CHARLOTTE, N.C., October 3, 2024 — Epsom Salt Council, an organization dedicated to raising awareness about the health and wellness benefits of Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate), announces its sponsorship of the Maui Calm Project, a new initiative aimed at bringing relief to the victims and survivors of the devastating 2023 Maui Wildfires. As part of its mission to promote healing through natural solutions, Epsom Salt Council has pledged a sponsorship at the ‘Ohana level for the Maui Calm Project – an initiative of the Float Research Collective, that was founded to provide emergency response clinical float therapy to treat anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in Maui Fire survivors and the community.

The devastating impact of the Maui Wildfires extends beyond the destruction of homes and land as it has taken a significant toll on the mental and emotional well-being of survivors, with many experiencing heightened levels of anxiety, stress and PTSD. In response, the Maui Calm Project aims to bypass the cultural and financial barriers that have prevented many island residents from receiving effective mental health treatment in the wake of the tragedy by providing free float therapy inside state-of-the-art facilities placed in Lahaina and the areas most affected by the 2023 natural disaster.

The Maui Calm Project is being led by Maui resident Dr. Justin Feinstein, a clinical neuropsychologist and national authority on clinical float therapy. Dr. Feinstein’s peer-reviewed NIH-funded research has shown that float therapy is a safe and highly effective treatment for rapidly reducing stress, anxiety, and hyperarousal, especially in individuals with PTSD.

“More than a year post-disaster, Maui continues to face a horrible mental health crisis where thousands of residents are still displaced and many in our island community are suffering the effects of severe PTSD with limited access to or means to acquire proper care,” said Justin Feinstein, Ph.D., president and director of the Float Research Collective. “Through the Maui Calm Project, we aim to minimize the long-term impacts of acute trauma-related stress and anxiety by bringing a clinically proven treatment to the island that circumvents common roadblocks related to traditional treatment programs.”

Research has shown that float therapy in mass quantities of Epsom salt provides numerous benefits for both physical and mental health, including:

• Stress and Anxiety Relief: The weightless environment and absence of distractions allow the body to enter a state of deep relaxation, reducing cortisol levels (the body's primary stress hormone) and relieving symptoms of anxiety.
• Improved Sleep: The calming effects of float therapy can lead to better sleep quality, which is often disrupted in the aftermath of traumatic events like wildfires.
• Pain Management: Floating in Epsom salt-rich water helps ease muscular tension and reduce pain, promoting faster recovery from physical injuries often sustained during evacuations.
• Enhanced Mental Clarity: With external distractions removed, the brain enters a meditative state, helping to calm racing thoughts and promoting mental clarity and emotional balance.

“We believe in the power of nature’s minerals to support holistic healing and support Maui Calm Project’s mission to provide float therapy to survivors of the Maui Wildfires, offering them a much-needed refuge from stress and trauma,” said Jim Hill, a representative of Epsom Salt Council. “We are proud to support this critical humanitarian effort that has the potential to treat similar mental health disasters across the nation or even the world.”

As part of its sponsorship, Epsom Salt Council is supporting the Maui Calm Project’s development of float facilities via shipping containers that can be rapidly deployed and moved around the island for easy access. Each facility will have three private rooms, each with their own float pool, shower, and infrared lighting control system. At full capacity, each facility can serve over 300 people a week and provide over 15,000 float sessions a year.

Epsom Salt Council is calling on other wellness advocates, community members and businesses to join in supporting this initiative. For more information about the project and to learn more about how you can donate or become an official sponsor, please visit www.MauiCalm.org.