I took advantage of a Groupon deal to visit the Sante healing spa for a salt cave relaxation experience, together with my daughter. We were a bit late, and thus took the 407 (ouch! Yet another bit of cash to The Man), but it was brilliant driving there on this empty highway and we arrived on time. After we signed our waivers, Daniela, who was extremely welcoming and informative, escorted us to the door of the cave .... but before I go any further, let me just say that you should wear comfy clothes suitable for a cool indoor temperature. I wore sweat pants and a hoodie and, with the blankets that they gave us, I was comfortable in the cool temperatures of the cave-space.
It is remarkably like a real cave, in terms of temperature; humidity; sounds of water; and stalactites pointing down at you from the ceiling. The walls are covered with salt, and the cave is lit by the lurid glow of pink salt lamps. I was pleased. The floor is covered in salt, but it's not the kind that the city covers your sidewalks with: it's Pink Himalayan Salt.
The decor, the music and the moist salty air transports you to a cave-like atmosphere, and I can attest that it is very effective, because I am obsessed with exploring caves. Everywhere I travel, if there is a cave, I will find a way to get in there. The cool air, the smell of minerals, and the scope for imagination in a cave are just impossible to resist.
In the Sante cave, the chairs, which look like patio chairs but actually offer much better support and control over your level of reclining, detract from the eldritch atmosphere of the cave-room. However, once you and the various other people (maximum 8) in the room are lying down in the chairs, you can look around and get a cave-like feeling. It was really cool and diverting. You could taste the salt in the air if you breathed through your mouth. The staff at Sante advise breathing through the nose for sinus and respiratory benefits.
Basically, you then recline in the cave for 45 minutes. No one talks or walks around, but rather just lies there in the recliners, similar to the Sivasana at the end of a yoga practice. But this was in a cave-like environment.
I found it deeply relaxing, because, if I became diverted from disciplined relaxation by random, mundane thoughts (like whether I would take the 407 and pay the toll to get home) I would open my eyes, look around the room, and imagine plots to videos that you could film in this space. Then I would drift off into relaxation. So yes, it worked. It quieted my urban, clutter-filled mind. I think that my sinuses feel clearer, and I certainly feel more relaxed.
I would give it 5 stars, except my daughter's chair did not have a head-rest and she left with a headache. The staff responded sympathetically, and told her that they wished that she had said something about it sooner, because they could simply have attached one. Also, the regular price for a session like the one I describe makes it a bit of an indulgence.
We are intrigued enough to return for a salt water flotation experience. For us, in Pickering, the Richmond Hill location is not convenient, but the experience was sufficiently unique that I think we will be back.
As I said, I love caves and minerals, and Sante offers that (and massages, too!)
Oh and I took Highways 7, 404, and 401 to get back to Pickering. We were home in 38 minutes. Not bad. read more