Corte Madera, CA, September 2011 – "Vitamins in the air" is how many people refer to the beneficial effects of negative ions. Studies over the past 50 years have shown that a high concentration of negative ions creates an overall calming and clearing effect on the mind and body, leaving you refreshed and restored. Seawater Negative Ion Inhalation Therapy is one of the unique alternative health services Stellar Spa offers its clientele. Patrons have the option of scheduling their massage treatment in the Seawater Negative Ion Inhalation Therapy Room in order to maximize their results. To enjoy the benefits of negative ion inhalation, clients need only to request this special room when scheduling their massage treatment. The Negative Ion Inhalation Therapy Treatment is a complimentary enhancement service that spa owners Dana and Patrick Vande Weg are thrilled to offer.

Stellar Spa's Seawater Negative Ion Inhalation Therapy Treatment was the first of its kind in Marin County and one of the first in the U.S. In many countries all over the world, the benefits of seawater mist and the immune-enhancing properties and calming effects of negative ions are used therapeutically to counteract the effects of pollution and treat respiratory ailments, hay fever, allergies, depression, stress, tension, anxiety, fatigue and jet lag.

Patrick Vande Weg discovered seawater negative ion inhalation when he came across a book called The Ion Effect, by Fred Soyka (Batman, 1981).The premise behind ionization is that air electricity comes from charged molecules–or ions–of gas. Each molecule has a core of positively charged protons surrounded by negatively charged electrons. In a stable molecule, there are an equal number of protons and electrons so that the positive and negative charges are canceled. If a molecule loses an electron, it becomes positively charged (positive ion), while if that displaced electron attaches itself to a normal molecule, that molecule becomes negatively charged (negative ion).

As proven through years of research, a high concentration of negative ions creates an overall clearing and calming effect on the mind and body and makes breathing easier, as is experienced at large waterfalls, near the breaking surf of the ocean, high on a mountaintop, or deep within a forest.

Places such as these promote a feeling of well-being and relaxation due to the high concentration of negative ions generated by natures environmental elements such as ultraviolet rays, radioactive substances in the soils, air flow friction, falling waters, and plants and trees. In regards to seawater, when waves break on the coastline, water molecules split and negative ions are released into the air. This is the basis of the Seawater Negative Ion Inhalation spa treatment.

Positive ions, on the other hand, make breathing more difficult, reduce the body's ability to absorb oxygen and can cause the overproduction of the body's powerful neurohormone serotonin. Biochemically speaking, the body becomes exhausted which can lead to emotional and physical ills, such as tension, anxiety, stress, asthma and headaches. Positive ions occur naturally in hot and dry desert winds, humid conditions and in dust and pollen. Positive ions react with soot and smog, car exhaust, factory fumes, tire dust, cooking and heating fumes and other pollutants to form larger particles that irritate our nasal passages and throats.

After reading about the benefits of negative ions, Vande Weg was determined to bring the treatment to Stellar Spa. "The book really summarizes the research that has been done on ionization," states Vande Weg. Through my own research, I began to understand and support the whole concept of it. It just made perfect sense. I've always felt much better after coming back from the ocean and I wondered about it. I wondered why I was so calm out there."

At Stellar Spa, the procedure is simple. Clients who schedule their massage treatments in the Seawater Negative Ion Inhalation Therapy Room are escorted into a tranquil navy blue setting illuminated with soft black lights. A glass bowl-like structure attached to the wall delivers a mist of seawater throughout the treatment, releasing negative ions into the room. In addition, a unique negative ion generator that hangs in the room alongside special blue lights that continuously emit negative ion producing rays contributes to the ultimate feeling of well-being and relaxation.

For more information, visit www.stellarspa.com.