Cold Plunge at Austin’s Original Bathhouse

More Than an Ice Bath

People tend to fall into two camps when it comes to cold plunges. Some people are immediately excited by them. Others want absolutely nothing to do with them.

Among the enthusiasts, we see two familiar personalities. The first are the biohackers, athletes, and wellness seekers who have heard about cold exposure through podcasts, books, and performance communities. They’re interested in recovery, longevity, resilience, and challenging themselves both mentally and physically.

Then there are the people I affectionately call the polar bears. You know them when you see them. They slide into the cold water like happy otters, completely at home, smiling from ear to ear.

If you’re in the second camp, the people who think, “Absolutely not!” you’re in good company. Many of us started there.

Why We Love Cold Plunges

The founder of Ceremony tells this story whenever someone says they’ll never get into the cold water:

“For years, I loved saunas and hot spings, but usually skipped the cold water or maybe dipped in a foot or a leg. Then, during a visit to the Russian and Turkish baths in New York City, I  fully immersed myself in their very cold plunge between sauna sessions. 

Afterward, wandering through New York ,I found myself in one of the best moods ever. I was super relaxed, totally present, optimistic, and happy. Then I realized: it was the cold plunge! 

I’ve experimented with this countless times since and the pattern holds. When I go between the sauna and cold plunge, I’m in a great mood for the rest of the day. There’s a physical sensation that feels like there’s a bubble of good feeling surrounding my body, extending a couple of feet in every direction. It’s something I can physically feel, and it lasts for hours after I leave the bathhouse. That’s why I never skip the cold plunge anymore.”

Everyone’s experience is different, but over the years we’ve heard countless guests describe similar feelings of lightness, clarity, and vitality after incorporating cold plunges into their bathhouse routine.

For First-Timers

If you’ve never tried a cold plunge, there’s no prize for suffering.

You don’t have to stay in for three minutes. You don’t have to force yourself. You don’t even have to fully immerse on your first round, though we’d encourage you to give it a try.

We tell people, the clock is your best friend. Watch the second hand, and commit to 30 seconds at first. That’s enough to get a flood of enodrphins and to begin experiencing the benefits of contrast. On the second round, you might stay a minute. Before long, you may find yourself comfortably enjoying one or two minutes easily.

Cold tolerance builds surprisingly quickly. The first few sessions, you may have to overcome some resistance, but before long, you’ll forget you ever felt that way. Instead of dreading the cold plunge, you may start to crave it. We see this happen all the time.

The Ceremony Cold Plunge Experience

Ceremony offers two different cold plunges so you can find the experience that feels right for you.

Our indoor plunge is typically maintained around 55°F, while our outdoor plunge is kept colder, usually between 40–45°F.

Often guests enjoy starting with the indoor plunge before working their way to the colder outdoor plunge as their visit progresses. There isn’t a right or wrong approach, only the one that feels right for your body.

Our favorite rhythm is:

♦ 10–15 minutes in the sauna

♦ 1–2 minutes in the cold plunge

♦ Repeat at least three rounds

For many guests, this combination creates an incredible mood boost and leaves them feeling energized, refreshed, and uplifted for the rest of the day.

Presence, Joy, and Nervous System Regulation

One of the things we love most about the cold plunge has nothing to do with toughness.

Stepping into cold water brings you into the present moment. There isn’t much room to worry about tomorrow’s to-do list when your entire attention is focused on your next breath. The cold interrupts whatever mental loop you’ve been carrying around and snaps your attention back into your body.

Many of us have also noticed that contrast therapy helps us break out of old patterns. If life has started to feel heavy, repetitive, overwhelming, or like you’re simply grinding through the days, the combination of sauna and cold plunge can create a fun and lively reset. People leave feeling lighter, clearer, more playful, and more connected to ourselves.

There’s a joy that seems to come from the cold. It’s exhilarating, refreshing, and unexpectedly fun. That’s why so many people who once swore they’d never get into a cold plunge eventually become the ones encouraging first-timers from the edge of the pool.

Cold Plunges Are Better Together

One of the unexpected joys of a communal bathhouse is how naturally people encourage one another.

Everyone remembers their first plunge, so there’s a moment of celebration when someone decides to give it a try. You’ll probably get some high fives, a little encouragement, and someone saying, “You’ve got this.”

It’s a little thing, but it’s one of the many ways Ceremony feels like a community rather than just a spa.

Clean, Safe, and Carefully Maintained

Cleanliness is one of our highest priorities.

Both of our cold plunges are continuously sanitized using ozone, an exceptionally effective water purification system that keeps the water sanitary without strong odors.

Every evening, both plunges are completely drained, thoroughly cleaned, disinfected, and refilled as part of our nightly deep-cleaning routine. The entire bathhouse receives this same level of care every 24 hours.

A Few Tips

Listen to your body. If you ever begin to shiver, feel dizzy, lightheaded, or uncomfortable, step out, warm up with a cup of tea, and relax with a book or an oracle card. Don’t push too hard.

Remember that there is no “right” amount of time. The goal isn’t to prove anything. It’s to discover what feels good for your body. Take your time building up tolerance, but don’t skip the plunge. It’s so worth the initial discomfort!

Complete the Experience

While the sauna and cold plunge are transformative on their own, they’re even better when paired with one of our treatments.

Many guests choose to book a massage before or after their bathhouse session, allowing the heat to soften muscles, the cold plunge to leave them feeling refreshed, and the massage to bring everything together. Others love adding one of our signature Korean-inspired body scrubs, creating a full-body reset that leaves them feeling renewed from head to toe.

If you want to experience everything Ceremony has to offer, our Ceremony Package combines the bathhouse, a massage, and a body scrub into one unforgettable visit. Each experience enhances the next, creating something that’s truly greater than the sum of its parts.

It’s our favorite way to spend a day at Ceremony, and once you’ve experienced them together, you’ll understand why.