14 - Reclaiming Stillness with Jodie Appel (Asheville Salt Cave)

In this episode of the Wellness in Asheville Podcast, host Travis Richardson sits down with Jodie Appel, owner of the Asheville Salt Cave, to explore the transformative power of stillness and ritual in wellness. 

Jodie shares the inspiring story of how her father’s life-changing experience in a salt spa led to the creation of the Asheville Salt Cave, and how her background in massage therapy and veterinary care shaped her holistic approach. We dive into the science and history behind salt therapy (speleotherapy), the rejuvenating experience of the Turkish-Moroccan hamam, and the growing demand for community-driven wellness practices in Asheville.

Jodie discusses how her business fosters human connection, helps people reconnect with their bodies, and supports a range of health benefits—from respiratory relief to creative breakthroughs. We also touch on the evolving concept of wellness, the importance of unplugging from distractions, and the need for accessible self-care rituals in today’s fast-paced world.

Key Takeaways:

• The origins of Asheville Salt Cave, inspired by a 700-year-old Polish salt mine and Jodie’s father’s health journey
• How speleotherapy (salt therapy) supports conditions like asthma, eczema, and stress, with real client stories
• The role of the hamam in cleansing body and spirit, fostering community and ritual
• The shift in wellness culture toward human connection and away from digital distractions
• Practical ways to integrate self-care rituals into daily life for lasting peace and balance

Timestamps:

• 00:00 – 02:00 | Introduction and Travis’s personal experience at the Salt Cave
• 02:00 – 07:00 | Jodie’s journey: From massage therapy to opening the Asheville Salt Cave
• 07:00 – 11:00 | The science and history of salt therapy, inspired by the Wieliczka Salt Mine
• 11:00 – 16:00 | Exploring the hamam: A Turkish-Moroccan cleansing ritual
• 16:00 – 21:00 | The evolution of wellness and the rise of social wellness in 2025
• 21:00 – 29:00 | Benefits of speleotherapy: Client stories and real-world impacts
• 29:00 – 34:00 | The power of rest and reclaiming stillness in modern life
• 34:00 – 39:00 | Rapid-fire Q&A, Jodie’s vision for the future, and closing thoughts

Episode Links:

• Asheville Salt Cave
• Be Well Asheville
• Dobra Tea
• Be Well Asheville Podcast Archive

The Wellness in Asheville podcast is produced by Be Well Asheville, your local news source covering health + wellness news + events in Asheville. Get the latest at bewellasheville.com or follow @bewellasheville.

Transcript

Jodie Appel - Reclaiming Stillness

 [00:00:00] 

Speaker: Welcome to the Wellness in Asheville Podcast, where we shine a light on the people practices, and places that make this city one of the most inspiring wellness communities in the country. I'm your host, Travis Richardson, founder of Be Well Asheville, your local news source for health, wellness, and community events.

Speaker 8: Okay, so today we have Jody Appel with a salt cave right here in Asheville to talk about all things that happen when we take time for ourselves. Uh, welcome to the show, Jody. How are you doing today? Hey, 

Jodie Appel: I'm doing great. Thanks so much for having me. Super excited to be here. I don't often do a lot of podcasts, so Yeah.

Excited to. Get this experience too. 

Speaker 8: Yeah. Awesome. Well, you know, I I, one of the very first experiences I actually had, and you probably don't know this, we never talked [00:01:00] about it, but when I came to visit Asheville for the first time, like so many people do, we kind of. Figure out like where are the cool places to go and like what are the things to do?

And definitely Salt Cave was on my radar and I had like my best, best nap ever at the Salt Cave. 

Jodie Appel: Yay. And I'm like, 

Speaker 8: Asheville is 

Jodie Appel: for me. We nailed it. Yay. So glad. Thanks for sharing that. 

Speaker 8: Um, you know, and the salt cave, salt cave really represents, uh, a place of, just as I've observed it, you know, you've got lots of different offerings, and we're gonna talk about those today, but it feels like one of the missing pieces in our lives is this idea of ritual and including ritual around taking care of ourselves.

