Better sleep, faster recovery, and the quiet power of slowing down: three Tall Tree Health naturopathic doctors share what they notice on the Nordic Circuit.

We talk a lot about what heat and cold can do. But we wanted to hear it from people who think about the body for a living. So we invited three naturopathic doctors from Tall Tree Health to move through the Nordic Circuit, then asked them what stood out.

They came at it from different angles: hormones and stress, musculoskeletal care, mental health and sleep. Yet their answers kept landing in the same places. Here’s what they shared.

Meet the Doctors

Dr. Marita Schauch, ND focuses on hormone health, stress management, sleep and women’s health. Outside the clinic she’s an avid cyclist, strength trains, and recently started doing Hyrox, usually with her beagle Max somewhere nearby.

Dr. Sydney Green, ND practises in James Bay and Cordova Bay, with a focus on musculoskeletal medicine and perimenopause and menopause support. When she’s not in clinic, she’s hiking with her dog Rufus or on a yoga mat.

Dr. Melissa Glover, ND practises in Cordova Bay, focusing on mental health, fatigue, hormones, sleep and metabolic health. She’s a mom of two young girls and describes much of her life as balancing ambition with presence.

All three described themselves as occasional contrast therapy users, which makes their observations easy to relate to. You don’t need to be a daily plunger to feel a difference.

The benefit all three mentioned: Sleep

We didn’t ask about sleep specifically. All three brought it up anyway.

For Dr. Glover, it was the first thing that came to mind: “A great night’s sleep is probably the biggest one! I also notice less puffiness and swelling, my skin feels great, and I leave feeling genuinely relaxed and reset.”

Dr. Green noticed it too, saying she tends to sleep especially well the night after a circuit. And when we asked Dr. Schauch what surprised her about regular contrast therapy, her answer was simple: better stress management and deeper sleeps.

It makes sense that the doctors would notice. Sleep sits right at the centre of what they work on with patients every day: energy, mood, hormones and recovery all lean on it.

Recovery for Bodies that Like to Move

Dr. Schauch cycles, lifts and races Hyrox, so recovery isn’t an abstract idea for her. She sees contrast therapy helping with muscle tension, recovery and energy, and she’s clear about why it matters: “It’s a big priority for me to stay healthy, injury free and support my recovery with exercise so that I can stay active for many years to come.”

Dr. Green, whose practice centres on musculoskeletal care, described the feeling after a session like this: “What stands out most is how calm yet energized I feel. My body feels less heavy or inflamed, my mind is clearer, and I tend to sleep especially well that night.”

Calm yet energized is a pretty good summary of the circuit. Heat loosens you up, cold wakes you up, and the rest in between lets it all settle.

Shifting Out of “Go Mode”

The physical benefits are real, but the part Dr. Glover values most is harder to see. Many of her patients are high-functioning adults quietly running on empty, and she sees the circuit as a rare chance to downshift: “I think there’s a lot of value in intentionally shifting out of ‘go mode’ and giving your body and brain a chance to slow down.”

What surprised her most wasn’t physical at all: “How much I’ve come to appreciate the stillness of it. I initially thought of contrast therapy more in terms of the physical benefits, but the mental reset has probably become the part I value most.”

She credits a lot of that to the simple act of putting your phone away and moving through the circuit, fully present. (It’s one of the reasons we keep it phones off here.)

Getting Comfortable with Discomfort

Anyone who’s stood at the edge of the cold plunge knows the moment. Dr. Green found that moment changed something for her beyond the circuit: “It has made me more comfortable with discomfort and more aware of how much the breath can influence the nervous system. There is something empowering about choosing to stay present, breathe through the initial resistance, and coming out feeling calm and capable.”

If you’re new to the cold, that’s worth holding onto. The first few seconds are the hardest, and a slow, steady breath is your best tool. It gets easier, and that ease tends to follow you out the door.

One Piece of a Bigger Picture

None of the doctors framed contrast therapy as a cure-all. They see it as one supportive habit among many. Dr. Green put it this way: “I see health as being built through consistent, supportive practices rather than one single intervention. It complements movement, strength training, good nutrition, hydration, sleep, and stress management.”

Dr. Schauch says it fits naturally into both her own routine and her practice, and that she recommends it to many of her patients. Dr. Glover recommends it too, when it’s accessible and fits someone’s overall care plan, with a reminder we think a lot of people need to hear: “Wellness doesn’t always need to mean adding another supplement, test or task. Sometimes creating space to rest, recover and regulate is just as valuable.”

Making Space for It

We’ll give Dr. Green the last word, because she named something we try to build every day: “RITUAL feels like more than just a recovery experience. It creates intentional time away from the pace of everyday life. The Nordic Circuit is a great blend of challenge and restoration, and I think its value is not only in the physical benefits, but also in the ritual of making space for recovery, reflection, and self-care.”

Heat. Cold. Rest. Repeat. If you’ve been meaning to make it part of your routine, the Toes-In Trial is an easy way to start: four Nordic Circuit visits over 30 days for $99, no membership needed. That’s about once a week, which is just enough to start noticing what these three doctors did.

Available for purchase in-spa—simply book your Nordic Circuit online and add the offer on arrival to redeem for your visit. Book your Nordic Circuit, call 778-440-9009 or come by 989 Johnson St, #101, Victoria.

Thank you to Dr. Marita Schauch, Dr. Sydney Green and Dr. Melissa Glover of Tall Tree Health for sharing their time and insight.

The doctors visited Ritual as our guests and shared their experiences through a short survey. Their comments reflect personal experience and are not medical advice. If you have a health condition, are pregnant, or have questions about whether contrast therapy is right for you, check with your healthcare provider first.