The dangers of stress are well known, from an increased risk of heart disease to a weakened immune system – but did you know that living a wholly stress-free life also carries risks?
The answer to managing day-in and day-out stress lies in the sweet spot, and Inner Studio is about helping you find that balance. To do so, the stress resilience and recovery facility aims to change how we perceive and manage stress.
The Collingwood-based centre teaches hormetic stress conditioning – a term that describes the point between too much and too little stress – through breathwork and heat and cold exposure therapy.
The founders of Inner Studio, brothers Ben Sinclair and Will Slade, came up with the idea after struggling with stress themselves. Former AFL players, they discovered the power of the mind to tackle stress and improve performance. Sinclair began using breathwork as a player struggling with injuries and concussions, while Will turned to meditation and hot and cold therapy to help him manage his high-stress work environment.
They realised that exposing the mind, body and nervous system to extreme environments and temperatures in a controlled setting can build up individuals' resilience to general stress.
The lush, green and light-splattered training facility offers a state-of-the-art audio sound system, a traditional sauna, an acoustically engineered breathwork room, hot (38 degrees) and cold (five degrees) plunge rooms, and a relaxation area with a fireplace and tea station.
Several classes are available, beginning with 45 minutes of guided breathwork or movement. These include 'Mindful', a guided breathwork to relax your nervous system followed by a guided sauna and cold plunge; 'Strong', a power yoga flow to push your mind further; 'Function', a guided breathwork focusing on the science and mechanics of functional breathing; and 'Restore', a gentle yoga flow.
Inner Studio offers several memberships options, starting at $45 per session and going up to $75 a week for unlimited access to all classes, saunas and plunge pools.
To discover more, visit the Inner Studio website here.