Yeah. And, yeah. So, so tell me, I guess, about how you. Came up with the vision for the salt cave and this, and how you've incorporated ritual into what you do. It's really interesting, I feel. I feel, 

Jodie Appel: yeah, [00:02:00] so maybe like I'll share that I was a massage therapist and worked with animals in that realm long before I opened this business.

I think I was doing that about 15 years or so, maybe even a little bit more. So obviously had like a interest in health and wellness in a lot of ways. I worked as a veterinarian, veterinary technician, excuse me. Um, prior to that. So health and wellness has kind of always been in my. Um, and the soul kind of actually came about, not because of me, funny enough, but really because of my dad.

Um, he's a pharmacist, so not necessarily the same health and wellness concept, but I think, you know, in his own realm. Um, and so my dad, um, growing up had really bad allergies and really bad asthma and. Then maybe, gosh, I can't even think of how long it's been, but it's probably been over 20 something years.

He actually got in a really bad car accident and punctured a lung. [00:03:00] So he had a lot of pretty big health concerns and was always trying to navigate them using an inhaler and all of that. And they were, I lived in Greenville, South Carolina at this time. Um, so this was like 2000 and probably nine, 10, maybe.

And they were on their way down to visit me from New Jersey. And they always like to stop and do something fun along the way 'cause it's a long drive. And so this time they happened to stop in Williamsburg and it was raining. And so my dad, who wasn't fully holistic, even though there were things that he did in bed, like homeopathy, he kind of taught me about like when I was much younger.

Um, but anyway, he, I digress, but he, um, he stopped at this salt spa and said. Well, this sounds interesting. The sign talks about lung issues and um, you know, respiratory problems and things like that. And so he calls me 'cause he knows I'm a little more in the kind of woo side of life there. [00:04:00] And he was like, I dunno, they have this room and you know, it's salt and it says all these things.

Like before I go in, like, what do you think? And I was like, this is gonna sound funny, but I said, I think it sounds like a hoax. And he was like. Okay. But I was like, but it sounds cool. Like I don't really know enough. Like I don't really know much about salt. That wasn't my training. So like, how much is it?

You know, like how bad can it be? And it was like 20 bucks or whatever. And he was like, okay, I'm just gonna go in. And I was like, cool. Like, lemme know how it goes. And he went in and he obviously had his service. I feel like it was just a couple hours later that he called me and he goes, we just left the, the place, the shop, the lady shop.

And I was like. That was, that was a lot of time. And he was like, I think I just bought her out of everything. And I was like, wow, you must have liked it. And he was like, yeah, I thought it was pretty cool. And I was like, okay, cool. Like that's fun. Whatever. He comes down here, we hang out, he goes home. And then he calls me probably about two or three weeks [00:05:00] later and said pretty something fantastic.

He was like, I haven't had to use my inhaler in like probably two or three weeks at this point. And I was like. That's interesting. What, what did you do? And he was like, well, the only thing I can think of is I went to that room and I was like, oh, that's cool. And he goes, I kind of want you to go over there.

And I was like, well, it's Virginia. It's not like around the corner. And he's like, well, we'll figure it out. I'll get you over there. And I was, I didn't understand what he was leading to, but obviously he had such a profound experience within what his situation was. So we come to have more conversations before I make it up there and he's like, I really think we should open this and I really wanna do this.

And I was like, you don't, we don't know anything about it. And so he actually set up a meeting with the owner for me who. Is from Poland, her and her family, um, and her and her husband before they had family, uh, kids of their own and whatnot, they actually went and lived at a particular mine in Poland that this concept came from.

And I'm not still sure [00:06:00] exactly why, but she was so sweet. And we sat for a few hours in the salt cave after I went up there and had my session. And I'm not exactly sure why, but she chose my family to share a lot of her knowledge and she really only. Kind of had to cr, her and her husband kind of had to create this, 'cause it wasn't a natural salt mine.

They were taking the concept and creating this space into a non-natural space, right? Mm-hmm. And so she was just so kind and she just shared so much information with me. All of it started clicking and kind of being like, oh yeah, this is in my realm. I understand now what we're talking about, salt water, the body, like how we need these elements.

