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Rituals

Stories and reflections

Your guide to modern wellbeing in the Hawkesbury Valley and beyond.

The VELA Journal

From the science behind our practices to practical guides for everyday nourishment and wellness, The VELA Journal covers what we know and care about when it comes to restoration.

A guest seated in VELA's cedar sauna
Bathhouse

Contrast therapy, explained: why heat then cold works

What actually happens to your body between the sauna and the cold plunge — and how to build a circuit that leaves you clearer than you arrived.
Nicole Scheib
July 15, 2026
•
6 min
A VELA float pool beneath a starlit ceiling
Float

What is float therapy? A beginner's guide to doing nothing

An hour of weightless stillness sounds simple. Here's what first-timers should expect.
Nicole Scheib
July 12, 2026
•
5 min
A guest floating in VELA's warm mineral pool
Wellness

Magnesium bathing: what mineral water does for recovery

Why we infuse our pools with magnesium salts, and what the research says.
Nicole Scheib
July 9, 2026
•
4 min
The VELA bathhouse pool hall at dusk, empty and still
Rituals

Bathhouse etiquette: the unwritten rules of quiet

Everything you were too polite to ask about sharing a silent space well.
Nicole Scheib
July 6, 2026
•
3 min
Contributors

The people behind these stories

Our articles are written by our team and the practitioners we trust, grounded in the same principles that inform everything at VELA.

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Therapist 3

Spa Therapist
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Therapist 1

Senior Spa Therapist
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Nicole Scheib

Director of Spa & Wellness

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