My Visit to Salt Escape in Mumbai

A few weeks ago I woke up determined to improve Rumi’s pollution cough and made a list of action steps. I got the curtains cleaned, I got rid of *almost* all the stuffed animals from her crib, we started homeopathy, we’re getting air purifiers from Switzerland and we’re diffusing essential oils before bedtime.

I really wanted to visit Salt Escape in Fort. Mumbai with the kids since salt therapy is supposed to be great for respiratory problems, but since we live in Juhu it’s just a bit far.  However, I had to be in Colaba last week, so I went by myself.  Absolutely loved it!

The way it works is you have to arrive at a set time for your session, mine started at 5:30pm.  You check in, and put on blue slippers and a hair net so the place stays meticulously clean.  The receptionist led me to the salt room.  She told me “don’t slip in the snow!” Because there are a few inches of white salt on the floor of the room … it’s more like a sandy beach rather than snow.  There were maybe 8 comfortable chairs in the room, and I chose my chair, grabbed a blanket because it was chilly, and grabbed a magazine and a book of testimonials from other visitors to the salt cave.

That’s it.  You just sit there and chill out for one hour.  There was one elderly man in the room with me, he was on oxygen in addition to receiving his salt therapy.  In between the red chairs there was a screen you could pull down if you wanted privacy.  (I didn’t.)  You would not speak on your cell phone in the room – it was so quiet, peaceful, serene, still compared to the chaos of Mumbai traffic outside.  It was truly one of the most zen places I’ve been in this crazy city.

In addition to the salt on the floor and the walls, there is a fine mist of salt being sprayed into the air.  You definitely start to taste a bit of salt on your lips and see a bit of residue on your kindle, but it is subtle.

While I was enjoying this relaxing beachy experience, I read through testimonials of dozens of people who have seen an improvement in their respiratory symptoms (less reliance on inhalers, able to breathe better, stuffy nose clearing up, cough reducing, and on and on).  One theme that came through the testimonials is that people are hesitant to try it out, then after one session they love it and sign up for a package. I was surprised to see how many people come for 10, 25, even 50 sessions.

By coincidence, my friend from Juhu was there an hour before me on the same day!  We found this out later.  She has been coughing in the night and having a lot of discharge.  She said it dramatically improved (80% improvement in her estimation) after 2 sessions and she got a package of 5.

If I lived closer, or if I developed respiratory symptoms, I would definitely go often.  If either of my kids developed more serious respiratory issues, I would find a way to get down there for a few sessions.

For kids
They have a really super cute play room for the kids, it’s like a big sand box room but instead of sand on the floor it’s salt.  If you bring your kid there, they will not feel like they are going through any sort of therapy or medical treatment, it will feel completely like play.  I would love to open such a place in Juhu and host a daily storytime for the kids (hint hint investors, anybody??).

I love Mumbai but the sad truth is that I see a lot of my mom friends dealing with respiratory problems for the kiddos – rushing to hospital in the night, using nebulizers, going to the doctor twice a day. They are so vulnerable when they’re young.  If this is something that could help their breathing, it is worth a shot.

Closing thoughts on salt

My love affair with salt is leading my to try out sole in the mornings, which you can read about here and here.

Do you use any form of salt therapy in your life?  Sole, salt cave, salt lamps?  I’d love to hear about it!