And so I just started kind of pulling all of my, I have a lot of medical background history, so I started pulling it on and I was like, I get it. I see it now. Okay. And so I think we had like a three year adventure of trying to learn and trying to see spaces in Asheville, knowing we wanted to bring it here.

And um, yeah. So it was just like a long journey of trying to figure out where that. [00:07:00] Concept now landed. 

Speaker 8: And you guys opened in 2012, right? 

Jodie Appel: And we opened in 2012. So I think it took us about, honestly, like three years. Yeah. Collecting information, learning, finding a builder. Picking her brain a whole lot.

'cause there wasn't really a lot of in info. I have one book that was our information book that she shared and there was no other information. So it was, you know, two sweet ladies trying to figure out how to get information across. 

Speaker 8: And just, and if I can interrupt you real quick here, please. Uh, and the reason I wanna do that is 'cause I do, I, in my, in my notes for today's talk, I, I did write down, uh, there was an Instagram post that I saw, uh, maybe it was a few weeks ago.

Uh, something. I think it's the, the same mind you're talking about. And I'm gonna probably really trounce this pronunciation. It's okay. But is it the weka salt Mine? It's 

Jodie Appel: Wiska. Weka, and I probably butcher it too. Okay. I feel terrible too, but she's said it enough times, but I'm pretty sure it's Vka. Okay.

Uhhuh and 

Speaker 8: I wrote down, it's a [00:08:00] 700 year old, stretches more than a hundred. 78 miles underground has mm-hmm. Chapel, statues, chandeliers, and even a live in wellness center made of salt. So that's the one you're talking about? Yes. That's what you're talking about. Yeah. Uhhuh. 

Jodie Appel: And there's a lot of these around, but this particular one has sort of, I'm gonna say probably been, I'm, this is maybe not the right word, but.

Sort of accumulated to be a shrine in a way of, there's so many like beautiful cathedrals built in there, and there are chandeliers created of salt. Like it's really a magical, uh, location 

Speaker 8: in the world. And just, and just a quick follow on on that. I, um, what is the, so just for the listeners, where did all of this idea around salt, like how did it come to be?

How did even anybody, where was the first person that was like, oh yeah, this is healing. Where did that start? 

Jodie Appel: So it started in that mine actually. So back in the 18 hundreds, the um, town was having bout a tuberculosis outbreak and. There were people that worked in the mine to like mine [00:09:00] the salt for like food preservations and whatever else.

I think there was even horses that actually were down there. Um, and I don't exactly know who started to knowledge acknowledge this, but they started to realize that the people that were working in the salt mine were not having tuberculosis outbreaks as much so as the people that weren't working in the mine that were just living in town.

And they bought in a doctor named Dr. Brodsky Brosky, excuse me. And. Him and his team started coming in and doing a lot of research and trying to figure out what, what is this? How is this helping? What is, what is the concept here? And so they realized that the water and salt element that's found in nature in all of nature, but really in this particular mind that they were studying, that we have that same chemical compound makeup within our body.

So if you look at it on a cellular level, all of our cells are actually made of salt and water and you need them to flow back and forth for, uh, thoughts and actions to happen. And so on a [00:10:00] very cellular level, it's really important for us to function. And then for that mind that was holding that same concentration as we have in our bodies or something very similar, that's what they've kind of come up with.

And that was how the body was sort of staying in a homeostasis type of a situation. And so they just did a lot of research and then I'm not exactly sure when the mind became a wellness center, but I do feel like it was pretty early on that they started allowing that, um, center to start being built, knowing that information.

Speaker 8: Hmm. Yeah. I like anything that is sort of like systemic like that where. It's not a specific procedure, like some kind of invasive procedure. It's more like, oh, if you just breathe this concentration mm-hmm. This specific concentration of salt, like, and we know it naturally works for mm-hmm. You know, work these fuel like works for everyone to.

Totally. It's a human thing, right? I love that. 

Jodie Appel: Yeah. And an animal thing and like anything that has cells that needs salt to [00:11:00] like do what they do. For sure. 

