Where to soak up the seaside in a suburban salt cave
Secret no. 5 to making the most of the city this chilly season
The purported health benefits of Himalayan salt have spawned a wellness trend embraced by star athletes (New York Giants great Tiki Barber, for instance). Solana, a tiny storefront spa in Oakville, brings the saline craze to the suburbs. Inside its 450-square-foot salt cave—built from almost 10,000 kilos of the pink stuff—true believers zone out on beach-chair recliners under dim, twinkling lights. Call it the anti-shvitz: a fully clothed, blanket-cozy communion in a 21-degree chamber where the imperative is not to sweat it out but to soak it in—the cave emits enough iodine in an hour to match two days seaside and is said to treat everything from asthma to eczema to snoring. Even if you take such claims with a grain of you-know-what, it’s a serene setting for a power nap. $35 for an hour-long session. 302 Lakeshore Rd. E., 905-338-5555.
The Winter Hater's Guide to Loving Winter
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The purported health benefits of Himalayan salt have spawned a wellness trend embraced by star athletes (New York Giants great Tiki Barber, for instance). Solana, a tiny storefront spa in Oakville, brings the saline craze to the suburbs. Inside its 450-square-foot salt cave—built from almost 10,000 kilos of the pink stuff—true believers zone out on beach-chair recliners under dim, twinkling lights. Call it the anti-shvitz: a fully clothed, blanket-cozy communion in a 21-degree chamber where the imperative is not to sweat it out but to soak it in—the cave emits enough iodine in an hour to match two days seaside and is said to treat everything from asthma to eczema to snoring. Even if you take such claims with a grain of you-know-what, it’s a serene setting for a power nap. $35 for an hour-long session. 302 Lakeshore Rd. E., 905-338-5555.
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No, there are no health benefits of Himalayan sea salt. Wellness is a word that is meaningless. Enjoy a sauna, by all means, but no reason to splash out more for quackery.