Inside the Block
We're shining a spotlight on the vibrant businesses and and unique history of the Warehouse Block in Lexington, Kentucky! Every first and third Sunday of the month we're serving up a fun blend of inspiring, behind-the-scenes stories of the Bluegrass region's most dynamic district!
Inside the Block
Episode 6: The Salt Cave with Lara Levine!
Join us as Lara Levine, owner of the Salt Cave of Lexington, shares her serendipitous journey from a chance visit to an Asheville salt sanctuary to creating her own healing haven in Lexington, KY! Uncover the mysteries of salt therapy, from its roots in Poland to its potential benefits for respiratory and skin health, all within the beautiful confines of Lara's cave.
We loved hearing how patrons can immerse themselves in practices like yoga, meditation, and sound baths, all set atop the Himalayan salt-covered floor. Imagine unwinding in zero-gravity chairs as you connect with others or retreat into solitude. The space isn't just about relaxation though—it's an invitation to forge deeper connections and rejuvenate your spirit, whether through private sessions or group experiences. With options like ionic foot soaks and the exciting "triple detox" experience -- combining sauna, foot soak, and salt cave sessions -- there's no shortage of ways to embrace wellness. Remember, a consistent routine can transform your life, so let’s breathe and be well together!
We are back with the Inside the Block podcast, which is a podcast dedicated to celebrating all of the unique businesses here in the Warehouse Block, and I'm really excited about today's episode because I'm here with Lara Levine, owner of the Salt Cave of Lexington. How are you? I'm fine, thank you Thanks for having me on, absolutely thanks for allowing us to come into your beautiful cave, my pleasure. I'm super excited that we got to film in here.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, me too. It can be difficult, so I'm glad you got to see it in this space.
Speaker 1:See it in action. Tell us about how you got into the world of salt.
Speaker 2:Well, I think it was about 15 years ago. I was on a girl's trip and we went to Asheville, north Carolina, which you know, lots of hers for Asheville right now, totally but that was the first time I'd ever encountered a salt cave. It's still there. It's called the Asheville Salt Cave and it was a space similar to this, where you feel very relaxed and there's, you know, tons and tons of pink salt in the room and we had had a pretty fun weekend. So it was like Sunday morning, before we were driving home, and we were tired and my allergies were kicking in really badly, and so we decided to do this session, not knowing what it was, and we just fell in love, like just on a whim yeah, just totally on a whim, um, and we did a little session it was like a 45 minute session and a couple of us were on the floor, some of us were in chairs and we just felt so relaxed and rejuvenated afterwards, um, and I could breathe and I was like this is amazing.
Speaker 2:So I kind of was just always really curious at that point from that point on, and I had visited a few other ones, you know, after that, um, looking for something similar, and most of them were salt rooms, which are great um, but I was kind of wanting that ambiance from that first experience yeah um, and so then, at some point I um, after going through yoga teacher training and learning more and more about holistic and healthy ways of living, I just decided I would do it myself, and it was during 2020 that I did a business plan, not knowing what it would be that was a great year for that I bet it was.
Speaker 2:I was working full time. I've been in sales and marketing, you know, ever since I moved to Lexington and we didn't have much going on that year, as you can imagine. So I decided to do a business plan and by August I had finished it and started looking for a space to lease.
Speaker 1:So I had my eye on this area from way back then, what did you like about the warehouse block?
Speaker 2:I had been down here many times for, like Mirror Twin and Lucia's is another cute little shop and I just like the location. I don't even live in this immediate area, but I'm close enough on this side of town and I could see that it was growing and it wasn't crazy busy like know, like some of the other areas in Lexington where traffic's a problem, definitely, and so I just started looking, or parking right and it just, it just seemed like a good spot. I don't know, maybe some intuition was involved, but sure it was?
Speaker 1:yeah, so tell me about the cave itself. Like, what did it take to install this in this space?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I actually narrowed it down to three companies. There are actually companies and businesses that build caves like this Salt therapy rooms, salt therapy, you know facilities and there was a woman. Her name is Dr Margaret, she's Polish and I had seen some of her caves and they're all very organic feeling, they're very grounding, they look natural. So I had reached out to her and she gave me a quote and I ended up going with her. So she was our builder. I really wanted to go with someone who was an expert.
Speaker 2:There are some people that, oh, you can just build it yourself, but there's so many intricacies that go into it. You know, the airflow is a big deal because you need the salt to travel throughout the whole space. You have to have the right generator that grinds the salt. So there was just a lot of factors and so, yeah, we hired her. It took her and a contractor about three weeks to build the interior of the cave and we spent about a month prior to that framing things in and getting things ready in the reception area and all that so yeah, how long did it take from beginning to end?
Speaker 2:um, probably about six to eight weeks you know, probably, probably yeah. As far as the build out goes, it wasn't more than eight weeks.
Speaker 1:It shocks me, I think. I mean it's rocks, I thought it would be it's like this them forever.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it took them quite a while to actually place the rocks on the walls. That was the longest process.
Speaker 1:I'm sure.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and she had pallets and pallets of huge chunks of pink salt sitting out in the reception area for that during that time frame and they'd bring some in and they'd break it up into chunks and they'd place each one, almost like they build the fences here and yeah, almost like, like it's like bricks.