Speaker 8: I feel like we don't, I feel like we still don't understand the, the body and like, what's going on half the time we're, we're still like, yeah, we're learning things as we go.

Um, right. I mean, 

Jodie Appel: so much so. 

Speaker 8: So you have extensive travel. I know that you've been to places like Turkey, and then I know that you have, I don't know how many other Hamams there are in Asheville, but you have one. Tell us what that is and how that integrates in sort of with the overall experience somebody can have, um, at the Salt Coast.

Jodie Appel: So a hamam is like a traditional Turkish Moroccan bathhouse experience, but the reality is there are a lot of bathhouse experiences throughout different cultures, and they're called different things. Americans sort of skipped the boat on that, and we kind of just went to our seven minute. Quick shower and hurry up and get out the door.

Um, so a bathing ritual for a lot of different scenarios can look very differently, but like for [00:12:00] us purpose, our purpose here, um, it's about connection. It's about connecting in with community. It's about slowing down and washing away things that maybe no longer serve you. It's a ritual in. Cleansing kind of the spirit, maybe not just the body.

It is a cleansing of the body, but I'd say even like spiritually, at least, this is how I'll speak from my own personal experience when I utilize that service, I feel like it's a, a release of those. Energetics I carry around with me because there is sort of a treatment that happens that we teach you in there.

Um, a lot of traditional ones in Turkey or Morocco, someone is doing the service on you, which a lot of people don't always love that. I'll be real, like I've had it. It's a very much more abrasive culture in general, but like there's a lot of, uh, exterior exfoliation. I mean, you come out and you're like a new baby.

Like for sure in America, we were like, well, let's be a little gentler. Yeah. We're not as used to it. Um, we [00:13:00] also opened it during, uh, right before COVID happened or right during COVID. So we changed it also to be more of a community of you and your friends where maybe you feel a little bit more safe in those spaces because you are possibly either undressed or wearing a bathing suit.

And so you can do the treatment on yourself, you can do it on a loved one, it can be a fun girl party, a bunch of friends going in there. Um, and so, yeah, um, we kind of brought that element in. You know, I'll be real when I was in Turkey, I'll side just sidestep here, but when I went to Turkey on one of my trips, I have some good friends that live there and I ended up in Istanbul.

Um. And in one of the most beautiful hamams, it's called Aga Sophia. And we come into town that day and it is pretty quiet for Istanbul. And I was like, I don't really understand what's happening. We were just here yesterday, it was really busy and she was like, oh, it's a [00:14:00] holiday. And like everybody's like off and doing their thing in their families outside of town.

And I was like, oh, that's interesting and cool. And she was like, do you wanna do a her mom today? And I was like, yeah, she didn't want to go. And I said, okay, I'm just gonna go. Well, I ended up in this, I mean, magical space. Alone. I was the only person in there. And normally they're like, well, like this place is packed full of people.

So I think having the experience of it alone was so magical just to like really grasp what was happening in that space. Like I could really center myself around it. I then proceeded to go to many other hamams that. Have lots and lots of people in there and it has a different feel and a different vibe and, um, and so yeah, so it's, you know, the salt cave is our main service that we had starting out, and there's a lot of amazing benefits for the internal cleansing of the system, right.

To balance that out. And adding the hamam sort of added a different type of a [00:15:00] cleansing scenario or situation that felt. Two very separate things, but also like very much like in a wellness pattern of like crisscrossing them in a way that like centers the body a in a little bit of a different way. So a lot of times it'll be like, go into the Hamam and do that service and then go into the salt cape.

'cause you're open, your pores are open, your, you've washed away a lot of things. So now your body can really absorb what those minerals are, right. While you sit inside the salt cave. So there's a lot of like right. Dual purpose that like, kind of happens that I think all you were saying earlier, like we might not even know all the magic because of the, not knowing all the body.

But, um, so yeah, I know that was a little bit of a ramble, but hopefully I got some of the answer there. 

Speaker 8: Yeah, no, that's really cool. Um, yeah, I, it's kind of like you're, um, just like. Having a massage and then getting a chiropractic adjustment. It's exactly like preparing the body for like what's next.

