Halo-lujah!
The Salt Cabin has been generating a lot of buzz among fans of breathing. It’s the Salt of the Earth, and it’s enabling a deep and clear sigh of relief from stress and allergies. Halo is Greek for salt, which is antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial. Breathing air infused with Dry Salt in an Active Salt Room helps remove toxins from the respiratory system and boost the immune system.
A pandemic-pivot inspired Elizabeth Smith to helm a mother/daughter/son-in-law team to create a reasonably-priced ‘mini-vacation’ experience in Stratford; one that could provide an accessible and rejuvenating getaway.
The salt room within The Salt Cabin is equipped with a Halogenerator to produce small, dry, pharmaceutical-grade salt into the air. It’s not a day at the beach, although the ambience of the room and sound of ocean waves is certainly calming.
“Ocean salt is wet and saturated, and cannot be absorbed,” Smith said. “Dry salt can enter the lungs and the skin, and the abundance of negative ions increases serotonin levels to alleviate depression and stress, and boost energy.”
The most significant difference between this experience and other generic salt rooms, is that this is an active salt room as opposed to a passive salt room in which you’re just sitting amidst salt — which has comparably little effect. Here, spa-cationers actively breathe a projection and infusion of salt circulating through the air.
There are a range of health benefits in the respiratory system and in athletic performance, and for the skin, it normalizes ph-balance and naturally triggers skin micro-circulation and membrane activity. There is also great therapeutic effect on ear infections; 20 minutes is all it takes to feel more energized.
Now it’s time to sidle up to the bar … for some oxygen.
“This is the perfect antidote for a hangover,” Smith said.
Oxygen-intake counteracts blood vessel constriction and hastens metabolization. For shallow breathers, allergy season hits hard, because there is more particulate in the air, and when a person is tense and stressed from a daily grind, breathing becomes even less efficient. Treating your body to oxygen—instead of just caffeine or sugar—is the mic drop of all afternoon pick-me-ups!
The big question is which combination of aromatic essences to choose. Ocean Mist of lotus blossom, black current and aquatic flower with the eucalyptus of Chillin’ to purify and energize. Or how about Zen and Tranquility for a melange of rosemary, mint, chamomile and vanilla to combine a soothing, replenishing and calming sense with a cooling, refreshing and invigorating charge? The desired effect depends on the choice of pairing.
Simply apply the nasal cannulas to connect to bottles of air infused with the essence of your choice, and then … just breathe. Apprehension is completely washed away with each breath and replaced by a subtle euphoria and levity.
This is what people need to do right before or just after a long drive, before a big test, big date, big performance, or even first thing in the morning. Apparently, parents are becoming attuned to how effective and fun this is for their kids, since the health benefit seems to be matched by an immediate physiological response. The most popular essences to which kids gravitate are the fruity options like Strawberry Fields or Mango Madness.
There are other services offered at The Salt Cabin, from Red Light Tower Therapy to Red Light Therapy Cleopatra Masks, an Infrared Sauna and a Salt Spa Detox treatment on hands and feet for relief of arthritis and carpal tunnel pain. One offering that is hard to resist is the Luxury Zero Gravity Massage Chair (the Rolls Royce of massage chairs).
After conducting a digital body scan, it gently dispatches 42 air bags to give a feeling of being shrink-wrapped in leather. Then the anti-gravity function kicks in, tilting the chair back before systematically squishing, kneading and rolling your body like dough. Multiple functions simultaneously activate. Sandwiched between cushions, it feels like a slow-moving freight train runs up and down your back, while an entire dojo of martial artists chop at your waist, and a marching band of little drummer boys pound your feet.
At a fraction of the cost of a massage therapist, this is an absolute must-try experience when needing to give yourself a luxurious treat.
For some well-deserved rest and relaxation, everything is better when seasoned with a little salt!
