The allure of communal bathing: ‘This is the first time I’ve felt really OK about my body’

Melbourne’s Sense of Self bathhouse. Relaxation, social connection and body positivity aren’t the only reasons to plunge into communal bathing, research suggests. Photograph: Martina Gemmola

I’m floating in a communal pool that’s heated to a balmy 34C and I couldn’t give a stuff about anything. All the usual stressors like deadlines, bills and traffic jams melt away under the mineral-enriched jets pummelling my lower back at Soak Bathhouse on the Gold Coast.

But I vowed to try everything during my 90-minute “soak and sip” session – and that includes the icy cold plunge pool. I brace myself. It’s like leaping into Antarctica. Catching my breath, I hastily retreat to the steam room, where the more sensible bathers are breathing in warm, eucalyptus-scented mist.