Jodie Appel: Totally. And they're just symbiotic. They work well together, right, where you're like, here are these [00:16:00] two treatments and then you can add a massage on if you want to. Right? Like you can take it to the whatever level you want. We have lots of people that just come for the salt cave, lots of people that just come to do the hamam.

And then we have people that love to do all, all of our services, which is sweet. 

Speaker 8: So I'm curious, so you, you opened in 2012, it's 2025. At the time of this recording, how do you, how have you seen wellness, this idea of wellness? I don't even know if wellness was an exact term back then, like searched on, if you looked at Google Trends.

I don't know if it was searched on, even in Google, probably, but now probably. Yeah. It's, so how have things, how have things changed, I guess, in this business for you? 

Jodie Appel: Hmm. I feel like, yeah, that's a great question. Um. You know the first thing that came to my mind is we used to be very mindful. This is a like a little side shoot of it, but we used to be very mindful about the word meditation.

'cause we give you a little meditation inside one of the services. And I remember, gosh, I feel like probably only like in the last two, three years have I said like, [00:17:00] we used to call it a guided relaxation because people think meditation I have to work, right? I have something to do. I don't know if I know how to do it.

I don't know how to meditate. And it's like, okay, we changed our words. I'd say only recently have we almost pivoted to say, well, now meditation is sort of a more known term that it. Doesn't have this stigma of like, I have to do something. I have to know how to meditate. Like meditation can be painting and doing art or cooking, right?

It can be so many things. It's just about centering yourself and whatever it is you're doing. So even that as a small step of just the shift of like how we word things or how we. Understand. So like, yeah. Wellness. I don't think it was a word ever Googled, realistically, right. You know, 10 years ago. Um, I think, you know, as the world even changes today into like this, I'm gonna say intelligent design system that's being created for us by, you know, chat GBTs, Andis and all these things, you know.[00:18:00] 

I think there is a call of people, and I don't know if it's every single person, but I do think that there is a call of people that are just really wanting to retap into their bodies and wanting to be a little bit more conscious and aware and being present here and not being completely distracted by all of those other things.

And I think that that has shifted over the years where I think. You know, maybe five or 10 years ago, I don't know if we were all like, oh my God, we have to be on social media and do all these things and like, I have to run my business this certain way on this computer program or whatever. And that sort of has taken us to a different level.

So I think kind of bringing it back to like. People are looking, I think for that like human connection and that wellness and mm-hmm. Really recentering into their body. Again, not everybody is right in that forum, but I think the people that we call in are trying to find a way to. To keep coming back to their original [00:19:00] home, if that makes sense.

Yeah, 

Speaker 8: no, it does. I, we just had a networking event, uh, last week and I, uh, we just, we kind of was gauging people's interest in why, what they were looking for, what they wanted to get out of such a networking group. And there's just this clear call for more in-person events and collaborations with people.

Mm-hmm. I think people are looking for something that's real. They're looking for each other to be, uh, to be honest. 

Jodie Appel: Which I find I'm gonna, can I just say I, I find it comical in a sense that we're all also like, I have my phone and I'm on my phone and I'm on my computer, I'm email and I'm texting. And yet, like that is a conversation I feel like I hear a lot of, of, I'm looking for human connection.

Mm-hmm. And it's like, it's so interesting that we want that so bad and yet. You know, I know you can't see this, but this phone is like distracting us. Like, 

Speaker 8: I, I got mine right by me as, as well. That's 

Jodie Appel: going like, wait, but you want connection and this thing is supposed to give it to us. But the reality is we only really get that when we're [00:20:00] face to face, whether it's a computer screen or real life like.

That's what we're craving. 'cause we're kind of taken out of that space. And again, I'm sorry, I interjected, but 

Speaker 8: no, I, I think it's important. Sign up. Fascinating. No, I think it's an, yeah, it's an important topic. And I think you're, uh, one of the, one of the things I wanted to talk about, uh, uh, just touch on briefly is, uh, this idea of social wellness.

