Salt therapy such as applied in salt crystal rooms or with salt crystal lamps replicates the benefits of natural healing environments, such as forests, natural salt caves or sea air

Rock salt, which forms crystals when it is pressurized deep inside the earth, is used in the creation of both rooms or lamps (which include light panels made with blocks from crystal salt rocks). Rock salt is found in deep deposits in many regions of the world, such as Persia, France, and Poland to name just a few.

Depending on which school of thought one follows, Himalayan crystal salt can be a tool for vitality and spiritual growth. The treatment, known as dry salt therapy (or halotherapy), dates back hundreds of years to Eastern Europe and is intended to present a variety of health benefits. These include relief from respiratory ailments such as asthma, bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, allergies, colds, cystic fibrosis, ear infections and sinusitis, as well as skin conditions like acne, eczema, psoriasis, rashes and rosacea, according to the Salt Therapy Association.

The negatively charged ionized air emitted from the pink Himalayan crystal salt is said to also have the ability to combat the negative effects of free radicals and can help ease with stress issues. It is also worthwhile to know that salt actually prevents microbial proliferation and drains bad secretions from our bodies.  With that, let us dive in and explore the history and benefits of Himalayan crystal salt lamps.

People visit salt rooms and salt caves to decompress, rejuvenate, and unwind from modern life and typically feel noticeably better after a salt therapy experience. Upon entering a salt room, one can immediately notice the crispness and clarity of the air - similar to the feeling you get at an ocean beach or immediately following a storm because the air is charged with negative ions.  

Origin and history

Salt comes from the sea, so one might ask, how did it become pink rock salt? The pink salt comes from remnants of ancient sea beds that crystalized about 200 million years ago. A geological treasure, it holds the earth’s secrets and the memory of the seas inside. During the Middle Triassic, the oldest period of what prehistorians call the Mesozoic era, at some point around 240 million years ago, an extraordinary climatic upheaval changed everything. Dinosaurs disappeared, and sea-waters evaporated in many places.

This is when rock salt began its slow morphogenesis, the biological process that causes a cell, tissue or organism to develop its shape. Tectonic plates began to separate and move around vast oceans, and these seismic shifts created faults in which mineral and metallic elements became integrated into salt deposits. During this process white salt was modified toward the orange-colored hues prevalent today in Himalayan crystal salt rocks, lamps and panels. More about color in a moment.

The foothills of the Himalayan mountains are home to particularly old and exquisite varieties of crystal salt. Himalayan crystal salt is extracted by traditional methods that have been used for thousands of years, as opposed to industrialized quarries. The Khewra Salt Mine in Khewra, Jhelum District, Punjab, Pakistan, is the second largest salt mine in the world and is situated in the foothills of the Salt Range hill system in the Punjab province of the Pakistan Indo-Gangetic Plain.

Himalayan crystal salt has three distinct colors, white (has sodium chloride = NaCl), red (has iron = Fe) and pink (has magnesium = Mg). While about 98 % is sodium chloride (NaCl), the same as sea salt, it has additionally absorbed 84 different enriching mineral elements which contribute to its delicate range of color tones.  

Originating from ‘rocks’, or further cut into ‘blocks’ of crystal salt, the pieces are used for the creation of the salt rooms, panels as well as salt crystal lamps. When further ground or pulverized, the pink crystal salt is also being used for food or bath salt applications. 

Rock salt’s protective powers have been known since earliest antiquity and have been used because every civilization has understood the secrets of salt. Tested over time by occult masters, employed by feng shui practitioners, researchers today are rediscovering it as “medicine for home and office spaces” (geobiology) as well as for alternative therapies. 

Salt, once thought of as “white gold” and as decisive as the discovery of fire, has played an integral part of human development over time. Imagine that for 3,000 years, next to fire, salt was the only means of food conservation and shaped nomadic tribes to become more sedentary.

What are negative ions?

Here you may ask…how exactly can the Himalayan salt lamps and panels benefit my health…? We mentioned earlier that salt crystal lamps and salt rooms or caves disperse negative ions into the atmosphere, which are said to be beneficial for the human organism.

With sodium chloride being an integral part of the body’s physiology and dealing with homeostasis and health, saline (salt) in the lungs is key to eliminating toxins that we either inhale or otherwise come into contact with. Salt allows the body to excrete impurities through ion exchange. Indeed, Himalayan salt emits negative ions that are absorbed by your body when you inhale them; these ions are important for daily activities such as fluid exchange and balance and conduction of muscles and nerves. Meanwhile, salt also has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antifungal properties that can fight germs. 

