The Story: In this hustle and bustle world, I needed something to help me relax… I avoided the obvious vices and put my ear to the ground. Rumor had it that Santa Barbara was on the cutting edge with all things holistic yet again: Salt. Salt touted a “unique underground salt cave experience.” It was supposedly calming, healing, and held a myriad of benefits. I was a bit skeptical; however, I’m always open to being proven wrong, so I decided to check it out.
The Place: State Street is the main street in Santa Barbara and it’s always full of shoppers, tourists, and locals meandering with bags, cameras, and Starbucks in hand, respectively. Amidst the madness of downtown, there is a door with a simple sign reading “Salt.” This door opens to a story of stairs leading to a basement. Many things come to mind with the word “basement,” none of which are true for Salt. Upon entering this underground world, you are met with a soft amber glow and a salt haven of sorts {they sell everything from cooking aids to skin softeners}. Many of their consumer goods held my interest; I ended up purchasing a crystal-like salt lamp {it releases negative ions to raise seratonin levels and purify the air}, a salt bath bar, and Sole {a mineral drink containg the 84 minerals & trace elements that your body is made up of}. After shopping, I decided to move forward with their “Salt Cave Experience,” something that I knew very little about. I was simultaneously excited, trepidatious, and skeptical before it began.
*Tip: If you stop by, ask for Sara. She gave me a tour, helped me navigate the world of Salt {she’s incredibly knowledgable about their products and services}, and put me at ease before entering the cave.
The Experience: It was time to enter the salt cave. Sara walked me {and my sister!} to the door. The door opened to a gorgeous rose gold cave. Sara informed us that the cave was crafted from 45 tons of pure Himalayan salt and that the salt was over 250 million years old and had been completely isolated from exposure to impurities; this salt contains all of the minerals and trace elements found in the human body. The microclimate is kept at 72 degrees and 40% humidity. In Eastern Europe, salt caves have been considered a healing experience for everything from respiratory to skin conditions. Sara also let me know that salt therapy promotes stress reduction. I was sold. Time to give this cave a try. We settled into our zero gravity chairs and wrapped up in a cozy blanket. The next hour was simply spent relaxing and breathing; fine salt particles were released into the air at this time to allow greater absorption of the healing qualities and trace elements contained in the salt. Calming music {called solfeggio frequency} played during this time. I don’t know what I expected by the end of the hour, but I left feeling simultaneously exhilirated and at peace. The salt caves were the ideal environment to spend an hour in perfect calm. I don’t know if it was my mind playing tricks on me or if it really was the salt {I think it was the salt!}, but I had more energy the rest of the day than I had experienced in a long time… and the feeling of peace stayed with me for a few days. The bottom line is that I would do it again in a heartbeat {and I have every intention of going back soon}; the ability to find complete calm that easily is invaluable!
The Details: Cave sessions are $25 an hour. You can reserve a cave for group events. Salt also offers the Salt-Sational Himalayan Salt Scrub and Massage {90 minutes for $155}, Nexneuro Vibration Treatment {starting at $20 for 20 minutes}, and a Scent-Sationally Therapeautifc Massage {60 minutes for $95}. Salt is located at 740 State Street in Santa Barbara, California. You can reach them at 805.963.SALT or check out their website.
All photo credit for this article goes to my incredible sister, Kaitland. xo
