I have been interested in Himalayan salt lamps for quite some time.  For years I’ve seen them in client’s homes and knew they were supposed to be beneficial but I always viewed them as sort of hippyish.  It is my understanding one must have a salt rock actually from the Himalayas as opposed to just any old hunk of salt.  Millions of years ago, the present day subcontinents of India and Eurasia collided, elevating the ocean beds high into the air, creating the Himalayan Mountains.  Salt crystal from the ocean beds remained trapped deep into the cavernous depths of the Himalayan Mountains for centuries.  The salt comes from a time when the earth was pristine.  Himalayan salt is said to be pure, chemical-free, and contains no impurities from environmental pollution.  Known in the Himalayan region as “white gold”, this form of salt has been maturing for over 250 million years under extreme tectonic pressure.  It is said Himalayan pink salt contains 84 valuable minerals and trace elements considered essential for the body.  Salt is hygroscopic, meaning it naturally absorbs moisture particles from the surrounding environment.  Some of the benefits are believed to be that Himalayan salt releases negative ions which help to purify the air around you and kill bacteria.  It is also supposed to relieve stress, fatigue, anxiety, and may even help you breathe better.  But what sold it for me is a company came up with the coolest thing ever:  color changing LED lights complete with remote!  I have different colors in different rooms although I have not had them long enough to tell whether or not they have made a difference.  We DO all seem to be sleeping better though and frankly the colors make me happy.  We have my favorite blue (pictured here) in our den, our little one’s beloved pink in her playroom (very cool since the rock itself is already pink), a red one in our dining room underneath our Eiffel Tower, stimulating yellow in my office and soothing orange in our loft.  If nothing else, they have given me pause.  The famous Roman poet Ovid once said:

“What is harder than rock, or softer than water?  Yet soft water hollows out hard rock.  Persevere.”

Perhaps that is what draws people to these rocks — their perseverance, natural beauty and strength.  I aspire to acquire more of all three.