You know that feeling when you wake up and can’t breathe out of one, or both, nostrils? I recently endured one of these unwelcomed surprise colds, rich in congestion and sinus pressure. The days that followed were filled with trips to Juice Generation in between flooding my body with Emergen-C, water, tea and any other remedies friends and coworkers were willing to share with me. After a few days of sounding eerily similar to the nasally pitch of The Nanny, I made a visit to Modrn Sanctuary in New York City. Upon entering this holistic healing treatment center, I felt instantly calm. The décor is similar to a Free People store, featuring hanging nest chairs, gem stones on every tabletop and soothing music playing in the background. I grabbed a cup of hot tea and sat down on one of the nap-inducing chairs.
I truly didn’t know what to expect ahead of entering a Himalayan Salt Room to experience halotherapy, also called salt therapy. As salt therapy grows in popularity, a company called S.A.L.T. Chamber is busy creating new and innovative ways for spas and healing centers to offer these treatments. Himalayan salt décor includes panels, bricks, flooring and cave materials, all of which help to provide the best salt therapy experience.
My jaw dropped when I opened the door to the chamber at Modrn Sanctuary and saw a sea of pastel pink-colored salt. This holistic method utilizes Himalayan Salt because it is one of the purest forms of salt found on the planet. The purity of the salts offer health benefits such as enhanced immune system, reduction of sinus infections, allergies, migraine headaches, and more. The healing properties in salt therapy also aid in natural skin treatments for eczema, psoriasis and acne.
Salt Room at Modrn Sanctuary
Though salt rooms are featured in spas and clinics across the country, at Modrn Sanctuary, you are welcomed to sit in a super chic zero gravity reclining chair, while the semi-private shared treatment room, lined with salt walls and floors, softly glows from salt lamps. I was the only one experiencing the wave of beautiful pink salt at the time, which allowed me to snap some pictures for my Insta-story. My bare feet dug deep into the floor of loose salt, savoring the feeling of the cool temperature between my toes. For 30 minutes you are free to do whatever you’d like in the chamber. I popped on my headphones and closed my eyes. To enhance the effects of the salt, you are encouraged to focus on your breathing and to inhale the salt air fully.
S.A.L.T. Chamber defines halotherapy as the following: “Dry Salt Therapy that utilizes a halogenerator to grind and crush 99.99% Pure Grade Sodium Chloride (salt) into micronized particles that are dispersed into a salt room, salt cave, or salt chamber via a dry salt aerosol that works to aid respiratory concerns and skin conditions. If there is no halogenerator, there is no halotherapy.”
When the 30 minutes ended, I didn’t want to leave because the ambiance was so gratifying. I put my shoes on (you can experience the room fully dressed or in whatever clothing you feel comfortable in) and reluctantly left the salty paradise. I won’t say that my cold was completely cured by salt therapy, but I could absolutely feel a difference in my congestion. In those quick 30 minutes I had cleared my sinuses and improved my health more than I had in two long days filled with a list of assorted remedies.
You can find S.A.L.T. Chamber’s technology in facilities across the globe including Modrn Sanctuary in New York City, Âme Spa & Wellness Collective at Turnberry Isle Miami and more.
Main image credit: Instagram
