’s a really nice catalyst for finding out the depth of someone's story.

BM: Accessibility to the ocean and bodies of water growing up in New Zealand is definitely a factor in my feelings towards bathing. But it also comes down to the ritual of drawing a bath. From a very early age, it was a significant part of my daily routine in our family home.

FB: As I mentioned, I grew up swimming and always around water – I literally had to row to school. There are so many lessons that I’ve been taught by water. I also spent some time in Norway and that was another shift in my thinking around bathing. It’s where I really understood how temperature can impact the body. I would run this quite steep path in the
mountains and then I’d jump into a river that came off the glacier. It was so bloody cold. But it was like a release.

BM: It’s so true, it can be a real tool to help understand how I’m feeling and what I’m feeling, especially when I’m not connecting with my body and mind. I think it holds a bit of a paradox in the sense that bathing can be soothing but also sort of awakening and invigorating. It really can appeal to all the different senses in the body.

FB: Yeah, I think it can be a means of transition – a thing for changing states in any form. Drawing a bath is often associated with rest and winding down. But having a shower in the morning is usually about waking up. If I have a bad day, I’ll come home and have a shower. It’s like I need the energy to shift, I can’t sit in it. Scent and sound are both really big parts of the immersive experience for me, too.

BM: Yes, completely. They’re both huge elements. Bathing is a sensory experience and being able to enhance all the different senses in that practice creates a more ritualistic experience. Scent is such a transformative element. When I’m in the ocean the smell of salt water, and the feeling on my skin. It all helps me to be present.

FB: Actually the one product we’ve really developed for Sense of Self is scent. We have different scents for different areas – the steam room, the bath, the change room. But our house blend uses frankincense, labdanum and rose. It’s sort of woody and warm. And a little bit nostalgic.

BM: I’m so drawn to woody, earthy scents, especially in a hot bath. It all comes back to keeping things simple.

FB: I feel really lucky to have the privilege of seeing the impact of all these elements on a person’s day. Someone might walk into the bathhouse quite tense or a bit flustered. And when they leave – it’s beautiful to watch them in a totally different state. Wellness is an industry that has been heavily co-opted by performance and beauty. The consequence of that is we all get told we “should” be doing all these things, it’s constant noise. We actively don’t tell people what they should be doing in the space. We try to be a public facility that’s here to help people on their quests; to listen to their bodies, to bring down the noise of the external and increase sensitivity to their own needs.

BM: You’re right. I think we’re all out here trying to seek stillness and quiet. We’re engaged on every level from the moment we wake up. I love that you have a no phone rule at Sense of Self – for myriad reasons.

FB: Bathing can mean so many different things for so many different people – or at different times. I often think about visiting 7132 Therme Baths (formerly Therme Vals) in Switzerland. It’s one of the most incredible bathhouse experiences that I’ve ever had. The layering of design and nature through the facilities is so inspiring to me. I absolutely loved it there, I was almost crying.

BM: God that sounds incredible. Lake Tarawera is a place that has a lot of nostalgia and importance for me. There’s mineral water in the lake but also thermal springs – one is called the Champagne Pool. It’s a natural rock formation and has hot water, almost boiling. You can oscillate between the hot and the cold pools. It’s such an incredible spot that only locals really know about.

FB: That sounds like a dream. When we started Sense of Self, we thought a lot about how Australians would respond to a bathhouse. The beach and surf culture are obviously such huge aspects of our lifestyle. I’ve learned there’s no right way to bathe – there’s no wrong way either. It’s totally up to personal interpretation and how someone feels in their own skin. What I hope most is that people can make their own mind up about what’s good for them – not based on information that’s fed to them at vulnerable times – and they can build a muscle of self-trust through their own practices.

BM: I think that’s so beautifully said. I also really like how bathhouses have become such a wonderful alternative to a Friday night out. It’s a new way to connect with friends or to do something really nice for yourself. I also love that bathhouses can offer a much more accepting and inclusive attitude to bodies. I feel welcomed and safe; calm and comfortable in my own skin.

FB: I think bathing can help to take some of the expectations away. It’s a universal practice. And water is so restorative – I remember learning about the Blue Mind Theory, this idea that even just being near water has an instant calming and meditative effect.