Speaker 1:I mean you have to kind of have to fit them all together. Yeah, yeah, puzzle piece. So tell me about salt therapy. What are the benefits of salt, like the? From as little as I have looked into it, um, knowing that I was going to be, um coming here and hearing all about it's shocking to me the amount of things that salt can help. I mean from eczema to respiratory. I mean, tell me the process. I mean what is it great for and how and in what ways does the salt cave like help?
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely so. It's important to note that salt therapy has not been evaluated or approved by the FDA, so we definitely don't say that it can treat or cure any medical issues. However, that being said, it's been around since the 1800s and it was discovered in Poland, and so there are a lot of medical studies that have been done around the world and those studies do prove its efficacy for all kinds of respiratory issues and skin issues. So we really just recommend that people check with their doctor but use it as a complementary wellness modality. Basically, it can help with anything respiratory.
Speaker 2:The way that the salt works is as you breathe in these microscopic particles it's absorbing things in your respiratory system that shouldn't be there, so definitely great for allergies. It's also helping to thin mucus. All the salt is antibacterial and antifungal and it's anti-inflammatory, so it can reduce swelling. It can, you know, soothe and kind of help you feel better. As far as you know, when you remember growing up as a kid, you had, you know, gargle with salt water if you have a sore throat, or people would do neti pots to clear out their nose or the saline rinses in their nose and their sinuses. That's all the same theory, but the difference is with halo therapy or dry salt therapy the particles are dry and they're microscopic and so they're very, very absorbent, so they're able to cleanse and clear a little more effectively than a saline solution could.
Speaker 2:Okay, so, yeah, that's the basic. I mean, you're right. Eczema, psoriasis, acne because of the antibacterial, anti-inflammatory properties. It's all great for skin, they say it helps to regenerate the cells underneath the skin as it absorbs. And then for respiratory things like COPD, bronchitis, sinusitis, all kinds of allergies, asthma, even cystic fibrosis. People can benefit and help relieve some of those symptoms.
Speaker 1:It's really incredible. It's like a Swiss army knife. It kind of is. I know it sounds like the Ginsu knife knife. Right, yeah, cuts the tops.
Speaker 2:Yeah, slices, yeah, exactly and it is important to note that we use pharmaceutical grade salt in the air. So, even though we're surrounded by the pink salt, which is beautiful and very calming and grounding, um, the salt that you're breathing in is actually the pharmaceutical grade sodium chloride, so there's no additives to that. It's not table salt. You would never want to inhale table table salt oh okay, not good.
Speaker 1:See stupid me. I was like, well, I'll just, I have tons of salt at home. Yeah, let's figure out. Yeah, so people probably don't realize how much you know.
Speaker 2:There there are so many additives and in over the counter like table salt.
Speaker 1:So yeah, well, and I'm hearing too, that sea salt's not the greatest anymore either, because of all of the microplastics in the ocean.
Speaker 2:Yes, we're hearing a lot of that. That's one reason they do say that pink salt can be better for culinary use, because it's 250 million years old, so there was no plastic back then, thankfully, god willing. Yeah, it is full of trace minerals, so that's what gives it the color, but otherwise it's extremely pure. So it's healthy for you as far as what you're ingesting in the body, and it's got a deeper flavor profile, so you tend to use less of it on your food. That's another good advantage to eating it.
Speaker 1:Yes, definitely my husband, who is from Denmark. They're kind of heavy drinkers in Denmark and they do this thing at the end of the night, after you know you've been out, your friends, everything. They'll come home and pour an entire glass of water and then put a ton of salt in it.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, and drink all of that before bed and they claim you know it for sure like soaks up anything and you don't have a hangover. Yeah I say, and they like religiously kind of do this, which I always thought was interesting too, like when you were thinking about like all the different ways that salt is, so I don't know like it absorbs as you were saying like, absorbs these things, you know toxins and things that.
Speaker 2:I don't know. Yeah, so, and I mean salt does soothe inflammation, um, and it does absorb toxins or absorb you know whatever. Whatever is in its way, basically Sure, and I have heard of salt loading, which is just that. And there are people who drink what's called soleil water, which is pink salt chunks in a jar of water until the water is saturated and then you put a teaspoon in a glass of warm water and drink it in the morning, and a lot of people swear by that, you know. There's also all kinds of hydration. You know products out there now that use a ton of sodium.
Speaker 1:Yeah, not literally a ton. You know kids these days, you know they're all into like having Pedialyte you know, oh, yeah, and drinking a lot of. You know the stuff that you would give children whenever they're dehydrated. It tastes so salty. Yeah, there's got to be, I think, an extraordinary amount of some sort of salt in that too, for the same kind of properties. Exactly, yeah.
Speaker 2:They say salt, sodium chloride or some kind of sodium, potassium and magnesium. Those three in combination are really good electrolytes, so we carry some of that, of course.
Speaker 1:Of course.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we've got to, but salt therapy is really. I mean, what I found for me personally was the allergy relief was just incredible what are you allergic to um.
Speaker 1:So it's just environmental.
Speaker 2:Um, pollen, molds and mildews are big for me in the fall is, and sometimes even in the early winter when it's damp and that's when I really notice it um, sometimes in the spring, just general pollen. And I used to take the over-the-counter medications. I honestly just had a really hard time tolerating them. I would either get really super hyped up and, you know, heart racing and like a stimulant yeah, like a stimulant or it would knock me out and I just couldn't function. So, you know, a half a Benadryl at night would knock me out for nine hours, whereas, like during the day, I'd feel bad if I took too much. And then I took it for a while, just to, you know try, and my doctor, you know, said just take it, you know, for a few weeks until you get used to it.
