Photo from Bethesda Salt Cave
Hello folks! Yesterday I had a unique
experience. My son and I went to a salt cave! Holy salt cave bat man, what’s
that? Well, for the uninformed (and I am in the same boat as you until yesterday),
a salt cave is literally what it sounds like. It’s a cave made from salt. Well,
this was a man-made cave, it reminded me of a cheesy soap opera sound stage
where the couple finds themselves trapped in a cave-salt or otherwise, and wind
up making mad passionate love on the floor, while attempting to fight the evil
that surrounds them. Alas, no couple, no evil, just me and my 11- year old
taking a nap in a salt cave. But let’s
backtrack. Below is a description of the Bethesda Salt Cave, (from their
website) where I experienced bliss in a cave.
Story of the
Salt Cave
Bethesda Salt Cave is a family-owned and operated business located in
downtown Bethesda, Maryland. Based on medical knowledge and experience, we have
recreated the natural salt-enriched micro climate of a Himalayan salt cave. Our
unique therapeutic salt cave contains salt rock crystals weighing between 2
ounces and 250 pounds each that come directly from the deepest recesses in
mines located at the foothills of the Himalayan mountain range.
More than 250 million years old, the rock salt crystals are the result of
micro-organisms that were compounded by thousands of tons of heavy rock plates
causing them to fossilize. The crystal rock salt is considered an organic food
source laced with 84 different minerals and trace elements, all of which are
found in the human body. The purity of the salt is retained due to the solid
rock masses which created and protected it from surface water erosion.
Himalayan crystal rock salt is highly acclaimed as a natural, anti-bacterial
and anti-microbial agent, uncontaminated by dirt and free of toxins and
pollutants.
The Secret of
Salt Therapy is Simple
Bethesda Salt Cave is lined from floor to
ceiling with Himalayan crystal rock salt and heated to 68 degrees. This heat generates
a negative ionic charge in the salt rock which is released into the
air. By breathing in and exposing our internal systems and skin to the
healing negative ionic charge and to the 84 different trace elements found in
the salt, our mind, body and spirit become detoxified, relaxed and
recalibrated and heal on many different levels.
Why Did I Go to a Salt Cave?
Pretty
simple-We have a host of eczema, asthma and allergy issues in our home. When my
son came home from camp, I figured all those issues would be very prevalent,
and tired of the steroid spray, Claritin, skin steroid merry- go- round, I
figured it was less than a co-pay to the allergist or dermatologist. In other
words, it couldn’t hurt. Now, mind you, while I’m all for alternative healing
methods, I still firmly believe in conventional medicine. I am not one to ditch
inhalers, or creams in search of the elusive alternative therapy cure. Rather,
I am a firm proponent of using both in tandem to create a better chance of
relief and recovery.
My Impressions
Loved it.
Now, our experience was a bit unusual because we were the only ones in there.
It was during the week in the summer and you won’t find many people flocking to
a salt cave at 1:00 on a Tuesday in downtown Bethesda. So, to have the cave all
to ourselves was definitely a luxury. It has zero gravity chairs and some
comfortable floor cushions that my son and I chose to lay on for 45 minutes. Of
course, we tried the chairs as well, but at the end of the day lying down
curled under a blanket was the most comfortable. It’s quiet and cool, and if
you can believe an 11 year- old turned off his electronics and took a nap-well
as far as I’m concerned-that’s a cave miracle in and of itself!! Yes, he really
fell asleep!
I could
definitely breathe easier, my post nasal drip virtually disappeared, I didn’t
have one hot flash and call me crazy, the little aches and pains I normally
experience in my injured knee or back, seemed minimal. Ari, didn’t sniffle once
and his itching was minimal. We both
walked out of there feeling so relaxed and refreshed, it really felt good. I
also slept better that night-coincidental?
Here’s the
downside-I did notice that an hour later or so as we re-entered the hot, harsh
and polluted world, not to mention my dusty home, all the symptoms returned.
Bummer. But, that doesn’t mean I
wouldn’t return. It probably takes a few more sessions to see longer lasting
results.
What Does the Husband Think?
For those of
you who know my skeptical husband, you can only imagine. But the thing I love
about the hubby is that before he calls it new age malarkey, he will at least
entertain the possibility. Of course, he hasn’t drunk the Kool Aid on new age
therapies like I have, but he was interested in its potential. Once I started spouting ionic negativity
theory, he did break down in a fit of laughter, not to mention some very
exaggerated eye rolling.
Would I Go Again?
Absolutely.
My son loved it. It’s roughly $35. Of course I had to pay for parking. I felt really good for most of the day and so
did he. It’s the price of a pedicure and
if I had a choice, I would probably choose the cave and do a home pedi for
sure.
1 You won’t feel A-SALT-ED. Get it?Assaulted.
2 It’s good to rub salt in your wounds,
literally.
3 In the cave, one has a salter-ego
4 A trip to the salt cave really “shakes”
things up.
A sprinkle a day keeps the mucous
away. (OY)
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