A study in the May 2017 issue of Pediatric Pulmonology found that children with mild asthma who went for two halotherapy sessions per week for seven weeks gained greater improvements in their bronchial hyperreactivity (constrictions and spasms that cause asthma symptoms) than a control group did. A small study in a 2014 issue of the ‘Journal of Medicine and Life’ found that when patients with chronic bronchial conditions underwent halotherapy, it triggered anti-inflammatory mechanisms and stimulation of phagocytosis, a process in which cells called phagocytes engulf bacterial or viral particles to destroy them.

Breathing in salty air decreases the thickness of the mucous, thereby allowing the body’s innate clearing mechanisms to sweep away the secretions, improving drainage and diminishing bronchial sensitivity, according to Dr. Joseph Marino, medical director of Long Island Jewish Valley Stream Hospital in New York. In addition, the efficacy of halotherapy [may] be related to an immunologic effect by elevating T lymphocytes, which are one of our germ fighters. Theoretically, this could translate into better immune function and greater protection from colds, flu and other contagious illnesses.

In addition to the anti-inflammatory properties, the salts used in halotherapy have calming properties that are helpful for skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema.

OK, that is all great, but what exactly are negative ions and why would they be good for us…? Every atom of matter is generally divided into an equal number of protons, with a positive electrical charge, and electrons, that have a negative electrical charge. While protons remain in place, electrons frequently leave its atom and settle down in another atom passing by. This process makes the atom into an ion. An atom becomes an ion when it no longer has an even number of electrons and protons. The atom becomes a positive ion when an electron (with its negative electrical charge) leaves, because the protons with their positive electrical charges are dominant now. And it becomes a negative ion when the negatively charged electron joins its new atom, so now the negatively charged electrons are larger in quantity than the protons.  

Observations as well as scientific studies and experiments from the early to late eighteenth century supported the idea that negative ions could have a positive impact on living organisms and that static electricity seemed to benefit plant growth. In 1899 the German physicists, Julius Elster and Hans Friedrich Geitel, established that these beneficial effects were caused by electrically charged particles called ions.  

Dr. Clarence Hansell, an American researcher discovered in 1932 that ions could also have an impact on a person’s state of mind. From then on research began to investigate the effects of negative ions on human physiology and behavior.

How ions affect behavior and the immune system

It was Professor J. M. Olivereau who noted that people as well as animals displayed an increased aggressive and/or depressive behavior in environments that measured few negative ions. The behavior changed upon infusing the room with large amounts of negative ions. It is furthermore of interest to learn that an environment that is totally saturated with positive ions, and therefore completely devoid of negative ones, will disrupt an animal’s immune system as experiments have shown.

Two scientists from Salzburg, Austria, established an obvious link between certain winds that are charged with positive ions and aggressive, pathogenic behaviors. Hence it is believed that an environment which is too rich in positive ions, and consequently poor in negative ions, causes a lot of fatigue, difficulties in concentration, re-occurring migraine headaches, insomnia, recurrent depressive states, and continual irritation.

Research has demonstrated that the body’s vital processes are reinforced in an environment rich in negative ions and that health problems such as depression, pain, chronic fatigue, headaches, and asthma are slowed down and even reversed.

Professor Albert Krueger, of the University of California at Berkeley, proved that the negative ions produced by thunderstorms and waterfalls are what cause our positive emotional and physical responses to them, they recharge our energy and vitality, similar to what a salt crystal lamp or panel does. Waterfalls are natural diffusers of negative ions. 

Our modern lives prompt a continuous bombardment of harmful positive ions, generated by a variety of factors, including subterranean sources, Hartmann networks, and the vast increase in electrical appliances and power lines. These sources produce harmful waves that can adversely affect and alter one’s health and disturb mental dynamism, unbeknownst to most.

There is a general lack of negative ions for most of us living in the modern world with its manmade environments. For example, being in a small town, measurements yield about 250 negative ions per cubic centimeter (1 cubic cm = .06 cubic inch), and barely 50 in a large city. Imagine how many there might be in Chicago, Los Angeles or Mexico City… As a guideline, the more air pollution, the fewer negative ions in the atmosphere. And it may be worthwhile to know that most homes have barely 100 negative ions per cubic centimeter whereas most car and truck interiors feature only about 10 negative ions per cubic centimeter.

On the bright side

Studies suggest that humans would benefit most from an environment that contains about 1,000 to 1,500 negative ions per cubic centimeter of air. Imagine that after a thunderstorm the air reaches densities of 2,000 negative ions per cubic centimeter. And it may not be a surprise to learn that the areas most saturated with negative ions are the less populated ones. Mountainous regions feature 1,500 negative ions per cubic centimeter and a pine forest 1,000.  