Speaker 2:And then I forgot the pill one day and I was driving around because I had a job where I drove all over Kentucky and I got the worst migraine I've ever had. I don't get migraines, it's not a norm for me and I had to pull over and rest because I couldn't see straight, my stomach hurt and I couldn't figure it out until I got home and realized I hadn't taken my allergy pill. So I asked my doctor and she said well, yeah, that might've been a side effect. It's like a withdrawal and I'm like that is just not something I want to deal with. It doesn't seem quite normal. No, and that's not the case for everybody. There's a lot of people who take them very successfully and it helps, but for me it just didn't work. So the salt saline rinses and the salt therapy were about the only things that you know really helped me breathe regularly, you know, on a regular basis and feel like I was clear.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah. So do you get a lot of your customer base coming in for relief with allergies or just the like and tell us like what you like what all? What does everybody do here in the Cape?
Speaker 2:Oh yeah.
Speaker 1:My original thought was like oh you, just you go and you sit and you breathe, but you're doing classes and community building and wellness tell us everything yeah, yeah, that's that's a great question.
Speaker 2:So, um, all the you know physical benefits that you receive are great, like those are all, and there's a lot of good studies, like I said, that support it, even though it's not a medical treatment of any kind.
Speaker 2:But, um, another reason that I loved the space in nashville and why I wanted to emulate it, it was because, going through yoga teacher training and getting more into mindfulness and meditation, I really was starting to feel the value of all that, and so the space itself lends you to be able to calm your body, help your mind relax. It's a very grounding space, so you just tend to relax a little more easily in here, and we hear that all the time. So, yeah, so people do come in. A lot of people come in for the respiratory benefits, but afterwards they'll say like that's the most relaxed I've been ever. Or you know, I'm not a person who can sit still very easily, but I felt so calm in there and we hear that. So that so much. It really that's a big part of why I do this now, because I just love seeing people you know experience that so we started adding things like a gentle yoga class.
Speaker 2:We do a restorative class, we have some guided meditations, things like that. We do a monthly sound bath with a local sound healer sound bath. So that's, that's amazing. Um so a sound bath typically is when a sound healer comes and brings a very various types of instruments. Usually they bring gongs um, sound bowls like the crystal singing bowls where there's like, yeah, going around the rim yeah, and then they bring.
Speaker 2:then he brings a hand pan, chimes, all kinds of different instruments that provide vibration and frequency and that is supposed to kind of absorb into your body and just initiates a really deep relaxation.
Speaker 1:Along with the salt.
Speaker 2:Yes, and we also get the salt therapy while you're in here very cool, yeah, so that's been a really good addition um we started that right away, yeah, every month, towards the end of the month, every now and then our schedule changes, but we do it every month. Cool, so that's great. And then we have some you know just some special workshops. From time to time we have a hypnotist that's doing a guided hypnosis meditation.
Speaker 1:She does that periodically to it for a whole class. Yeah, yeah, for a group class. Okay, yeah, a little group it's more like a meditation.
Speaker 2:We have another meditation teacher that comes and leads some guided meditation. We have massages in here. We do that on mondays, and then we have a reiki master, which is an energy healing modality. Yeah, I like Reiki, yeah. So those are just some of the things we've done. Oh, we have a breath work class too. We don't do as many of those because there aren't as many qualified practitioners just locally. I'm sure there's plenty and regionally, and I've had some amazing sessions with some of them, but they're in high demand. So, yeah, the sound healing is one of our most popular events. We also have a breathwork class. We'll do that, you know, rarely, but periodically. A breathwork in the cave is an amazing way to experience it. And then we do massages.
Speaker 1:On Mondays we have a Reiki master that does private one-on-one sessions in here as well. So yeah, very cool so if I were to have like a group of friends and we wanted to come in and experience one of that, could we do like a private session. So do you do those as well?
Speaker 2:we do. There's a couple of different ways, and we do a lot of corporate groups too, and sometimes we can add on things like, you know, a mini sound healing session with the private group, or a yoga class or rotating chair massage different things. Right now, the way our system works, you can actually book any of our regular sessions. You can make them a private session by booking online. You just have to make sure that you choose one that's empty and then you click a button in there that gives you a little discount, because if you book all six spots it would be more expensive, and then that's a private session for you. And if you want a longer session, you just give us a call and we set it up on schedule and get you in for longer sessions so are most group sessions for most of these classes that you mentioned about six people.
Speaker 2:No, actually we've had up to ten and we've actually had a few more on occasion, but we say that you can bring up to ten people. We do have six zero-gravity chairs, so the reclining beach chair is super comfy. But if you have ten people and we have six chairs, there are going to be four people sitting on the floor, but a lot of people prefer the floor.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I the floor is really. Tell me about the floor, because it's a really incredible addition to the space.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so our floor is covered with about five inches of crystal Himalayan salt. Um, so it's it's, you know, kind of feels good on your feet. It's again, it makes it it more grounding. It's comfy because you can kind of nestle down in it so we can provide floor pillows or yoga bolsters or whatever people need to get comfy down on the floor and there's so many like cool designs in it right now too.
Speaker 1:I love that.
Speaker 2:That's my, that's my zen therapy.
Speaker 1:Yes, call around and draw designs in the salt. All the really amazing designs. That's great. Yeah, yeah, we.
