Breathing deeply at Austin Salt Cave (Credit: Amanda Tatom)
Austin Salt Cave is your destination for all things salt. All the products they carry are, in some way, made with salt: lamps, blocks for cooking, lotions, soaps, and sunscreen. There is a selection of edible salt from around the world. I sampled the matcha salt, which had a slight green tinge. Then I tried a small sample of “venom,” made with Trinidad scorpion peppers, which had my mouth burning. Definitely recommended for spice enthusiasts, but use with caution!
The Cave
Relax in the cave
The main attraction at Austin Salt Cave is the cave itself. After leaving your shoes and all of your electronics in a locker in the lobby, you make your way into the cave. The floors and walls are thickly coated with salt bricks, and salt boulders. You’ll also see heaps of salt grains, like sand on a beach.
For your halotherapy session (“halo” means salt), all you have to do is recline in a chair, listen to soothing music, and breathe deeply for 45 minutes.
What Can Salt Do For You?
Shots of concentrated Himalayan pink salt provide essential minerals such as magnesium and potassium
The halogenerator is a machine that saturates the air with salt, allowing you to breathe it in. There are numerous reported health benefits, mainly regarding respiratory and skin conditions. Salt rooms can help with the following:
- Allergies
- Asthma
- Bronchitis
- Psoriasis
- Eczema
- Common cold
- Sinus infections
For chronic conditions, up to three visits a week can help, while acute conditions may experience a greater benefit by visiting for consecutive days over a short period of time.
Many salt enthusiasts report similar benefits to spending a couple of days at the beach and breathing the salty air. For us landlocked folk, having a salt cave nearby is a convenient way of harnessing that lung-clearing ocean air. It is said that one session is roughly equivalent to spending three days at the beach!
History of Austin Salt Cave
Credit: Austin Salt Cave
Jack Kramer, owner of Austin Salt Cave, became interested in salt about 10 years ago on a family vacation to Virginia. It was snowing, and they were looking for an indoors activity when they came upon a brochure for a local salt cave.
Reading about the potential benefits of salt, they thought it could help them. Kramer had asthma; his brother dealt with chronic bronchitis; both his parents were chronic smokers; and his dad had psoriasis.
The day after their session, there was a marked difference in Kramer’s dad’s psoriasis. The budding entrepreneur knew there was something special about this therapy. After he graduated from The University of Texas and worked a few odd jobs here and there, Austin Salt Cave was born in the spring of 2016.
Events and Classes
Singing bowls set up in the cave (Credit: Singing Bowl Lady)
In addition to daily halotherapy sessions (every day except Tuesdays), Austin Salt Cave holds yoga classes, a breathing class, and sound baths with crystal bowls.
In the breathing class, the instructor guides participants though meditation techniques and breathing exercises, which can help maximize the healing benefits of the salt. For the sound baths, led by Singing Bowl Lady, participants relax wherever they feel comfortable and let the sounds of the crystal bowls wash over them. This can have a profound effect through stress reduction. And again, the added element of salt makes for a powerful combination that aids in self-care.
2951 Ranch Road 620 S, Suite 102, Lakeway, TX – Website
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