Why I Have Salt Lamps in Every Room

benefits of himalayan salt lampsThe one thing that I have in every room of our home: Pink Himalayan salt lamps.

Why? Cause they are pretty and pink, obviously. BUT besides that they have a list of holistic health benefits that I just love to soak up as much as I can, especially living downtown. Whenever I’m shopping at a home goods store and I see salt lamps on sale I snatch ’em up like I just found a $100 bill on the floor. I’m probably going to turn into a salt lamp hoarder. Welp.

Each night, our home turns into a cozy oasis filled with the gentle illumination of salt lamps. It instantly lifts my mood and makes me feel hygee as heck. Here’s why I have salt lamps in every room:

How salt lamps work

Salt lamps are made out of pink Himalayan salt carved into various shapes. These special lamps produce negative ions which release an electrical charge in the air. Did you know there are natural ions all around us in nature? Electricity is not just made by man made electronics. Storms, waves, heat, waterfalls and other natural phenomena all produce electrical ions in the air that produce various effects. Anyways, even though salt lamps don’t release large amounts of negative ions like natural phenomenon do, when used consistently you may still be able to experience some benefits, which are discussed below.

The use of salt lamps for holistic health benefits actually has a name, people! Halotherapy. Halotherapy is an extremely old practice that consists of literally sitting in a room covered with Himalayan pink salt. It’s believed to purify everything from our bodies to the air. Nowadays there are actual “salt caves” that you can go and lounge in but if there’s not one near you, go ahead and get those salt lamps!

Salt Lamp Benefits

I use it as a focal point to meditate: Salt lamps have a special way of helping you navigate out of the fog of anxiety, stress, and sometimes even depression. I know many of us have struggles trying to sit with our eyes closed and meditate for let alone even 5 minutes. I’ve noticed that when I use salt lamps as a focal point while meditating, it helps me *actually* zone out and get into a meditative groove. Another perk is that salt lamps can be used as chromotherapy (color therapy). The comforting glow of oranges/deep pinks/yellows when it comes to how we mentally process colors may help reduce stress and promote further relaxation. SO UMMM ya best believe I’ll be staring down salt lamps when I need a good zone out/meditation session.  When used at night it also doesn’t mess with the hormones that regulate sleep as blue lights do, so I usually do an evening meditation in our bedroom with salt lamps.

Boost mood: Living in Chicago, the few months after New Years can bring on heavy boughts of SAD (seasonal affective disorder) which can really put you in a rut. There are a few ways that Himalayan salt lamps can help get you in a better mood: One is by what I mentioned above, color therapy, and how the negative ions in salt lamps work.

The thought process is that negative ions released in the air help cancel out the positive ions in the air, which are known to zap energy and mood levels. This is why when you are at the beach or in nature near waterfalls you feel just…content. Because there are LARGE amounts of negative ions found naturally due to running water (running water releases a lot of negative ions, peeps). This is why city folk such as myself feel an immense need to be out in nature because the levels of negative ions in dense urban populations are scarce. So needless to say, if you are looking to lower your stress levels and put that pep back into your step, stock up on salt lamps.

Cleanse the air around you and improve air quality: Because salt lamps release negative ions, they cancel out the positive ions and may also attract water molecules that are in the air. Some believe that because allergens and pathogens are carried around via water in the air, salt lamps attract these molecules to them thus cleansing the air of these allergens.

Combats electromagnetic radiation and the effects of static electricity: Nowadays, our world is FILLED with technology. Our homes are covered with gadgets. Laptops, smart TVs/appliances, Alexa’s, cell phones, tablets can be found in almost every room! These electronics not only release positive ions *constantly*, they spew out electromagnetic radiation (EM). More studies are now coming out about the long term affects of EM such as chronic fatigue, and even a weakened immune system. So for me personally, any way that I can combat EM will help my family and I out. Because Himalayan salt lamps emit out the negative ions, it is believed that this helps neutralize EM from all those gadgets. I feel like I am personally sensitive to EM and static electricity, so I make sure that I have salt lamps near my computer, TVs, and wifi routers.

What to look for when buying a salt lamp

There are just two recommendations I have when looking to buy your own salt lamp.  The first is to look for a rich dark orange/pink color. True authentic salt lamps are dark in color which means that they have better quality. Always make sure you are finding brands that ensure they are 100% Himalayan salt. Second, the more the better! If budget allows, you can source large lamps (because the larger the lamp, the more intense the effects). If you don’t want to shell out hundreds of dollars, you can buy 2-3 smaller salt lamps to place throughout your home. I have at least two in every room and probably won’t stop until my hubby puts the kibosh on my salt lamp collection. If you want to look at a few that I recommend, you can check them out here, here and here!

 

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