Speaker 2:I love private sessions. That's one of my favorite things that we do offer, um, because it's just such a nice way to connect with your friends or family or even your co-workers. Totally, um, there's no distractions in here other than you know if you're doing a class of some kind. I've had people do team building in here. I've had people do brainstorming, you know, sessions it's just, it just lends itself to a very personal, intimate experience or even like a writer's workshop yeah, absolutely, yeah, yeah that'd be cool too well thank you, yeah.
Speaker 1:I mean I it's such a it seems like such a healing spot, I think too, for people to come and kind of get away from. I mean this has been a tough year for a lot of people, for so many reasons especially um, you know, the fall was just our.
Speaker 2:Our country was like yeah, our nervous systems have been through it for sure you know, no matter what side of the fence you're on sure there was so much contentiousness and you know we were all being bombarded by constant you know news cycles and you couldn't escape it.
Speaker 2:No, you really couldn't. So we we really do. Um, that's one thing. Like our team and myself, we just welcome people in that just need a nervous system reset. You know, they just need to get some space. They want some time alone, perhaps, or even in a group session. You're very you feel like you know you have your own space. We don't crowd this room with a lot of people for our, for our regular community sessions. It's, you know, very low light in here, so you can really kind of retreat within yourself and either meditate or nap or, you know, sit quietly and look at the stars.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we have twinkling stars above, yeah, so that's a big goal of mine is to offer a space for people to come in and and just let go and relax and find some rest and stillness.
Speaker 1:Yeah Well, it's such a cool job, thank you, because you get to really help people along that journey. Yeah, yeah, you're not like somebody who's making life more difficult. Yeah, you're making it so much better for so many people. Well, thank you, yeah.
Speaker 2:I mean, that really is. It's probably the best thing I feel like I've ever done, and I was. You know, I came to Kentucky because of the horses, cause I'm a horse girl and I didn't know this from Ohio. Yeah, I moved here from Northeastern Ohio. I'm right out of college. Um moved here because of the horses and I ended up working in the horse industry, the racing industry specifically. Um for my entire career. I was in sales and marketing. I was in production for a while, Did websites and video.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you like had a lot of stress.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was like any sales job, it comes with a lot of stress and pressure. Of course, it was a great industry to be involved in and I got to do some amazing things, so I'm forever thankful for that. Um, but yeah, at some point and you know I have two kids, they're grown and out of the house and I just decided it was time to do something different yeah, what a, what a direction?
Speaker 1:yeah, it was a total of 360, I guess yeah, 180. I guess 360 is all the way back to where you started. We're racing in the cage. Obviously not a math person 360.
Speaker 2:I guess I love it 180. I guess 360 is all the way back to where you started. We're racing in the caves. Obviously not a math person, I love it. So how long so you've been in Lexington? Oh, about 30 years. Yeah, quite a while.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm giving away my age now, but yeah, I've moved here about 30 years now.
Speaker 2:Your secret's safe in the cave. Yeah, yeah, what happens in the cave?
Speaker 1:stays in the cave Definitely.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but it was exciting. I mean, I kept my job for the first year and I worked from home anyways, and of course it was 2021 and things were just recovering from the pandemic and the racing industry was recovering slowly as well. I mean, everything kind of had shut down, including that. And you know that first year was a little rough because I was struggling two full-time things. But after that first year I made the decision that you know it was time to go ahead and leave that other life behind. And you know I still dally. You know I still enjoy the horses and love the animals. That's really why I got into it in the first place.
Speaker 2:Yeah very, very cool. And they do salt therapy for horses as well.
Speaker 1:I don't know if you knew that? No, we don't provide that here but I was going to say, do they come in?
Speaker 2:Yeah, they come in and get all grounded.
Speaker 1:They like love the salt under their hooves Right, they probably would lick it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but the two major vet clinics in the area have salt therapy options and some trainers use it. I actually had a horse trainer come in and buy some of our pharmaceutical salt because they had run out and they were in need of some fast, so we sold it to them for their horse halo therapy.
Speaker 1:Love that, yeah. So what would you say are some challenges as a small business owner in this field or or in general?
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's a really good question and, um, I'm sure I speak for a lot of small business owners. I mean, getting the word out is probably the biggest challenge because you know we normally, typically you don't have a lot of advertising dollars. We do have a couple of spots that we're regularly advertising in and because I come from an advertising and marketing background, I know how important it is and I know it's important to have, you know, some repetition Totally.
Speaker 1:I think that signs through with your social media.
Speaker 2:Oh well, thank you, I think you're excellent. I appreciate that With the old Instagram. Oh well, thank you, I think you're excellent.
Speaker 1:I appreciate that With the old Instagram, yeah, and.
Speaker 2:Instagram and Facebook are great options. You know, the challenge with those is that they're constantly changing. Definitely the minute you think you have it figured out, you're like wait, nobody's seeing any of my posts, nope and I put in so much effort into this one post or whatever, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so, um, I actually was very lucky to get involved with a business accelerator course before I ever opened. It was during my phase where I was doing the business plan, um, and it was called the soulful business accelerator. It was just. It's not available anymore, but there's a woman locally, um, her name is Bethany Bubenzer and she's terrific. She still does group coaching and one-on-one coaching and she is one of the best business coaches I've ever worked with. But there are so many good ones, so that's kind of a must. I feel like that's a great investment for any small business owner if you can find the right business coach. Initially, because that of, as an investment it's. It's not even an expense, because you are going to get back what you put into that.
