The North East’s first ‘Salt Cave’ offers salt therapy (also known as halotherapy) to sufferers of respiratory and skin issues as well as for general relaxation and wellbeing.

Sereniti Salt Retreat in Newcastle has been designed to recreate conditions found in a salt mines except the ‘cave’ is warm and has calming music, soothing lighting and comfortable chairs.

The cave - which has a thick layer of natural sea salt from the Red Sea on its floor, walls and ceiling - can help alleviate many conditions, according to the owners, including: asthma, hay fever, bronchitis, sinusitis, cystic fibrosis, eczema, COPD, psoriasis. 

Salt Therapy is based on the principle of prolonged exposure to the micro climate found in natural saltmines.  Sereniti Salt Retreat uses patented state of the art technology to reproduce the atmosphere of a salt cave with a monitored therapeutic micro climate. Air in the Salt Room is ionised and saturated with a low concentration of dry aerosol saline.

The micro climate in the salt rooms is formed naturally, through diffusion from the salt walls combined with controlled temperature and humidity using a sensor. This creates a hypo-bacterial and allergen-free air environment.

Particles of dry rock salt are ground using a specialised machine and then circulated around the room. These particles, invisible to the naked eye, are inhaled helping to clear airways. 

Salt Therapy was a widely used natural remedy dating back to medieval times. The monks acknowledged the healing atmosphere of salt caves where they took the sick down into salt caves to allow them to breathe air saturated with salt particles.

In 1843 the benefits of Salt Therapy were published by a Polish doctor Felix Boczkowski who was a physician at the Wieliczka salt mine. He noticed that salt miners did not suffer from respiratory conditions that were common at that time. He found that the presence of dry salt particles in the saltmine had a healing effect on those with respiratory issues.

The Retreat has been sent up by Michelle Grogan from Newcastle who is employing a group of therapists from the North East to provide a holistic approach to health and wellbeing.

The standard cost for an adult session is £30.