Salty But Sweet

I just returned from a girl’s getaway retreat in Naples, FL. My friend had graciously opened her heart and home and invited me and another friend to escape the midwest winter weather to the warm sun of the south. While there, we saw an opportunity to experience a salt cave. I’d heard about salt caves before, didn’t know much about them, but felt drawn to the idea. So, we booked appointments.

Once we arrived it was a normal looking storefront on the outside, as well as directly inside the door. We were led into a room adjacent to the cave, which was a quiet zone, were given a hair net and told to remove socks, shoes and all electronics……drat, I was hoping to get a few pictures.

The door to the cave was opened as our guide let us in one by one. It was dark and kind of mysterious. It felt calm and inviting, with a warm radiance from dim lights placed along the outside perimeter. Anti-gravity chairs were lined up on either side, with a furnace-type structure in the middle of the room emitting an orange, red and yellow glow. The ceiling and walls were covered in crystal salt and the floor covered in inches of loose salt, that felt like you were walking on a sandy beach. The guide talked about the healing properties and salt therapy is said to boost the immune system and reduce chronic fatigue and stress. He left the room as he turned off the lights.

We were free to relax in the chairs or walk around the room without disturbing the group. No words were spoken once the guide left and everyone settled within their own space. I laid back, pulled up the blanket, closed my eyes and breathed in the air. At one point I got up to enjoy the room from a few different angles. At one end sat a corner bench on one side and an alter of sorts on the other. It felt good to walk through the salt, then back to my original chair to relax for the remaining time, 50 minutes. I felt relaxed and revived once the session was finished.

Salty but sweet got me thinking about life and all its ups and downs, ebbs and flows, highs and lows. It’s about making the most of what we have; the salt of our tears helps us treasure the sweetness we experience. It’s the imperfectly perfect balance of salty and sweet that gives us life. Savor the moments.

xoxox…..Sheryl

PS….I may or may not have taken a quick picture or two with my phone, once reunited with my belongings.