Speaker 2:But that's great yeah it's that's the biggest challenge I have, because there's still people walking in our doors that say I've never heard of you and we've been open for going on four years and I get that it's not. It's not something that people have ever heard of most people, and it's like when I found the salt cave in Asheville.
Speaker 1:I had never heard of it. Yeah, you happened upon it, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so we just keep getting the word out there in creative ways if we can collaborations and social media and some paid advertising.
Speaker 1:I'm sure you have some really great word of mouth too, because I know you have a very loyal customer base.
Speaker 2:Yes, that's the easiest thing we do is word of mouth, because that we there's no effort in that, sure yeah providing a great service. Yeah, yeah, and we, I, I love our customers like we have the best customers like they are amazing people so, yeah, I got.
Speaker 1:I was lucky enough to get to meet. When I came in to talk to you the other day and she was in like described that Do you remember this? Oh, the tent, the tent. It was like her own private salt tent and I was like what is this? The boy in the bubble? Like that old movie with Chuck Travolta. She was like in her own bubble tent. I was like what's going on?
Speaker 2:I want to be a part of it. We actually have we call it the express salt tent. Um, it's actually a mobile tent and I start, I got it so I could take it to health fairs, and we've taken it to a few health fairs and it's usually a big hit. And then, um, you know, when talking with other salt cave owners, yes, there's a whole network of us across the country.
Speaker 1:I can't imagine how chill we all are. It's like no, it's fine, yeah, right it's like, hey, let's share information.
Speaker 2:Oh, it's cool, and everybody was saying like, this is a great option for people who don't have time to sit in the salt cave, because it's the same treatment but it's concentrated into like 10 or 15 minutes, huh, so express it's salt, express it's super intense, um, but it's the same end result. It's not as pleasant, in my opinion because, you'll get a little tingle in your nose, some people will cough a little, some people will. Your noses will start to run, but the salt is absorbing just much more quickly.
Speaker 2:And that's why, because it's concentrated Like a shot. Yeah, but it does the job and I'll sit in there when I don't have time to come in here if we've had a busy week or something, and get my dose. Yeah, definitely, it's like salt on the go for the busy it is. It's totally that. Yeah, so down the road I'd love to have an actual booth because they sell the, you know, like a. It's just a little nicer presentation than the tent, definitely, but yeah, it's your own little private halo therapy unit yeah, it's amazing.
Speaker 1:Do you think that more people do you find an uptick in business in the winter?
Speaker 2:Yes, we definitely do.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I can see that it actually starts in the fall.
Speaker 2:It kind of goes through winter and early spring months. Summer's quieter and that's typical, I think, of all businesses, but also wellness businesses in general, because people are traveling and people want to be outside.
Speaker 1:Right, but the days are so long, so you're getting all that vitamin D.
Speaker 2:Yes, that's what I bet People are feeling mentally better. Yeah, yeah, right, yeah, and I do feel like we offer a lot of mental wellness in what we're offering as well, just even just the classes that we offer. And you're right, people need that more in the winter. Yeah, most of the time.
Speaker 1:That's what I was thinking I was like I'm for sure signing up for things. And then in my head I was like, oh, I'm so excited it'll be in the winter, which is usually when I'm feeling a lot more icky. Yeah, and just like just some seasonal depression here and there. You know, just like why is it pitch black at 5 pm? It doesn't seem legal or right, you know.
Speaker 1:Yes yeah and it's, it's, I think, coming here, I just like really look forward to it and be like, oh, you know that would be, that's going to make me feel better, like lighting is so important yeah yeah, so yeah, and, and you know, they sell the seasonal effective disorder lamps that are great.
Speaker 2:I actually have one that I stick on my desk at home and I'm not an early morning person, so like we open at 11 on a weekday and you know. So I have a slower morning at home, but I always use that lamp once the days get really short. So, yeah, and you can come in here too and just feel really grounded. And there's some people that say the salt releases negative ions when it's warmed or ground up like we do. There's, unfortunately, no studies to support that, but people do feel a sense of wellness when they're in the space, even before we turn on the salt.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, I sense it. Yeah, I know what you mean.
Speaker 2:So that could be the case. You know negative ions are known Like people do know that they do help produce positive emotions and that's what you get when you're at the ocean and the water's crashing on the beach or a waterfall on a hike. So it's the same sense of that sort of mental wellness that you get, you know, from being out in nature definitely yeah, well, and speaking of lamps, I mean you, you sell so many really cool um holistic, like aids.
Speaker 2:here too, tell us about some of the things you have, yeah, so we stick with the salt theme and all of our products are salt-themed or respiratory-themed. So we have great bath and body products that include salt. We have bath bombs, shower steamers, bath salts of a different kind. We are really particular about ingredients, so we only use companies that do natural. There's no testing on animals. It's pure essential oils, no fragrance, no colors unless it's natural, and we try to do small batch if we can. Women owned a lot of our businesses are women owned, yeah. And then we have the salt lamps. Which salt lamps are imported, obviously, yeah, they come from the foothills of the Himalayan mountains and that's where most of the major salt mines are. And of course, it's a healthy endeavor. Um, the miners breathe in the salt and that keeps them healthy, and that's how they actually discovered salt therapy in the first place.
Speaker 1:So I didn't realize.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, cool. But yeah, we carry all those products. Um, we carry um culinary salt. So we have the coarse ground that you can put in a grinder, and then we have the fine ground you can use, and we even have like a little flake salt for dressing. Great, the whole gamut we have chocolatesake, salt for dressing.