Ocean waves create negative ions through the movement of ebb and flow. Conifer forests generate negative ions through rubbing their pine needles together. Natural forces like these de-saturate the atmosphere during these processes. Independent of the air quality these environments help us regenerate when we are in them. Please see also our article on ’Forest bathing and our inherent need to connect with nature’. 

Why to use Himalayan salt crystal lamps or panels in your environment

Salt crystal lamps or panels in your room or environment are similar as they generate a steady flow of negative ions, compensating for the general lack of them existing in our modern world as pointed out earlier. They propagate negative ions in the atmosphere which purify the surrounding air. They not only improve our air quality but also function as energizers by steadily engulfing our organism with negative ions.

When turned on, the lamps disperse a soft light that is attractive to our eyes and naturally calms our nervous systems. They are ideal tools for meditation, relaxation and healing practices as they are natural vehicles for relieving stress. Put one or more salt crystal lamps in your office or any room of your house and over time, inner and outer conflicts will vanish. When you illuminate your salt crystal lamp remember that you are “igniting” the history and wisdom accumulated over 200 million years.

All minerals contain the principle of eternal life. Recognizing this prompts one to understand why rocks and stones are such powerful symbols in our consciousness and our material environment. Having a salt rock lamp in your space is a wonderful reminder of that. Our article on ‘Ancient wisdom of rocks and stones’ reveals more for you. In the realm of mineral symbolism, rock salt symbolizes purity, fraternity, eternity and divine protection. It belongs both to earth and sea, a crystallized mirror reflecting both worlds.  

Amplification with Sound

In order to reach altered states of consciousness, ancient cultures have used special chambers or rooms for amplification of sounds from diverse instruments and the voice. A good glimpse into the complex thematic of the power of sound can be found in our Sound therapy section.

It is our experience and notion that the energy, tonal qualities and richness of sound are enhanced in a room that is fitted with elements of salt crystals. Having done meditative sound bath events and overnight gong bath awakenings in the salt room at Prana Yoga Center, we are sharing first hand account of the experience. When sound, color and intention are properly coupled, they come together in a harmonious fashion and we are dealing with the energy and vibrational resonance of sound, light and matter. These natural phenomena are better felt than explained which falls into the realm of phenomenology….

On Color

In addition to the advantages of negative ions contained in crystal salt lamps, there is also the healing element of color. We had mentioned earlier that salt due to its white color was often referred to as “white gold” in past times. Yet, in the process of transmuting itself into rock salt deep in the earth, the Himalayan crystal salt takes on an orange-colored hue as a result of the natural compression process and the minerals it contains. 

Based on the notion that a specific energy emanates from every color, chromotherapy, also known as color therapy, is a healing method that employs the energetics of color to restructure and rebalance our physical health and emotions. Each color’s energies can empower and lift us up, or bring us down, or ‘contaminate’ us. Colors can heighten certain aspects of our sensibility, limit deficiencies or, on the flip side, accelerate them.  

Chromotherapy, like all natural medicines cannot claim to be a substitute for all kinds of allopathic treatments, but it often constitutes an indispensable and important complement as it energizes and supports the self-healing processes. When utilizing salt crystal lamps in your environment, the color it gives off has a significant influence on its healing properties.

The quantities of metals and minerals vary from one crystal salt rock to the other. One aspect that all of them have in common though, is the color orange, in one hue or another, ranging from yellows to reds and anything in between. 

In Feng Shui as well as Western tradition, the color orange is associated with the element of fire. A gentle fire that does not destroy or burn, but spreads a gentle heat instead. Orange is the tone of vital bursts of energy. It enhances concentration and creativity, the ability to come up with new ideas. Orange is the color of action, it is active and dynamic. It can support the elimination of a fatalist vision of a multitude of life’s aspects, and help us to recognize or remember our role as cocreators of the universe. Remember: Where thought goes, energy flows…   

The teachings of ancient wisdom traditions

Ancient wisdom traditions have persisted over centuries and even thousands of years. The teachings derived from them came from studious and methodical observation and recording of phenomena and causality. So it is with the chakra system of ancient Hindu tradition. If you wish to dive deeper into it, please visit our page on ‘Chakras - centers of activity’. 

The first energy center and the color RED

The chakra system of energetic centers in the body refers to associations of each chakra with a color. The 1st chakra, the root or Muladhara chakra, represents the seat of energy, vitality. Located at the level of the sacrum, it is the seat of kundalini energy. This energy center is associated with the color red and connects and anchors us to powerful Earth energies. You will recall that rock salt, as its source, is connected to the Earth.  