Because social wellness is a top, uh, 2025 top, top 10 trend. Mm-hmm. Uh, in is that there's this movement, if you look on Instagram, there. I'm seeing lots of movement toward doing things together. Mm-hmm. And doing, uh, from everything from like mocktail parties. Mm-hmm. You know, good, like positive, good, like Sure.

Stuff. Uh, and things like the, you know, coming to do a group session at a place like which you offer, like, I think mm-hmm. There's more of that, right? Isn't there a demand? Is there a strong demand for that now? 

Jodie Appel: I feel like it's getting there for sure. I think people [00:21:00] are, like you said, kind of craving it and I've had people come here in desire of that.

Like, I wanna find a community. And I'm like, okay. Like let's, let's see what that looks like for you here. And so, yeah, I think it's shifting for sure. 

Speaker 8: So what's, what's left to be shifted? What, how do we get there? 

Jodie Appel: I could just go back to like, we're just distracted. Humans like the. And it's, and it's a little, I, it sounds negative and I don't mean it to sound, but it's a little bit of that, like laziness and like, we're just like leaning into AI and we're really onto like, you know, arguing on our phones about things.

And I really, that's kind of one of our values here is like, we don't want you on your phone. We won't, we don't want you distracted and. I know that's like a hard thing because it's so in our face right now, but like sometimes I'll look at like, I don't have children, but like the younger generation, like I have, you know, I'm an aunt to a lot of people and [00:22:00] like, I feel like a lot of them, they're on their phones a lot, but they're not into like the social media aspect as much.

And like I have like a hope for that in a way. Maybe my generation just feels like that's what we have to do to be out there right now. And that's how you have to be, be in it, you know? And that's the connection. And I'm, you know, I'm, I'm tagged on social media a million times and it's like, it's not really important and like I'm probably an anomaly because I don't really want that as part of Right our world so much.

'cause I can see where that's going to take us. So I just kind of keep coming back to like, how do we keep like. Humanity part of the system. How do we keep connecting with humans and not, you know, I think it's a big problem right now. A lot of people don't feel connected with whatever their life stories are, and that's why we have a lot of kind of tragedy within the world right now.

A lot of people out listening to each other and having conversations and like, I feel like here I'm trying to hold that space for people to come back to those real like [00:23:00] human connections and topics instead of. Just divisive or, or distraction or whatever that is. So I think of that when you say that, you know, what is it that that maybe needs to shift in that way?

Um, and I'm probably not being going to be able to shift that at all, but. At least in my little bubble, I wanna share it. 

Speaker 8: Yeah, well like, as you were saying, as you were talking, I'm like, what is, and then I'm like, okay, I just asked about what obstacles there might be, and I'm like, what would be, and I'm like, well, what would be the solution?

And, and something just popped into my head. Mm-hmm. And then I'll share that now, which is that for me, whenever I want more peace in my life, the thing that really. When I have that thought is I want more peace is I have, I have an experience, like usually actually it's around like a massage, for instance.

Jodie Appel: Mm-hmm. 

Speaker 8: I'll go get a massage and I'm done with the massage and then I'm like, oh my God, I'm just, so on some other level of mm-hmm. Consciousness. So [00:24:00] relaxed, so at peace I talk slower, I move more consciously. Mindfully. Yeah. Mindfully. Right. So, so I, I guess if the more. Times we can become aware of the mm-hmm.

The discrepancy between how we can feel when we have an experience like at the salt cave or at a massage. Yeah. And then our normal life. Right. When we have these two things that are pitted against each other mm-hmm. Our true north becomes obvious. Yeah. And so then we can start to make choices that guide us toward the one thing.

But it's, yeah, it's 

Jodie Appel: like making the choice, right? Mm-hmm. It's about saying, I'm going to choose this even in those hard moments, so I can bring this to those hard moments. 'cause I, yes, I know that that's only a blip. Challenge throughout the day. If I keep coming back because I did the meditation or I did the massage, or whatever it is, the sauna, the whatever.