Speaker 1:Great the whole gamut.
Speaker 2:We have chocolates and we have the salt packets for hydration there's nothing better than a salted caramel yeah, yeah, salted chocolate, my favorites, yeah, just it just perks everything up.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it does, doesn't it?
Speaker 2:yeah, it totally does and I'm yeah, I've been cooking with the pink salt for many years, even before I ever opened the cave, but I do think it has a better taste to it and there's no additives, which is really important.
Speaker 1:Very, very important.
Speaker 2:Yeah, salt mines are interesting. That's a bucket list thing of mine. The pink salt mines are. You can tour them. They're all lit and they're beautiful and I've seen pictures. And then there's also a white salt mine in Poland and that's the one where they actually discovered the salt therapy benefits. That one's in Waliczka and it's they've got cathedrals carved in the salt in there. It's supposed to be just amazing. Oh, I'm sure it's like a religious experience? It probably is especially if you like salt.
Speaker 1:But yeah, for you it'd be like Mecca yeah salt Mecca.
Speaker 2:But yeah, they. This was back in the 1800s. There was a physician and he noticed that the salt miners weren't getting sick like the regular general population. Of course, back then they had a lot less options too for treatments, and so he was curious and started studying them and discovered it was because they were breathing salt in. Very cool, and he opened a clinic in that salt mine and decided start moving patients in that had respiratory issues and it helped them. So he was the discoverer of salt therapy, which is now called halotherapy.
Speaker 1:Well, it sounds like you need to create like a group of us that goes over and like yeah, that would be wonderful.
Speaker 2:Yeah, wouldn't that be neat Get some of your dedicated customer base here too. Yeah, do it, do a retreat, absolutely Good idea 100%.
Speaker 1:I'm in. I thought of it, so I get to go. Yeah, you get to go. It'll be our first call. Yes.
Speaker 2:Yeah that. And then we've also had a ton of requests for sleepovers in the cave, which I have not yet managed to figure out, but we will someday figure that out.
Speaker 1:That would be really cool.
Speaker 2:Yeah, sleepovers in the cave are a big request, big request.
Speaker 1:I could see that I never even would think that would be a possibility. People are just getting greedy and want tons and tons of time in here. They want a whole night of this therapy. They're like we just want to stay here all night.
Speaker 2:We want to live in your cave.
Speaker 1:It'll be a lock-in or something. Yes, do it, oh yeah.
Speaker 2:So we try to offer you know as many options for people, whether it's meditation or yoga or just sitting in here and breathing. Yeah, of course, we do ionic foot soaks as well.
Speaker 1:That's one of our fun offerings. What's an ionic foot soak?
Speaker 2:You had me at foot soak foot soak, so you had me at foot soak. Yeah, so it is a foot soak. It's 30 minutes of soaking your feet in warm water and it's a little salt water mix. It's it's just salt and water, and we offer some essential oils too, just for aromatherapy, and then there's a little ionic array that goes down in the water. So the theory is that this, this ionic array, reverses the ions in the water and then, because you're connected to the water and your body is made of water, your body then reacts to that by helping to better detox itself.
Speaker 2:A lot of people think that it's sucking toxins through the feet and the water changes all these colors. That's not really what's happening, and so I always try to be really clear about that, because it's really more of a chemical reaction in the water. That's not really what's happening, and so I always try to be really clear about that, because it's really more of a chemical reaction in the water and that's due to the salt and the electricity that's in the water, and then, of course, anything that might be in the dermal layers of the feet or what's on your skin. But overall, the process feels really good. Yeah, people notice that they just feel lighter or better, or they sleep better, you know. Whether that's, you know, psychosomatic or not, it doesn't matter. If you feel better, then it's something that's for you, something that worked.
Speaker 2:Absolutely so we do offer those and we get a lot of people that you know enjoy it and do it regularly and it's great for you know the theories that it's helping to cleanse your system a little more effectively.
Speaker 1:And yeah, it's a relaxing 30 minutes.
Speaker 2:Yeah, for sure, so that's another little service that we offer.
Speaker 1:So if and I am, but for those that are interested in signing up and have never, ever been in the Salt Cave, how is the best way to go about figuring out the services that you offer and signing up and any tips for, like, first timers?
Speaker 2:Yeah, great questions. We have a website so you can always go to our website and look at our services. We do have them listed on one page. That kind of lists everything that we offer, and when you Salt Cave Lex, it's actually LexSaltCavecom LexSaltCavecom.
Speaker 1:Yep.
Speaker 2:LexSaltCavecom, and once you're there, there's an events page, there's a services page, there's a pricing page. You know, everything is laid out.
Speaker 1:I think you have a beautiful website. No, it's very well. I I mean as soon as you're like, and I did marketing and I'm like oh this is a great designer too.
Speaker 2:She was fantastic, so we work together. But yeah, yeah, but you're coming from a web background. Help too.
Speaker 1:Oh, I'm sure that's what I was like.
Speaker 2:This is pro this is very well, it's also beautifully.
Speaker 1:It's beautifully done, but it's also. You get really into all of the literature behind and all of the you know the yeah, there's probably too much information on there, but I I not for me I loved it. I think it's better to put too much than too little.
Speaker 2:That's how I looked at it. There's even a research document on there for people who want to see what research has been done. It's a pdf file and it's like 100 pages, so how about it?
Speaker 1:if you like that kind of thing go for it, so that's an option.
