By Mark Cunningham, Founder of The Breathing Rooms in Shrewsbury
In a world that races at breakneck speed, where being perpetually busy is worn as a badge of honor, there lies a hidden superpower often overlooked: the power of rest. Imagine, in a culture that buzzes with constant doing, the almost radical act of embracing ‘La dolce fa niente’ – the Italian art of “the joy of doing nothing.” This isn’t mere idleness; it’s ancient wisdom, a crucial ingredient for a well-rounded, enjoyable, healthy life. In Ireland, where my wife and I are from, we say, “A good laugh and a long sleep are the two best cures for anything.”
The concept of rest, often misconstrued as merely getting enough sleep, is actually multifaceted practice vital to our overall well-being. It’s about consciously stepping away from being perpetually ‘on.’ Embracing rest means allowing ourselves moments of stillness, a luxury often overlooked in our daily routines. This stillness doesn’t always have to be stationary; it can manifest in a variety of forms, such as a serene walk in nature, engaging in mindfulness practices, or finding solace in meditation. These moments, these pauses in our day, are essential not just for physical health, but for nurturing creativity and enhancing our productivity.
According to the National Institute of Health, the lack of proper rest is linked to many chronic health problems, including heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, obesity, and depression (NIH). In addition, chronic stress, a common ailment in our fast-paced world, can lead to serious health issues like hypertension and diabetes. Rest serves as an antidote to stress, allowing our bodies and minds to recover and reset. It stands shoulder to shoulder with nutritious eating and regular exercise as a pillar of well-being. Proper rest is not a mere indulgence. Finding some calm in the relentless hustle is essential for our body and mind. In these moments of stillness, our bodies repair themselves, our minds consolidate memories, and we regain mental clarity.
For many busy people, the idea of rest can seem like a distant dream. Days are often filled with responsibilities that leave little room for self-care. But it’s crucial to understand that prioritizing our health isn’t a matter of finding extra time; it’s about making the time. Much like the safety instructions on an airplane remind us to put on our own oxygen mask before assisting others, we must apply the same principle in our daily lives. Scheduling time for rest, even if it’s just a few minutes of deep breathing or a brief midday meditation, is not selfish – it’s necessary.
Incorporating rest into our schedule may require some rethinking of our daily priorities. It’s about recognizing how in order to be our best selves – whether as professionals, parents, partners, or friends – we need to give ourselves permission to pause. These pauses provide us with an opportunity to rejuvenate, to reset, and to return to our tasks with renewed energy and perspective.
By acknowledging the importance of rest and actively making space for it in our lives, we’re not just enhancing our own health; we’re setting a positive example for those around us. This shift in perspective can lead to a more balanced, healthy, and productive life, where moments of stillness become a source of strength and revitalization.
This concept was the true inspiration behind The Breathing Rooms, a wellness spa conceived and founded by my wife, Tara, and I, located in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, that brings together our favorite methodologies under one roof. After personally benefiting from two years of float therapy and regular use of Himalayan salt rooms and infrared saunas, we realized the profound impact these practices had on our lives. Motivated by this positive change, we decided to help everyone discover the transformative power of rest through our services such as an immersive meditation room, Himalayan mineral baths, cold plunge pool and red light therapy.
Each treatment is an invitation to step off the treadmill and embrace the art of doing nothing. And it’s in this stillness that you find not just rest, but also a renewed sense of joy and purpose, as these services activate your body’s powerful rest and heal switch – your parasympathetic system. Our bodies are very good at healing us, if we just get out of “work mode” and let them. Really slowing down and replenishing our health regularly can be hard to do in a culture that prioritizes “doing.” Allowing our bodies to activate their natural healing systems helps us to deal with life’s stresses and we can’t imagine life without them now.
Float Therapy
There are many modalities which start this healing process. My own favorite is Float therapy. Immersing myself in 1,300 lbs. of Epsom Salt for an hour, with no stimulus apart from the warm salt-infused water I am floating in, does something deeply helpful for me. I disconnect physically and mentally from the world and I emerge refreshed and rested and focused. Sometimes I fall asleep. Sometimes I get out with a to-do list. Or sometimes as my mind wanders I will think of a song lyric, or a solution to a problem that’s been there in the background. I’ve been floating regularly for eight years now and it’s always different. And it always gets me to stop and rest in a powerful way. In the rest I find clarity and energy. Some people are a little put off floating because many float tanks have lids and can feel a little claustrophobic. But some don’t, so if this might be cause for concern, look for an open-tank float room to reap the benefits of float therapy.
