Salt Cave/ Halotherapy

(This is a photo of The Salt Cave in Naples, Fl that can be found on their website here)

Today I went to a Salt Cave for the first time and had such a wonderful experience. Before I tell you about it lets first talk about what exactly salt caves are. Salt caves, also known as halotherapy (halo is the Greek word for salt) are rooms that are filled with salt(the floors have salt, walls are made of salt, there are big crystals of Himalayan salt everywhere). What's so special about these rooms are the fact that Himalayan salt is blowing through the air vents while you are in the room. So you are breathing in salt! Halotherapy is known to benefit those suffering from asthma, allergies, respiratory and skin disorders, infections and many other health conditions (source: The Salt Cave).

I went with a friend and we had no idea what to expect. We were told the sessions start promptly on the hour and we would be brought back shortly. Once we were called back we were asked if we had to use the bathroom (because you can't leave the room) and then to take off our shoes and put on a hair net for contamination prevention reasons. We put our items in a locker and went into the cave. We sat down in the chairs, which are just beach chairs and were given blankets. Thank goodness we were given blankets because it gets chilly! We were told the benefits of halotherapy and that we should just lay back and relax. We were told that the 45 minutes we were in there, if we fell asleep, our bodies would think we had almost a full nights sleep. The lights were turned off and there was relaxing music playing. It was very relaxing and peaceful. After the 45 minutes were up the instructor came back in quietly and with a soft, calming tone told us our time was up. She told us to take our time to get up and exit the cave and get our things. I really liked that she didn't rush us. It was such a relaxing experience.

For those who are interested in the experience alone, or if you're curious for the health benefits give it a try! I also think it's a great way to relieve stress and anxiety. If you need some time to yourself, away from everything and everyone this is a great way to do so. It's also a great way to be "unplugged" from technology for 45/50 minutes depending how long your session lasts. It can be a great addition to your own self-care routine. I know I am definitely adding it to mine!