Meditated in a Salt Cave
The Santa Barbara Salt Caves was a unique experience. The shop is situated below ground in the Paseo Nuevo open-air mall. The first room is a shop for their house-made products of salt lamps, cooking salts, home spa kits, massage tools, and decor.
The salt cave meditation is off to the left and once you step through, you’re in an entirely different environment. The walls are installed with pink salt boulders with a few of them backlit. There are salt lamps all around and the ground is a thick layer of salt rocks. I went in barefoot and next time I would wear socks.
In a circle, there are about 15 gravity chairs that can lay back. When the session starts, the lights dim and for 45 min, I’m listening to spa music. It’s not a single music experience though, it’s short tracks that are scattered in style but still relaxing.
In the beginning, I was closing my eyes and just breathing in the halo-therapy salt that was ground from a machine near the ceiling. I found that the salt air here was less concentrated than the halo therapy at Aqua Float Spa in Oregon and that’s probably due to the volume of the room. Aqua Float Spa was a tiny two-person room compared to this 400 sf² cave.
For me, it was this 45-minute tranquil meditation session that allowed my brain to process the day thus far, the day ahead, and how I felt. I started to drift off to the music and enjoyed the warm amber glow through the salt boulders.
When I emerged from the cave, I felt at peace, my shoulders were relaxed and I lost track of time. It was wonderful to experience such relaxation amongst the busyness of the shopping district.
At the end of the halo-therapy session, the room was sprayed with their homemade salt and lavender room and body spray. I purchased the room spray for my car and a salt massage sphere.
The spray lingers in my car and with each return, I’m reminded of this relaxing salt cave environment. I was happy to see that such a therapeutic experience could be found in the middle of a busy place.
August 7, 2022
