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03/22/2018 12:00 AMReady to rejuvenate? The shoreline's first and only salt cave halotherapy relaxation room, Saltonstall Cave at Rain Wellness Spa in Branford, may be just the ticket.
Newly constructed in 2017, Saltonstall Cave's tranquil surrounds immediately envelope the senses; while the dry, salt-infused air soothes body and mind. Guests can select their perfect experience, from restful lounge luxuriation to partaking of yin yoga, shiatsu, moon mediation, and other special spa offerings.
Rain Wellness Spa co-founders Heidi Frazier and Lauren Sullivan aren't only dedicated spa owners – they're also spa fans; constantly on the lookout for the best offerings to add to their full-service spa of 10 years.
"Lauren and I love to spa," says Frazier. "If we go to any spa, we say, 'What did we love about that; what would we change?' We're always thinking about what we can add for our clients that makes their experience better."
While the benefits of salt air have been embraced for thousands of years as an aid to optimal well-being, salt rooms and salt caves are just beginning to emerge on the spa scene. Not too long ago, Sullivan says, several of her clients began talking about enjoying salt cave experiences available in just two far-flung locations in Connecticut, at spas in Ridgefield and Woodbury.
"The idea came from a lot of my clients, because they experienced it," says Sullivan.
With research and study, Sullivan and Frazier began crafting their plan to create a unique halotherapy salt cave experience on this side of the state.
"It fits our idea of wellness, and we wanted to stand out and be a little different," says Sullivan.
Suffice it to say, Saltonstall Cave meets all their criteria. Behind a monastic-like wooden door lies a wow-factor spa space that can accommodate up to six guests comfortably. Saltonstall Cave's curved walls and domed ceiling are studded with hundreds of palm-sized crystals of Himalayan salt rock. Guests bask in the cave's sepia light, which drops into darkness punctuated by scattered Himalayan salt lamps and a single, peaceful corner of shimmering blue. Artfully mimicked, stone-dripping stalactites add cave-like resonance while the ceiling's crown, a circle of midnight sky, twinkles with tiny points of light. Saltonstall Cave's main floor, a deep bed of pink-grained Himalayan salt, delightfully gives way under feet clad in complimentary spa booties.
Himalayan salt packs in 84 minerals and is said to produce negative ions, which remove airborne impurities. But the true key to Saltonstall Cave's dry-method halotherapy is its Halogenator machine. The small device grinds dry, pharmaceutically pure salt into microscopic particles, then infuses the air with pre-selected concentrations of no more than 0.5 micrograms of sodium, during sessions of 30 or 45 minutes.
Like Rain Wellness Spa, most spas promote the belief that such halotherapy helps optimize salt's characteristic anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral and anti-fungal properties to assist with respiratory issues and skin conditions. Inhaling microscopic amounts of salt particles is said to absorb irritants, allergens and toxins while breaking up mucus and reducing inflammation in respiratory passages. Similarly, salt infused air is thought to help absorb bacteria at the root of some skin conditions.
In Eastern Europe, natural salt caves have been visited to cure ailments since the 1200s. Modern Eastern European studies on the benefits of halotherapy began with 19th century Polish physician Dr. Feliks Boczkowski's research into respiratory problems in coal miners. Finding no similar issues in the lungs of salt miners, Dr. Boczkowski began his study of the healing properties of salt; leading to the founding of the first salt clinic in Kraków, Poland.
Today, salt treatment is commonly recommended as therapy by doctors in Eastern European countries such as Hungary, Poland, Russia and Finland, notes Sullivan. Not so in the United States, where scientific research and studies into halotherapy's curative claims have been few and far between, says Sullivan, adding there needs to be more.
"It's just very new here," she says.
A 2006 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found inhaling hypertonic saline (a sterile salt water solution) improved lung function in some people with cystic fibrosis. Also in 2006, a study published in the European Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology showed some people with asthma reported breathing easier after several weeks of regular halotherapy treatments. However, both Sullivan and Frazier note halotherapy should be considered only as a complimentary approach to traditional medical care, together with consulting a physician for the best answers before beginning therapy.
When visiting Saltonstall Cave, guests can wear street clothes or suitable garments for yoga, meditation, and other special sessions offered as part of the halotherapy experience.
"We're offering yin yoga in the salt cave, where you can have three people for a kind of private, relaxing service; and we recently had a full moon meditation, gong bath, and halotherapy session. We have different specials every month on our website," says Sullivan.
Special events fill up quickly, but for typical halotherapy sessions, the staff at Rain Wellness Spa can accommodate requests for small groups or singles who can join with others in Saltonstall Cave. Rain Wellness Spa also offers special rates for combined services, such a massage or facial followed by a session in Saltonstall Cave. Private sessions and small group bookings are also available for services such Salt Cave Shiatsu, where halotherapy joins with the ancient Japanese acupressure art for healing and health maintenance. Shiatsu is thought to reduce muscle stiffness, stimulate the skin, aid in digestion and influence the nervous system.
Aptly named for the spa's location overlooking Branford's Lake Saltonstall fresh water reservoir, Saltonstall Cave at Rain Wellness Spa first opened in the summer of 2017. Since that time, raves and recommendations from guests, including several posted at the spa's Facebook page (search for Rain Wellness Spa) have helped its popularity grow, says Frazier.
"We get a lot of group bookings -- Saturdays have been really busy," she says.
Frazier adds that, especially as winter loosens its grip on the shoreline and the first flimsy days of spring make their appearance, a trip to Saltonstall Cave can be as refreshing as a day at the beach -- and then some.
"Forty-five minutes in the salt cave is equivalent to three days at the beach. That's the amount of exposure to the salt air you're getting," says Frazier.
No matter the reason for taking a salt cave session, there's no question guests emerge from Saltonstall Cave feeling renewed, relaxed and rejuvenated.
"People really love it," says Sullivan.
Rain Wellness Spa is a women-owned day spa located at 150 West Main
St. in Branford, offering massage, facials, body treatments among other professional spa treatments and services. The spa celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2018. For more information, visit
www.rainwellnessspa.com or call 203-483-0300