vp04.04.13

By Sloan Brewster
Senior Staff Writer
e first ever Himalayan Salt
Cave in the state is in a West Hartford
spa.
Sarah Howes, owner of Elements,
a spa on Farmington Avenue
that opened in February,
wanted to bring something new
and different to Connecticut. With
that in mind, she had a cave constructed,
not just a standard manmade
cave, however. is one is
made of pink salt imported from
the Himalayas.
e pink salt is not just pretty.
It has health benefits, according to
Howes and multiple online
sources.
Himalayan salt, according to
a pamphlet provided by the spa, is
the purest form of salt found on
the earth and is the source of 82
necessary minerals.
Inhaling the salt by sitting in a
salt cave is called halotherapy and
is a treatment used by monks in
the Himalayas, where salt caves
are naturally occurring, according
to the pamphlet. e monks would
meditate in the caves regularly to
receive both physical and esoteric
benefits.
Howes studied with a massage
instructor in Massachusetts
and learned about the wellness effects
of sitting in a climate-controlled,
salt-enriched environment.
Howes’ instructor was originally
from Poland, where salt cave
treatments are commonly incorporated
into spas. She was the first
to build a salt cave in the United
States, Howes said. at instructor
also built the salt cave at Elements
Spa.
“It’s only been in the past 10
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salt cave in the state opens in new local spa
years that [salt caves have] really
taken off,” she said. “is was the
10th one that she’s built. It’s really
taken off. at’s really what inspired
me to build it.”
So far, her cave has been extremely
well received, Howes said,
adding that in the five weeks since
the spa opened, there have been
days when the cave was booked
hour to hour.
“People are enjoying it a lot,”
Howes said. “e biggest thing is
that people are rebooking.”
Sessions in the cave last for 45
minutes. Clients enter – wearing
socks supplied by the spa – and sit
in gravity-free chairs, settling down
and getting comfortable as the
door is quietly closed and gentle
relaxing music imbued with the
sounds of ocean waves begins to
play. For the first few minutes, a
man’s voice accompanies the
music as he explains some of the
health benefits of salt, including to
the upper respiratory system for
such ailments as asthma, allergies,
chronic bronchitis, and coughs
and colds.
According to a pamphlet provided
by the spa, it can even be a
help to more serious conditions including
cystic fibrosis and chronic
respiratory disease.
Sitting in the cave, clients in-
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I’m sorry....
“When I come out
of there I feel just really
clear. I actually get
energized from the salt
cave.”
-Owner of Elements
Sarah Howes
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The Salt Cave at Elements, a spa located on Farmington Avenue in West
Hartford.
hale the salt as they breathe naturally
or take deep breaths.
On Friday, March 29, Loreander
Davis of Hartford and Giana
Carducci of Columbia tried out the
salt cave at Elements.
Davis, who learned about it
from a Groupon, said she wanted
to try it for health reasons related
to inflammation.
“It was really good. It was refreshing,
calm,” she said. “Peaceful,
too.”
Carducci, who heard of it
from one of the massage therapists
at the spa, also wanted to experiment
with the cave for health rea-
Photo from 5elements4u.com
sons. For her, it was sinus and respiratory
issues. “Very nice,” she
said afterward.
Both women said they would
be back.
e healing benefits of salt
caves are “really fascinating,”
Howes said. While some of her
clients have said they feel tired
after spending time in the salt
cave, for her, a session is clarifying
and invigorating, and she will take
a session to prepare for a long
drive.
“When I come out of there, I
feel just really clear. I actually get
energized from the salt cave,” she
said.
Howes has two children, a 2year-old
daughter and a 7-year-old
son, who sometimes spend time in
the salt cave.
“My children, they feel very intensely
in there, too,” she said. “We
had a sleepover in there. We built
tents.”
Other therapies at the spa include
massages, facials, microcurrent
therapy facials – or natural
face lifts.
“It’s really phenomenal,”
Howes said of the microcurrent
therapy, which is not commonly
offered in the area.
Another therapy she offers
that is new to this part of the state
is the Vichy shower, which is a
pipe with multiple shower heads
attached. It is designed for a client
to experience while lying on a
massage table and hits the
chakras, Howes said.
e seven chakras are centers
of force or energy aligned with vital
points on the physical body.
All products used at the spa
are 100 percent natural, organic
products, made in the Hamptons.
“It’s as local as I could get,”
Howes said. “We’re very excited to
be the first spa in this area that features
Naturalopathica.”
Elements is located at 945
Farmington Ave., 860-231-8011.
Visit 5elements4u.com for more
information.
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April 4, 2013 The Valley Press 11