If you’ve ever felt rejuvenated or noticed your skin felt much softer after a trip to the Caribbean, then you’ve already experienced the healing properties of salt-infused air. Known as halotherapy or salt therapy, this form of alternative medicine has been used for millennia to treat a number of respiratory and skin conditions like allergies, sinusitis, bronchitis and eczema.
But you don’t need to travel south to reap the benefits. Oakville Salt Cave offers a tranquil space where you can breathe in salt-infused air. The cave is a warmly lit space made up of 22,000 pounds of pure Himalayan sea salt. “Just three sessions is equivalent to a whole week by the seaside,” says owner Anna Bury, who took over the business in July.
Anna has always had a passion for health and wellness. Prior to taking over Oakville Salt Cave (formerly Solana Salt Cave), she worked as a dental assistant in Wisconsin. While she loved the job, she noticed that everyone around her was always stressed. “It was so fast paced – every minute of the day was critical,” she remembers of her old career.
Witnessing this, she became a big proponent of using natural remedies like yoga, meditation and nutrition to combat stress. After taking a year off work to stay home with her son, Anna was able to turn her passion for natural wellness into a full-time career when she and her family moved to Oakville.
Anna was introduced to Solana Salt Cave through a friend and instantly fell in love with the concept. “It was so relaxing and cozy,” she recalls of her first visit. When she found out the owners were selling the business, she jumped at the chance to become its new owner.
So what can you expect during a visit to Oakville Salt Cave? Sessions typically last 50 minutes and the cave can accommodate up to eight people. During your session, expect to sit back in a reclining chair and get cozy with a warm blanket as you breathe in the salt-infused air. “We offer a space where people can get away from the stress and anxiety of everyday life,” says Anna.
In addition to the cave, the studio offers an infrared sauna, two massage rooms and a retail store selling Himalayan salt lamps, jewellery, soaps and even a new line of cosmetics from Poland that Anna swears by.