With everything that’s going on in the world, one of the most precious organs in our bodies that we must work hard to protect right now is our lungs.  Since breathing and the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide is our number one need for survival, protecting and strengthening our lungs should be pretty high on our list of priorities, especially as we head into cold and flu season.

There are a number of different ways we can protect and strengthen our lungs.  There are breathing and twisting exercises that can be done through yoga, or nutritional supplements available to help support lung health.

One of the most effective solutions for cleaning and strengthening your lungs is salt therapy.

If you have ever had the good fortune of spending a week by the ocean you may notice that the air is easier to breath. You tend to recover from illness quicker, and perhaps your allergies go away, or your asthma doesn’t flair up as much, if at all.

Another place to where people have enjoyed the benefits of salty air are on the sites of the ancient oceans, now buried deep under the surface of the earth in Eastern Europe.  The health benefits of the salt caves were discovered during the height of the Industrial Revolution when a Polish health official visited some of the salt mines and found the workers working in these mines were free from all respiratory ailments.  Upon further investigation, it was found that when spending an extended period of time in a concentrated salt air environment, the lungs were constantly being cleansed and had an opportunity to heal and increase oxygen intake.

This was due to the salt ions in the air that help loosen phlegm and mucus stuck to the walls of the respiratory tract, thus making it easier to be released from the body.   Once the mines were mined, the caves were converted into salt sanitoriums for people to come and heal from various ailments.

Moving to the ocean side or to the salt caves in Europe is not feasible for most of us, so we must find alternatives that provide similar relief.  There are devices that you can get for personal use, such as a Ultrasonic Salinizer that pushes salt ions into the atmosphere, or a salt pipe that you breath through a few times a day.   If you are looking for a more authentic experience, there are salt spas and rooms throughout the GTA where you go and sit in silence and reap the benefits of the salt.  Salt therapy is safe for any age, and does not impact the sodium levels in the body.  If you would like more information on salt therapy and how to do it, feel free to contact us at the club at info@monkeytreewellness.com.  Also reach Adrianne @monkeytreefitness on Facebook, Instagram or www.monkeytreewellness.com.