Speaker 2:But yeah, everything is on there. You can book everything online, except for our sauna and salt combo, because the sauna is owned by Centered, which is our sister space.
Speaker 1:Yes, we share the space yeah.
Speaker 2:Cool, so that one you need to call. But you can call, we can book.
Speaker 1:It's a 30-minute infrared sauna session, followed by a regular salt therapy session. Over at Centered is the sauna, and then you come over here.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so it's in the same space, same building, absolutely, it's just down the hall.
Speaker 1:That sounds really amazing. Yeah, so that's a great combo as well.
Speaker 2:Yeah sauna and that's also a good respiratory combo or pulmonary combo. Yeah, because you get the benefits of that infrared heat and then you come in here and soak up the salt so that and then you can book appointments, regular appointments. We have a schedule of what's available. The foot soaks are on there, any of our events or yoga classes are listed on there and you can book all of those as well. And massages, and you can just call us if well, and massages, and and you can just call us if it's too overwhelming. Stop, you will just call.
Speaker 1:yes, there's no problem, we try to answer the phone yes, just call and ask, for we're closed Monday's, okay, yeah, great, and so, um, for my first session. I mean, depending on what it is, what should I wear? Should I bring water?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so for a first-timer and we get these questions a lot and they're perfectly good questions what should you wear? Can I bring water? Those are probably the top two. Yes, and I always tell people to wear whatever you're comfortable in. We have people that come on their lunch breaks from work so you can do that. You know, if you just sit in a zero-gravity chair or even on the floor with a blanket, you're not going to get salt all over you, and it's dry and cool in here most days. It's never going to be hot.
Speaker 1:You're not sweating in here. You're not sweating in here. You're not sweating Unless you're like really hitting the yoga. Unless you're like really hitting the yoga.
Speaker 2:Yeah even then you shouldn't be sweating much. We do general yoga, so, yeah, it's whatever you're most comfortable in. Just wear something that lets you relax and you can bring a water container with you, that's perfectly fine. We offer some tissues and baskets just in case, you know, you get a tickle in your throat. You know you get a tickle in your throat. I always tell people we, you know, we don't require socks because the salt is antibacterial, antifungal and anti-inflammatory. But you might want to wear socks your first time because it's crystal salt and if you have tender feet, you know you might not be sure if you like it, For the sensation of it, yeah exactly.
Speaker 2:And yeah, that's pretty simple. You can really come as you are and just enjoy. And yeah, that's pretty simple. You can really come as you are and just enjoy, just try to bring. You know we don't restrict phones from coming in, because I know nowadays people, you know, get kind of anxious about that if they're disconnected from their phone. But I do recommend, if you can leave it behind, leave it out in the reception area. If not, put it on silent so it's not disturbing you or other people in the room. Yeah, of course, of course. Of course we welcome photos before and after the session.
Speaker 1:Yes, Good, good good. It's a very photogenic spot for sure, the lighting is so good, everybody looks so young.
Speaker 2:It's very soothing lighting in here. It's like sitting by the fire or something.
Speaker 1:Yeah, definitely Candle light Definitely, and I'm sure after these sessions you just go home and have the greatest sleep of your life.
Speaker 2:I mean, most people do say they find they sleep better after salt therapy.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and you were saying earlier there's a lot of studies that salt is really related to like quality sleep.
Speaker 2:Well, and I know magnesium is also related to sleep. That's really nothing to do with sitting in the cave, but because potassium and sodium and magnesium are also related. And you know, people, that's what epsom salt is is magnesium. So if you take a hot epsom salt bath before bed, that's one of the reasons you probably sleep better. Um, but the cave is full of you know the pink salt with it's got magnesium and iron and potassium and all kinds of other trace. You know manganese and cobalt I mean, I can't even list them all. There's 84. So it's a lot. Periodic table yeah, but yeah, it's the grounding nature of it, I think, and the fact that your nervous system really, truly can let go in here is probably what allows people to go home and sleep easier. That and maybe being able to breathe, because if you can't breathe, at night, that's.
Speaker 1:That's a big issue with trying to get good sleep. Definitely it's a big deal and just the, the wellness part, like the, the mental health. You know being in here and how cozy it is and how you're able to disconnect I mean yeah, but it's all combined yeah, yeah and sleep is like nobody tells you that sleep like when you're a kid and a teen and in your 20s like it just comes so natural and yeah. I covet a good night's sleep.
Speaker 2:I know it's just more difficult, and it's also still just as important to get that sleep. It's, you know, not getting sleep can be connected to so many health problems, but yet we don't really.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's you know not getting sleep can be connected to so many health problems. Totally, but yet we don't really, because you're regenerating. Yeah, exactly, you're supposed to be.
Speaker 2:Yeah, your body's healing itself during sleep and luckily, you can also get some of that regeneration during a deep rest. So if you can do a deep rest, you know whether it's for 45 minutes or even 15 minutes, it's something that you know can benefit you.
Speaker 1:You mean like a full nap, or Either?
Speaker 2:a full nap or just where you are in stillness. And I tell people a lot because they'll say I just don't know if I can sit still for 45 minutes. And you know, I remind people that. You know it's a practice one. It's not something that if you're not used to it, you may have a difficult time at first. But I recommend that people come in, take some really slow inhales through the nose, exhales through the mouth, and try to extend that exhale a little bit further each time and maybe do three or four of those really slow rounds of breathing and then just kind of let go and let the body take care of itself. And most people find that being in the space plus doing that, they are just able to relax more readily. So that's my advice for first-timers Just come in and have that experience and then if your mind starts racing or wandering, it's okay. And that's another thing. People think they have to turn it off or shut their mind off. It just feels really impossible sometimes.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think it is pretty impossible.