Mm-hmm. Yeah. And I 

Speaker 8: have a, I have a hat, you can't see it, but I got a hat that's, um, up above me here. It says, do you want to be right or do you want to be happy? Mm-hmm. I think everybody's heard that saying yes, and that, and that's [00:25:00] also the same thing, right? It's like, do you wanna, mm-hmm. Do you wanna argue and feel horrible?

Jodie Appel: Yeah, because we do, right. It's like you're gonna, 

Speaker 8: or or do you just wanna be like, let go? Or do you just wanna be happy? Yeah. 

Jodie Appel: Yeah. And how do you make yourself happy? Right? Like finding those things, like everybody's is gonna be different, right? But like. Is yours might be sitting on a meditation pillow for eight hours.

That's not mine. Mm-hmm. Mine is more like cooking or whatever it might be, or like being in the water somewhere, whatever. But like, yeah, it's like how do we keep coming home to ourselves so that we can be happy? Even when you're in those harder moments of life and the daily struggles and the like they AI in your face, like how do we, how do we navigate that?

You have to go internal to like be okay with those spaces to be happier. 

Speaker 8: Right. Totally. Mm-hmm. I wanna, I wanna go back, uh, a bit here. Yeah. And ask you who, uh, what kinds of, we talked about asthma, um mm-hmm. My son also has [00:26:00] benefited greatly from mm-hmm. Uh, salt, uh, halo. Uh, is it halo therapy? Um, what's the halo therapy?

What's the term? So halo therapy 

Jodie Appel: is like salt therapy as a generic term. Okay. We do something here called speleo therapy, which is in the umbrella of Palo therapy, but because. Halo therapy has sort of taken over. Halo therapy has a lot to do with dry salt air, where we use a moisture system, which is more natural to what's happening in nature because of all the water that happens in the earth.

So we use a spial therapy where we actually use water and salt within our model because that's what we're made of. Oh, so it's a little gentler on the bottom. Versus Halo therapy, which can be maybe more considered a dry air system. Oh, okay. But I use it a little bit as an umbrella at this point because Halo therapy has just taken off.

Like it's a little bit of a different model, but that's kind of the wording that kind of has taken off of what is salt therapy, let's say. 

Speaker 8: Okay. Thank you. Thank you for that clar [00:27:00] clarification. Of course. Um, but I was getting here is that my son has been benefit greatly when especially mm-hmm. Conditions would you say are supported?

Of course, we're not here to treat cure, diagnosed, blah, blah, blah. 

Jodie Appel: Totally. But we've had a lot of people walk in with a lot of different things. Right, 

Speaker 8: right. Totally. 

Jodie Appel: Um, so yeah, that one runs so many different gamuts, which is just such a cool thing. When I am meeting with clients and I see their shift. So a couple just to share like.

This isn't all of them, of course, but I have had, let's see, I had a client who, um, she had radiation burns on her body from chemotherapy, um, and radiation many, many, many, many moons ago that didn't go away. Uh, she came in about three times, pulled me aside and told me that that had lasted 30 years and they are now completely gone.

That was the only thing she could correlate it to. Wow. Um, I've had [00:28:00] parents that bring maybe their children that maybe are on and a spectrum of some sort and have a, like a hard time kind of keeping the nervous system calmer. They've come into the SK for our kids sessions and they. Call me and write me and tell me how amazing their children's energy level has shifted and more focused, more attentive.

Um, I've had people who are, maybe, I don't remember exactly what this person's art or creativity was, but they're aware, some type of creative outlet, but they had been blocked on, let's say it was artist, and they had been creatively blocked for quite a while, came into the salt cave. The next night they were up writing or painting or whatever their craft was, and they had a creative outlet, so, mm-hmm.

It kind of runs so many things. We have a lot of people that come in with asthma, uh, eczema issues, like on their skin. Um, a lot of sinus kind of, uh, congestion or lung issues. So it really, [00:29:00] it's really fascinating when people share from the moment they walk in. And sometimes, I'm gonna say this too, like sometimes they'll walk in and you, you know.

We get all walks of life. Sometimes somebody's a little agitated, something, the traffic was bad or whatever it is. Like life was really hard in that moment. And they walk in and you can see it all over them, right? And even if I don't see like this massive shift of like, oh my God, those things went away in your world.

