It won’t rub salt on your wounds. On the contrary, it will relieve your respiratory and skin problems along with a host of other diseases. A 100% natural, drug free and non invasive treatment, Salt Therapy or Halotherapy is breathing in salty air for therapeutic benefits. It is done in a special room where the microclimate of a natural salt mine / cave is replicated. 
The therapy can help relieve asthma, respiratory allergies, bronchitis, chest infection, cold and flu, cough, cystic fibrosis, ear infection, emphysema, hay fever, nasal congestion, pneumonia, rhinitis, sinusitis, snoring, tonsillitis, acne, eczema and psoriasis. There are recommended salt therapy sessions for each condition. You can also opt for a session if you don’t have any health conditions but would like to boost your immunity.
Curious to experience salt therapy myself, I visit Salt Escape in Fort, Mumbai for a 1 hour session. The founders of warmly greet me and escort me to the room where I put on hair and shoe covers. The shoe cover dispenser is a hassle free machine that efficiently puts on shoe covers.
As we walk to the adults’ room, we pass the kids’ room which is so cutely designed with 2.2 tonnes of salt on the floor and walls for kids to play with. There is a TV, toys and colouring books so that the kids can enjoy themselves while they are being treated. I find it nice that the kids don’t even realize that they are being treated-the room is a fun yet effective place to be. With a seating capacity of 10, the kids’ room admits children 6 months and above though kids under 7 years need to be accompanied by an adult guardian. And the adult who also benefits from the therapy is not charged.
The next room that we pass is the private room which has a seating capacity of 1-2 persons and caters to guests who would like privacy during their salt therapy session as they need to expose the area of the skin that needs to be treated. The adults’ room which can seat upto 10 guests is tastefully designed with red cushioned chairs and footstools, a salt covered floor and salt encrusted walls with drinking water and reading material in the form of magazines. If you like you could also relax, meditate or curl up cozily with the warm blankets provided while the salt works its curative magic by cleansing and healing since it has anti-bacterial, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. Salt emits negative ions which are known as vitamins of the air and are known to cleanse the air. The room also has Wi-fi.
“Salt Escape which launched on 21st June this year has a machine which keys in your condition and based on it, 3 types of minute dry salt particles ranging from 0-10 microns are dispensed into the air conditioned room. For guests who would like to treat their skin conditions of acne, eczema and psoriasis the salt particles are between 5-10 microns. Salt therapy helps the IgE level of the skin to become less over sensitive apart from cleansing, helping to improve the pH level and the regenerative process of the skin,” says Jamsheed Mehta. 2-5 microns are dispensed for the upper respiratory system while 1 micron salt particles help the lower respiratory system. Dry pharmaceutical salt imported from Germany is used. The sensor in the room regulates the temperature and salt concentration.
I don’t realize when the hour is up as the session is so relaxing and soothing. It is when the lights come on that I know that my salt therapy session has ended. “The therapy helps you breathe better by improving the functioning of the lungs. If you can breathe better, the quality of your life improves,” adds Lyla Mehta. And who wouldn’t want that!
Salt Escape
Kaiser-E-Hind Pvt. Ltd.
Hanuman Building. Ground Floor,
300, Perin Nariman Street,
Behind Reserve Bank of India,
Fort, Mumbai 400 001, India.
T: + 91 22 2269 0034/ + 91 22 2269 0035
Khursheed Dinshaw
