Himalayan Salt Therapy
What is Oceanair?
Oceanair is a holistic wellness center offering a variety of treatments and products—all based on beautiful, mineral-rich Himalayan salt–to counteract the negative impact of modern life. Whether your system is on overload from stress, or you just want to give yourself a break, Oceanair was designed, built, and is operated by North America’s foremost experts on Himalayan salt and building—giving you the perfect blend of art and science in an unforgettable experience designed personally for you!
What Is Halotherapy?
Halotherapy, or Himalayan salt therapy, refers to any service or product where you ingest microscopic salt particles. Once inside the body, the salt molecules go to work creating an environment of wellness to support maximum stress reduction and rejuvenation. While halotherapy is typically used throughout Europe and Asia—especially in Poland (home of the Wieliczka Salt Mines) where it is regularly used to address:
Himalayan salt therapy benefits
- Respiratory conditions like asthma, COPD, emphysema, and seasonal allergies
- Arthritis
- Acne
- Colds and Flus
- Eczema
- Psoriasis
- Blood Pressure
- Heart conditions
- Weight management
- Athletic performance
- Lack of energy
- Sleep and a wide variety of other issues.
- Respiratory conditions like asthma, COPD, emphysema, and seasonal allergies
- Arthritis
- Acne
- Colds and Flus
- Eczema
- Psoriasis
- Blood Pressure
- Heart conditions
- Weight management
- Athletic performance
- Lack of energy
- Sleep and a wide variety of other issues.
What Are People Saying about Oceanair?
Origins of Halotherapy
The Wieliczka Salt Mines are said to be the birthplace of salt therapy. In 1843, a Polish physician, Dr. Felix Boczkowski, noticed that the workers in the salt mines had fewer respiratory issues compared to others. He realized that as the workers were hammering, grinding, and chiseling away at the salt, they were creating micro-sized salt particles. The particles dispersed in the air around the workers, allowing them to inhale the salt. He attributed the wellness of the miners’ lungs to the introduction of salt in their airways. Other medical professionals observed similar experiences across Eastern Europe over the next century.
It wasn’t until 1980 that the very first device was invented to mimic the grinding and dispersion of salt that took place in the mines. Many developments have been made since the creation of the first Halotherapy machine (HALO being derived from the Greek word for salt) and continue to be improved today.
Our State-of-the-Art Himalayan Salt Caves were crafted with the concepts originally witnessed in the Wieliczka Salt Mines and improved upon with modern technology through the introduction of Halogenerators—bringing YOU the personal experience and benefits of visiting a salt cave without having to travel to Europe or Asia!
About the Owners
Dr. Margaret Smiechowski is North America’s foremost expert on Himalayan Salt. Originally from Poland, Dr. Margaret has extensive education and experience in both traditional and complementary medicine. Since moving to the United States in the 1990s, it has been her passion to help spread awareness about the benefits of unprocessed salt to Americans through the creation of salt caves. She has created many unique and beautiful salt caves during this time, including our very own caves at Oceanair. Beyond her expertise, Dr. Margaret is extremely down-to-earth and fun to work with!
Ted Loucks comes from a family with generations of knowledge of construction. With over 35 years of construction experience, he met Dr. Margaret and was immediately drawn to the challenges that come from building and creating caves using Himalayan Salt. Since becoming business partners in 2014, Ted continues to own and operate multiple businesses. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his wife, son, and two daughters in their hometown of Albany, New York. Ted enjoys building, creating, thinking, and overcoming challenges and is deeply committed to his work.
Dr. Margaret and Ted are available to assist you in the conception and creation of your own salt cave, whether it is for personal or professional use. They have the knowledge and experience to work with the difficult material of Himalayan Salt and know how to create an affordable, beautiful, and environmentally-friendly Himalayan Salt Cave, much like the caves you experience at Oceanair.