Like when they walk out of that space, they're a completely different person. Like completely. And they're like floating. And you're like, huh. You just stepped away from your phone and sat an assault room, like how it, like it's sometimes it's fascinating to me of just like, how impressive that, again, maybe it's the taking away the phone.

Maybe it has nothing to do with assault, but like just to even sit in there for 45 minutes and just. Not be distracted and to breathe and to just slow the pace. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, that alone is just, 

Speaker 8: yeah, 

Jodie Appel: a magic. 

Speaker 8: I, I, I feel like for me, uh, I've noticed, [00:30:00] so I did some, I tried these, uh, compression. Boots, uh mm-hmm.

By these NormaTec people probably heard of these, the listeners have NormaTec compression boots and they're just like, you know, for circulation. And I was, I tried 'em, I, I liked them. I mean, I, I wasn't like, oh my gosh, I have to go out and get me some. Um, but what it did, and I, so it's like interesting 'cause like what it did is it allowed me the space to lay down and just relax.

Mm-hmm. 

Jodie Appel: Yeah. And 

Speaker 8: I fell asleep during the 30 minute session and I was like. Oh my God. This is constantly, this is reminding me yet again. Mm-hmm. That I and everyone else probably do not give ourselves. We don't give ourselves permission simply to just rest. And I was like, ah. Reminded again. 

Jodie Appel: Remember like when we were in kindergarten and we had nap time?

That just made me think of that. I was like, can we bring it back nap time? Like that would so solve a lot of problems. Yes. A 30 minute nap, like midday, two o'clock, [00:31:00] 

Speaker 8: I want it back. I want it back. 

Jodie Appel: Let's do it. We got 20 minutes and we're gonna do it. I mean, 

Speaker 8: is it that what they do in Spain, isn't that a siesto or something like that?

Like don't they do that? 

Jodie Appel: We need to, my God, to like close down everything. Maybe there's a tea and a nap that happens, or a tea and a walk or whatever you need to do. But we all have a 30 minute decompress moment. 

Speaker 8: Yeah, we need a four day. We need a four day week work week. Uhhuh. We need a four day work week and we need a nap per day.

Like per day. That's why Yeah. 

Jodie Appel: That's my thing. Mm-hmm. Yes. 

Speaker 8: I'm gonna run on that. 

Jodie Appel: I like it. Let's make it happen. I'm in. Yeah, 

Speaker 8: totally. Alright, well, uh, let, well, so like, what are you excited about in the future? Like what do you, what are your plans? Is um, are you feeling like you're sort of steady state and you're like, good with that?

Are you have expansion plans, services, collaborations, like what excites you for the next five years and beyond? Yeah. 

Jodie Appel: Yeah, I feel like we're moving through some of the Helene stuff and some people are coming back to Asheville, which feels super lovely to see. I feel like this last couple weeks has been a little bit nicer watching people come in and [00:32:00] outta town.

Um, we do have a couple of collaborations with some other local businesses that we like to collaborate with. Like we're doing some breath work classes, we've. Um, in the works, a little yoga, sunset yoga and, um, salt cape time that we're working on probably towards the holiday season. We usually do like a little event where we sort of give a sampling of all of our services so people can try us out in a way.

Um, probably something for the, uh, anniversary of Helene. We did a lot of like community type sessions where it was just opened up for people to come in and take a pause and a. So probably bringing something like that back, sort of around, um, the, um, maybe the anniversary timeframe, which will be coming up here shortly.

So we haven't fully nailed those all down on what that will look like. But, you know, trying to. Be supportive to the community in that way. Um, and yeah, just kind of like really like bringing [00:33:00] the business back up to where it was. We love getting our locals back in now that we've been out of downtown and the parking and all that stuff.

So, you know, just kind of trying to kind of keep, keep that flow going and people knowing that, you know, if they wanna have a little bit of a nicer end experience with some unique services to like, give us a try and see if there's something that, you know, intrigues you to slow down a little bit.

Speaker 8: Absolutely. