From News Americas Now

News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. July 15, 2016: Natural healing! It’s becoming more and more popular as people move towards lifestyle habits with health-promoting potential that cost little to nothing and include getting sensible sun exposure and grounding to the Earth. Here are five places in the Caribbean you should know with purported natural healing qualities:

1: Nevis

nevis-bath-spring

In the Caribbean island of Nevis, the birthplace of US Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, many rave about the healing qualities of the Bath volcanic hot spring within the compound of the former Bath Hotel.

The bath house is the Spring House, a two story masonry structure which was constructed from local hand cut stones. This building sits on the bank of the Bath Stream. It comprises five thermal baths whose source of water springs from the base of the former hotel. The spring water is reputed to contain minerals of medicinal value and is known to have cured chronic rheumatism and gout. Its water temperature ranges from 104F to 108F hence the reason why the House was used significantly by visitors and locals alike.

It is still possible to treat your various aches and pains by immersing your body (or feet or whatever) in the hot volcanic waters of the Bath Spring, a beneficial spa that is free of charge, as long as you are comfortable with an outdoor bathing place. There are currently two bathing spots: the more recently constructed one has a good roof to protect you against the sun, and is designed like a tiny swimming pool with steps on one side and a railing on the other three. If you wish to immerse your body, you can wear a swimsuit if you like, or go in and simply immerse your feet. The hot water is great for soaking in, but do not try to drink it, as it contains volcanic salts. Mr. Ken Evelyn recently constructed an open outdoor pool for persons wishing to experience the healing powers of the water. The design allows water to filter in through layers of crushed stones through the bottom of the pool and overflow gradually through an overflow pipe down into the stream. This design maintains the water at the required temperature.

2: St. Lucia

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The well-known Sulphur Springs in Saint Lucia is the hottest and most active geothermal area in the Lesser Antilles. It is located in a park that is approximately 45 hectares and billed as the Caribbean’s only drive-in volcano. A walk through the crater takes you past pools and hot springs bubbling and belching with sulphur-laden steam. Just outside the Springs, you can bathe in the warm sulphuric pools, reputed for its soothing effects and cures. The Sulphur Springs forms part of the story of the creation of the entire Caribbean basin. The main area of Sulphur Springs comprises numerous hot springs, bubbling mud pools and fumaroles (steam vents) in an area of strongly hydrothermally altered clay-rich rock approximately 200 m x 100 m in size.

3: Jamaica

jamaica-Windsor-Mineral-spring

The Windsor Mineral Spring, aka the Firewater mineral healing spring, in St. Ann’s Bay, Jamaica is rumored to have mystical healing powers. Some people claim of being cured of their skin infections and arthritis by soaking in the pond for a while. The area is about the size of a large Jacuzzi. The mineral water is constantly being pumped up from the ground and there’s a plug that has to be pulled ever so often so that it doesn’t overflow. The pool contains water which can catch fire! This phenomenon is believed to be caused by a high concentration of sulphur in the water.The water is lukewarm and has a salty/bitter taste. Fire massages are offered in the pool, where the recipient lies in the water and a massage is performed with a towel which has been soaked in the sulphuric water and held in flames. The high concentration of minerals in the water is said to contain medicinal properties and many stories have been told of its healing and rejuvenating effects. The pond has been used for centuries as a medical bathing spot for slaves from the surrounding plantations.

4: Anguilla

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Anguilla, one of the British Caribbean Island territories, allegedly possesses a “Sacred Vortex” capable of inspiring creativity, self-awareness and – of course – healing. Reiki practitioners enjoy meditating in the caves and swimming in the water, connecting with the energies that flow through the magical locale for a variety of different ends. At least one spa has sprung up that sells the island’s curative properties, offering up soaks and other packages, taking advantage of the energy-charged atmosphere.

5: Trinidad and Tobago

Trinidad- La Brea-Pitch-Lake

According to the locals, to bathe in the sulphuric waters of Trinidad’s La Brea Pitch Lake is to cure all ills, from skin disease to circulatory ailments and premature ageing. As the world’s largest natural reservoir of asphalt, this vast brackish expanse contains an estimated 10 million tons of the stuff.

As a chemical composition, asphalt – an emulsion of water, gas bitumen and a mix of mineral matter, consisting largely of fine silica sand and ultra-fine clay – may seem an unlikely healing property, but this enormous gloopy pool has fascinated explorers, scientists and common folk since its re-discovery by Sir Waiter Raleigh in 1595. Raleigh himself used asphalt from the Lake to caulk his battered ship. Since then, residue and sediment from the lake has been used to make a wide range of products from anti-corrosive black paint to a richly moisturizing tar-thick therapeutic bath soak. Visitors taking a dip will share the La Brea’s magical sludge with prehistoric remains, fossilized trees and creatures and ancient Amerindian artifacts.

For more on this story go to: http://www.newsamericasnow.com/five-natural-healing-spots-in-the-caribbean-you-should-know/