Cold Plunges
Cold plunges also do it for me. Any time I plunge I feel sharper and clearer for the rest of that day. And I sleep a lot better. Essentially, when you immerse yourself in cold water, your nervous system goes into “protect mode” and your blood rushes to your organs, which then release many of the proteins and enzymes they have stored up. After your plunge, as you warm up and your blood flows back to your extremities, it brings all these extra natural goodies with it, and you feel like a million dollars. Cold plunges also take you out of “your head” and make you hyper aware of your body, which conversely, brings about mental clarity. When you’re freezing the last thing on your mind is that spreadsheet you need to work on. It’s a fun thing to do with friends or work colleagues too. According to the Wall Street Journal, “Let’s go for a plunge” is the new “Let’s grab a drink,” for more and more people.
Salt Room
Tara’s favorite way to de-stress is to use a salt room to clear and heal her lungs. In these rooms you breathe micronized salt, which is antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antifungal. This therapy also puts our bodies into “Rest Mode,” as our nervous system notices something else is doing the work of keeping the lungs healthy. As an organism, our lungs are pretty important! And our bodies are very clever. They know how to take a break if circumstances allow, so most people fall into a gentle sleep during a salt session. This therapy comes from eastern Europe where, centuries ago, doctors noticed that the men who worked in the salt mines never seemed to get sick. To this day in some Russian, Polish and Latvian towns your doctor might prescribe a visit to the salt mines, where rooms have been installed to allow you to breathe tiny salt particles and heal. This environment is recreated in a salt room. Many spas claim they have salt rooms or salt saunas but these spaces are only beneficial if they employ a machine called a halogenerator, working to recreate this “salt mine” environment by crushing pharmaceutical grade salt into tiny micron sized particles and blowing it around the room as you breathe. The efficacy of this type of health therapy is promoted by the World Halotherapy Association.
Infrared Sauna
We both love to detoxify our skin and reduce inflammation in an infrared sauna. Infrared heat is deeper than a normal sauna, as the infrared light heats you from inside out. It’s also more comfortable since even though the individual may get quite hot during a session, the air doesn’t, so it’s not difficult to breathe. Even if you open the door for a while, the sauna continues to heat you directly, whereas in a regular sauna if the door opens the heat leaves and it stops working. Much like the cold plunge activates your healing systems through cold, infrared saunas do it through deep infrared heat.
Red Light Therapy
We both have also come to appreciate red light therapy, which is a different frequency of light than natural light and which stimulates the mitochondria in our cells, the little growth engines. When they are stronger, everything is stronger. Inflammation reduces, skin feels tighter and healthier and it’s just overall calming. You can buy localized smaller red light machines to use at home, or find a spa such as Breathing Rooms, that has a head to toe one for a full body session.
Mineral Bath
If you can find one, try a mineral bath or pool to ease aches and pains. I love these ever since using one in Aguas Calientes in Peru, after four days hiking the Inca Trail. I have never felt physically better in my life than that day, so I always try to get into a mineral bath if I hear there is one close by. Our bodies crave minerals and we can get them through high quality food, or by soaking in a mineral rich bath. A Himalayan mineral bath replenishes your body as you soak up the 84 minerals that give Himalayan salt its unique pink color. Though I haven’t been to the Blue Lagoon in Iceland yet, it’s up there on my list. Many spas will recreate a natural mineral bath, so you can try its restorative qualities without jumping on an international flight.
Combining Therapies
Everyone who prioritizes rest has their “go to” service. Some people like to combine different modalities at the same time. Some people just like one therapy and use it often. You will know what’s right for you when you feel the difference in your body and in your mood.
As we navigate life’s myriad challenges, it’s essential to carve out moments for rest and healing as a strategy to enhance our daily lives. Remember, prioritizing yourself doesn’t always require grand gestures. It can be as simple as taking a mindful walk, practicing deep breathing for a few minutes, or enjoying a quiet moment of meditation. These small acts of self-care are your stepping stones to being resilient. However, if you’re looking for a deeper sense of relaxation and restoration, consider making a little time for yourself and trying float therapy, salt rooms, infrared saunas, cold plunges, mineral baths and/or red light therapy. They all melt away your stress in their own unique way so you can get back to yourself, to that inner natural place of calm and joy.
Life can be hard and full of challenges, which can also make it rewarding. But it doesn’t have to be quite so stressful if you find your own way to rest and heal, and enjoy doing nothing for a short while. You might just find your smile.
Mark Cunningham owns The Breathing Rooms in Shrewsbury. He moved here from Ireland ten years ago and after a few years at Merril Lynch he decided owning his own business, which helped people in a different way, would be more rewarding. His wife, Tara, and children, Eoin, Charlie and Emilia all help out so you may see one of them at The Breathing Rooms too. Mark and Tara designed this innovative spa using first principle design. “We literally took out a piece of paper and asked, ‘What do people in New Jersey really need?’ We decided they needed somewhere they could go to slow down, to heal and to rest.” That theory turned out to be right and after almost five successful years, the Breathing Rooms completed a large expansion this summer which added America’s largest Himalayan salt room.