Speaker 2:But I always say, if, if you notice that your mind is racing, you're already that you're present. Just noticing that means that you're present so yeah, just let yourself notice it and don't judge yourself, and then try to bring your attention back to that breathing. Yeah, and that's the beginning of meditation, right there, definitely, which is helpful for all of us if we can just set aside the time.
Speaker 1:Set aside the time, yeah, for I mean people think you know self-care has to be these like you know things that you buy and these things, and oftentimes it's like the little moments yeah that can really yeah, and just making it part of your routine um consistency
Speaker 2:yeah, and I, yeah, and I do tell people, like you know, if you buy a package of salt therapy, you can bring your sessions, you know, pretty low down on the price, you know, granted, you're spending one time, but you're more inclined to come more often. And then we also started a subscription service so that people could come unlimited.
Speaker 2:They can come three or four times a week, I mean, they could come every day if they really had the time to do that yeah, and it makes it super affordable, and then you're more likely to get yourself in here regularly, and we have several people signed up for the monthly subscription that you know they'll come twice, three times a week, once a week. If you come once a week, it's paid for itself.
Speaker 1:So yeah, so then, more than that, and you're really good. Yeah, exactly yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, one of my favorite clients. Um, she came, she could not breathe, she wasn't sleeping because she couldn't lay flat, she had to sit up to sleep and she was coughing and she had been through the doctors Like she. You know, there was nothing contagious there, there was nothing actively happening, it was just this like leftover crud. And so I said look, if you can manage it, try to come three days in a row. And the salt therapy association recommends you know certain kinds of you know protocols, so we follow their recommendations and and you know they say try to come a few days in a row. Or you know two days and then skip a day and come back. But I just said try three days in a row and see how you feel. And so she said she would. The second day she couldn't believe how much better she felt. And the third day she said I'm in, I'm doing a subscription, and she's been our client ever since. All in and she is breathing.
Speaker 1:And now she only.
Speaker 2:Comes like once or twice a week, and it's just amazing to see her transformation.
Speaker 1:It was really fun to see that. That's really cool.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, so consistency too yeah, it's um, the effects are. They are cumulative. So if you can come regularly, it's. You know the. The theory is that it's boosting your immunity because it's keeping your system cleansed and reducing inflammation and you're not building up anything in there. Yeah, and I have a lot of customers that come in like the second. They think they might be getting a sinus infection because you know, you can kind of tell and they'll be like oh my gosh, I think I'm getting a sinus infection and they'll come in for two or three sessions and most of the time they'll call and say, oh, it knocked it out.
Speaker 2:So I'm like, yeah, it's amazing, it's like preventative yeah, salt therapy can the salt is. You know it's antibacterial, so it does make sense and if you can catch it early before it gets a good hold, sometimes people can like knock it out yeah, and of course you know we, you know we have.
Speaker 2:We still have to be careful and say like it's supporting all this, it's not curing anything. But you know, we still have to be careful and say like it's supporting all this, it's not curing anything Sure, you know you can do the math in your head. You know it's antibacterial and it's anti-inflammatory. So those two things alone make it worth giving it a try Absolutely.
Speaker 1:And there's no side effects, which is nice, yeah, of course. So you've mentioned a couple of things you have planned in the future, but in general, like, what are some future goals and where do you see salt cave in a year or five years, or what do you think?
Speaker 2:well, I mean, there's always room for growth. And you know, one thing we get a lot of requests for is can we do more than two foot soaks at a time? So right now we only have two, so maybe down the road we can add more foot serve capability. Um, you know, I I just love entertaining, you know, different events and practitioners and you know we've done a lot of, we've had a lot of different events. Some of them, you know, fly and some of them, you know, are kind of met with, if you will, but we're always open. So that's kind of where I think we're headed in the future. You know, it would be great to have a salt booth. Yeah, you know, that's one thing I would like to maybe get in in the future get invested in A salt booth to like, go to like festivals.
Speaker 2:Well, I have the tent for the festivals but a more permanent booth would be nice too.
Speaker 1:Okay, it like festivals.
Speaker 2:Well, I have the tent for the festivals, but a more permanent booth would be nice too. It's just a little you know more private and sure you know, nice for the people that want to come in and maybe have a little bit of the ambiance, but not like your own private little cave yeah, it's kind of like a little sauna but, instead of a sauna. It's a salt. Okay, very cool, very cool. Maybe stay tuned, yeah sounds great.
Speaker 1:Well, this has been so much fun I can't even. Well, I know I'm like my mind is really because I'm like what do I want to start with? I mean the foot soak. I mean that sounds like it's a popular.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it is popular and um it's, a lot of people will do the foot soak and then do a salt cave after um. We've even had we call it the triple detox, but some people do the sauna, uh, but yeah, you know all three I think I might have to, but some people do the sauna foot soak, all three. I think I might have to do that sauna foot soak yeah and the sauna combo is also super popular as far as that goes, fun.
Speaker 1:Okay, cool. Well, thanks for letting us come here today. Oh, my pleasure. Thank you Thanks for coming in.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we'd love to have you back for some real salt therapy. Sounds great, I'm in, I'm doing it. We always say breathe and be well. Oh, I love that I'll try.
Speaker 1:Oh, thank you, that was amazing.