A Brand New Way to Relax in Westchester

Salt therapy treatments, which mimic the calming sensation of the beach, are proliferating throughout the County.

You know how great you feel walking on a beach or sailing in the ocean? Now there’s a local treatment that promises to replicate that sensation. “When you go to the beach and breathe in the salt air, you immediately feel relaxed,” says Gary Patrick of Breathe Easy, a company that makes salt therapy systems. “You get that same feeling in a salt booth. Salt is a natural therapy—it is antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and an antihistamine. It is excellent for people with allergies or sinus infections—and helps everyone breathe better.” Patrick has installed a booth at Yoga Sanctuary in Mamaroneck (951 E Boston Post Rd 914-381-9642; yogasanctuary.net) and is planning additional locations in Dobbs Ferry, Briarcliff Manor, and Katonah.

The glass-walled salt booth at Yoga Sanctuary is in a private room; you sit inside the booth as clothed (or unclothed) as you like, listening to your choice of music. I don’t know if it was the salt air or my deep breathing, but I left the booth feeling a bit euphoric, and dusted with a fine residue of salt. Sessions are priced like yoga classes, with a drop-in fee for a single visit ($45), packages of six ($40 each) or 12 ($35 each), or monthly memberships.