Himalayan Salt Therapy is making waves across the country for providing relief from a variety of ailments and I had the opportunity to experience a rejuvenating session for myself during an afternoon of unparalleled relaxation at the Waldorf Astoria Orlando Spa. The Spa’s Himalayan Salt Room is only one of seven in the U.S. making the Waldorf Astoria Orlando Spa the first full-service resort spa to offer this service in the state of Florida. The Spa boasts twenty-four thousand square feet, 22 treatment rooms and a team of roughly 70 providers. Their menu offers everything from Facial Therapies to Salon Services and everything in between. Upon our arrival, our service providers Catherine and Melanie led my companion and I through the gorgeous facility into private rooms where we were treated to the Spa’s signature Himalayan Salt Escape—a 50 minute Himalayan Salt Stone Massage and a 30 minute Himalayan Salt Room Therapy Session. Although the massage has been offered since January 2017, the salt therapy experience has only been opened since this past December. However, in spite of it only being a few months old, the feedback has been incredible. 

“I noticed that a lot of our guests that are long-distance travelers come down with a little something when they get here which is really unfortunate as it can negatively impact their vacation. My desire was to assist those with asthma or allergies or who feel like they might be coming down with a cold and I found the room to be very effective for me personally so I really liked the idea of integrating it for our guest.” -Lindsay Neeley, Spa Director

Himalayan Salt Therapy (or halotherapy) is a natural therapy dating back hundreds of years to Eastern Europe. It involves relaxing in a specialized room filled with dry salt particles that help to cleanse your airways and skin in addition to boosting your general well-being. When my companion and I stepped into the fascinating therapy room, we were both taken back by the simple beauty of the space. The walls were lined with gorgeous Himalayan salt bricks that we learned were mined in Pakistan and the ground was covered in vibrant salt granules from wall to wall. Together, my companion and I laid back in cozy recliners, dimmed the lights, and allowed the halotherapy portion of the salt room to work its magic. This portion involved pharmaceutical grade sodium fluoride that is placed into a halo-generator. The device grinds the salt into ultra fine particles that diffuse throughout the room and enter your body via the respiratory system. Inhaling the particles speeds up mucus clearance and helps to improve respiratory function, while simultaneously eliminating bacteria, soothing the lungs, and opening airways which might be constricted. 

“We had a young lady who flew in from London recently and she was unfortunately sick before she even got on the plane, but she did three days in a row in the salt chamber and she said that she’s never recovered from a sinus infection so quickly. By and large our feedback has been so positive about the experience and I think it’s because it really does help with those things.” -Lindsay Neeley, Spa Director

The backlit walls of the room give off wonderful negative ions to help guests relax which we learned are the same ions you get when you sit on the beach inhaling the salty air and watching the waves for hours. The Himalayan Salt Room provides this same sense of peace and boast a range of health benefits. Just a few include relief from asthma, allergies, bronchitis, sinusitis, colds, ear infections, cystic fibrosis, COPD and even jet lag. Skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, acne and rosacea are also much improved from dry salt therapy. It truly is a treatment for everyone. My companion experienced the sinus benefits immediately after our session, but even if you feel as healthy as I did stepping in, the relaxation experience from being in the space is well worth the time in the incredible room. It’s an absolutely beautiful environment and will quickly bring you to a place of immense peace. Relaxation and wellness are the fundamentals of all spa experiences and the Himalayan Salt Room truly offers that to everyone regardless of the state of their health. 

“So few people now take time to truly disconnect whether it’s from our phones or from our mental activity. Often when we don’t have our phones in front of us our minds are going a thousand miles a minute and I think that the salt therapy provides the opportunity to truly disconnect and practice mindfulness and meditation while you’re in the space.” -Lindsay Neeley, Spa Director