The strongest association one may have with red is the link with blood. Without this vital element, life would not flow in us. Red is also the color of passionate love and feverish desire. It can also be a symbol for dynamism, aggressiveness, cruelty, vital energy, courage, and perversity. Yet, it is also the color worn by popes, cardinals and royalty. With some of these seemingly paradoxical meanings, the interpretation and mastery of the symbolism of red may require a certain degree of the reader’s individual spiritual elevation. 

Within the psychological realm, the following aspects can be influenced by red in positive ways: 

• Spicing up of love relationships

• Generation of energy required for action within oneself

• Aid in the recovery from failure or depression

• Reveal energy to weary or depressed individuals

• Aid in overcoming of one’s self-imposed limits   

On the physical plane, red can:  

• Increase the body’s resistance and invigorate the immune system

• Support the nervous and lymphatic systems

• Remedy blood or arterial deficiencies

• Increase resistance to catching a common cold

• Relieve intestinal problems

• Enhance blood circulation and harmonious breathing

• Improve feelings of health for individuals with pulmonary conditions

• Accelerate the healing of wounds and eruptive diseases like measles and chicken pox

• Combat bulimia and anorexia

• Improve muscle tone of the sexual organs

• Stimulate and energize the whole body 

The second energy center and the color ORANGE

The 2nd chakra, the Svadhistana center is located above the root chakra and related to orange. It corresponds to the genital zones and governs our sexuality, instinct and the subconscious. It is furthermore associated with the water element, and you may remember that the rock salt is associated with the sea and water.

The color orange regulates, channels and magnifies our energies and can influence the following aspects within the psychological realm in positive ways: 

• Prompt altruism and empathy

• Arouse the joy of living and combat neurasthenia and depressive behavior

• Stimulate and fortify courage

• Increase abilities related to clairvoyance, vigilance, and perspective

• Raise our personal magnetism

• Reveal more assurance and self-control

• Create and increase a positive mindset

• Break impatience and angry impulses

• Calm down and channel people who are too quick-tempered

• Stimulate thinking and volitional faculties 

On the physical side, orange can:  

• Invigorate the libido

• Help regulate dysfunction in the menstrual cycle as well as in breastfeeding

• Improve the immune system

• Enhance a person’s physical potential

• Energize the genital areas and enhance their function

• Support the proper working of the digestive system

• Battle physical weakness and lack of appetite

• Calm down spasmodic and convulsive reactions

• Prevent pulmonary and circulatory deficiencies and accelerate the healing process in both these cases

• Support allopathic treatments related to asthma 

The third energy center and the color YELLOW

The 3rd chakra is the Manipura, or solar plexus chakra, the essential emotional seat which acts on power and will. It is associated with the color yellow.  

Yellow falls into the domain of soothing colors, rather than stimulating ones. For the neurological system it is a tone of real balance. Yellow is associated with the spiritual side and inner reflection. It is a color of harmony and peace and supports mental and spiritual faculties leading toward evolution, inspiration, creativity and transcendence.  

Within the psychological realm, yellow can influence the following aspects in positive ways: 

• Relax mind and body

• Impart an encouraging impact on brainpower and discernment  

• Support the development and expansion of creativity

• Increase memorization skills

• Increase propensity for happiness and enthusiasm

• Assist in acquiring healthy ways of reasoning and supports non-judgementalism toward others

• Have a soothing influence on avoidance of impulsive reactions

• Increase vigilance

• Minimize the scattering of thoughts and the mind’s confusion 

On the physical side, yellow can:  

• Regulate vital energy more effectively

• Reduce frequency and intensity of some migraine headaches

• Have a strengthening effect on muscles and epidermis

• Relieve pain associated with liver or gallbladder problems

• Combat all forms of digestive problems

• Energize the neocortex and braincells

• Speed up the healing process for people afflicted with diabetes

• Have a stimulating effect on the pancreatic and intestinal systems

For your consideration

Having learned about the benefits of featuring Himalayan salt lamps or light panels in your environment, you might be interested in finding out how to go about it.

Each salt crystal lamp or panel possesses its own uniquely orange qualities, resulting for its own degrees and shades between red and yellow. Each lamp and light panel radiates its colors in a specific way which shapes or determines its zones of influence. By equipping the salt crystal lamp or panels with a dimmer, or a stronger light source, i.e. a higher wattage bulb, this can even be somewhat adjusted. Find out how you can have a crystal salt room in your home or office

Note: While there is a lot of differing information available on all of the above, we chose to methodically research this article based on phenomenological impressions. It is our hope that by sharing this entry, you may experience the same. In addition, a noteworthy source of information is the book ‘Himalayan Salt Crystal Lamps for Healing, Harmony and Purification’ by Clemence Lefevre.