What is Lithium?
Imagine slipping into a warm, mineral-rich hot spring and feeling not only your muscles relax, but your mind, too. If you've ever had this exact sense of calm wash over you during a soak, lithium may have been behind it. In the hush of a geothermal pool, this mineral has a subtle, almost soulful effect, helping to soften the mind's chatter and invite a more reflective state of mind. It's no wonder that cultures around the globe have long sought it out for both its physical renewal properties and the lightness it leaves behind. If you're intrigued, here's a comprehensive guide to lithium’s benefits and how you can experience them in a hot spring.
What Is Lithium & What Does It Add to Mineral Hot Springs?
Found in trace amounts in many mineral-rich waters, lithium has a clinically established connection to emotional balance and the nervous system. In the medical world, it is prescribed as a mood stabilizer, acting directly on the central nervous system to create more steadiness and control1.
While soaking in small quantities isn't the same as ingesting it, it may still carry that calming effect when found in hot springs. Many bathers describe feeling more at ease, less weighed down by stress, and more open to enjoying the moment when soaking in lithium-rich springs, giving mineral water containing lithium a gentle, natural echo of its prescribed usage.
Lithium also perfectly complements other minerals found in hot springs. For example, while it can help soothe your mental landscape during a soak, additional minerals like magnesium and calcium can help relax sore muscles and support recovery after exercise. This combination makes a soak in mineral hot springs a general recalibration of your well-being, giving both your physical and mental states the chance to recenter.
Which of Our Pools Are Lithium Hot Springs?
Chianciano Terme, Italy
In Italy, bathing is about community, ritual, and health as a lifestyle. Chianciano Terme in Tuscany is one of Italy's oldest and most famous hot spring destinations. Traces of its history date back to the 5th century B.C., when the Etruscans built a temple to the god of Good Health near the Silene springs. Later, the Romans carried forward this tradition, weaving soaks into their daily lives as a means for both physical restoration and social and spiritual gathering.
Over time, luxurious villas and baths sprang up around the healing pools, and Chianciano became known as the “Town of Health” thanks to its therapeutic waters, attracting visitors seeking renewal and relief from ailments2.
At Zion Canyon Hot Springs, we link the old-world charm of the Italian bathing tradition with the rugged beauty of Southern Utah, creating a place where you can linger, unwind, and let the minerals do their job.
The Italian pool at Zion Canyon Hot Springs captures its namesake's heritage, blending history and healing in a way that feels both grounding and luxurious. Infused with a mix of sodium, calcium chloride, sulfate, bicarbonate, magnesium, iron, and lithium, this mineral pool is designed to support the joints, reduce stress, and calm the nervous system. Soaking here feels like participating in a wellness ritual that has carried on through the centuries, a tradition in which mind and body come into balance under the influence of the heavens.
Blue Lagoon, Iceland
There is perhaps no hot spring in the world as iconic and instantly recognizable as Iceland's Blue Lagoon. Nestled in a landscape of black lava rock and geothermal steam, this pool's milky-blue waters draw travelers from across the world who seek both beauty and healing. As the story goes, it first gained attention in the late 20th century when locals discovered its transformative effects on the skin. From there, the pool went from hidden gem to global wellness destination, inspiring awe and fascination at first sight3.
In Iceland, soaking is a commonly prescribed therapeutic treatment and way of life. For centuries, communities have gathered at naturally occurring geothermal pools not only to stay warm against the Arctic chill, but also to connect and align with the land's raw, elemental power. And in fact, it's the very presence of a unique blend of minerals that gives Blue Lagoon its iconic color, speaking to the primordial wisdom in this custom.
The Iceland-inspired pool at Zion Canyon Hot Springs captures this same spirit, blending personal rejuvenation with a deep appreciation for nature's gifts. Here, you can slip into waters infused with the very minerals that give the Blue Lagoon its legendary hue, feeling your muscles release as the stress melts away.
This lithium hot spring helps calm the nervous system, while silica and magnesium work to refresh and restore your skin. With each soak, you fall into a ritual that echoes generations of Icelanders who turned to geothermal waters for strength, vitality, and renewal, all in a communal bathing environment meant to reconnect you with yourself, others, and the landscape.
Where Can You Get Lithium Hot Springs Benefits?
Zion Canyon Hot Springs transports you around the globe right from the otherworldly Utah desert. One moment you're soaking in waters that once fascinated the mighty Ancient Romans, and in the next you're immersed in the magic of glacial thermal baths. Each pool connects to time-honed wisdom, weaving a story layered by centuries of tradition and cultural folklore.
Whether you're recovering from a long hike in the mountains, craving sanctuary after days of adventure, or simply looking to add an unforgettable stop to your travel itinerary, Zion Canyon Hot Springs offers an experience that feels timeless and transformative. If you're seeking a place that inspires awe while restoring the body, Zion Canyon Hot Springs is waiting. Step into the water, let the minerals do the work, and discover why thermal soaks have always been one of nature's most enduring gifts of wellness.
Sources:
- Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (1 August 2025). Lithium (oral route). Mayo Clinic. Retrieved August 17, 2025, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/lithium-oral-route/description/drg-20064603
- Chianciano Terme - Thermal Baths in the Valdichiana Senese, Tuscany. Bella Toscana. Retrieved August 17, 2025, from https://www.bella-toscana.com/chianciano-terme/
- (31 October 2019). Blue Lagoon Skin Care: A Brief History. Blue Lagoon. Retrieved August 20, 2025, from https://www.bluelagoon.com/stories/blue-lagoon-skin-care-or-a-brief-history
