Vogue India July 2016

PHOTO: DIRK BADER; ANDREW PURCELL. PROP STYLIST: PAIGE HICK. FOOD STYLIST: CARRIE PURCELL

e healing you. Halotherapy—treating with salt—

s ancient as it is modern. Confused?LYLAand

HEED MEHTAof Mumbai’s first salt spa decode

the therapy forSHEREE GOMES GUPTA

WELLNESS

ever y breath

you take...

Sink into a chair, put your

feet up—relax, sleep, read,

listen to music or simply

meditate—all the while

breathing in the salty air

and experiencing all its

wonderful healing properties.

Sounds like a sunny day at the

beach, right? Except, it’s not. Bang in

the middle of Mumbai’s busy work dis-

trict is an oasis of calm, promising a

breath of fresh air to a city in desper-

ate need of it. Lyla and Jamsheed Me-

hta’s Salt Escape, which offers salt (or

halo) therapy, is taking wellness to a

whole new level, promising holistic,

drug-free relief from respiratory as

well as skin ailments.

“You take an average of 20,000

breaths per day. Living in a big city ex-

poses your lungs to many allergens,

pollutants, bacteria and toxins, which

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allergies of the airways, initi-

ating respiratory infections

and disease. Salt Escape is

based on the age-old anti-

bacterial, DQWLLQÁDPPDWRU\

and antiseptic properties of

salt that can help alleviate these

problems naturally,” says Jamsheed.

THE SALT STORY

An engineer by profession, the 38-year-

old was forced to look for an alterna-

tive when the solution offered by doc-

tors to his 20-year-old battle with

rhinitis (dust allergy) involved either

leaving the city or using anti-hista-

mines and steroid sprays for prolonged

periods. “When I read about salt ther-

apy, how it had helped so many people

and how popular it was becoming

abroad, I wondered why we didn’t

have it in Mumbai,” he says. The hus-

band-wife duo visited some salt caves

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research and planning, the city got its

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Designed by Neterwala & Aibara In-

terior Architects, Salt Escape is spread

across three rooms—one for adults,

one for children and one for those seek-

ing privacy—all equipped with top-of-

the-line halo-generators and air

exchange (ventilation) systems. “We

use technology and equipment from

The Salt Cave, which has been accept-

ed by the National Health Services

(NHS) in the UK to treat Chronic Ob-

structive Pulmonary Disease (COPD),”

says Jamsheed.

WORKING IT

The microclimate of natural salt caves

is recreated within a controlled air me-

dium, and salt aerosol is dispersed into

the air for inhalation. These tiny dry

salt particles then penetrate deep into

the lungs and bronchi, cleansing the

airways along the way and speeding up

the elimination of toxins, and similarly

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tions. “Salt therapy acts as a comple-

mentary service to your medication.

It largely helps build immunity

and reduces the need for medication,”

adds Jamsheed.

CHILD’S PLAY

What strikes you at Salt Escape, of

course, is the children’s salt room,

which looks more like a play zone or

‘snow world’ than a therapy chamber.

“There are toys, books, puzzles, games

and even TV programmes to keep our

young clients occupied—all they need

to do is keep playing and let the salt

work its magic,” says Lyla. Q

Lyla and

Jamsheed

Mehta

The halotherapy room

206 VOGUE INDIA JULY 2016 http://www.vogue.in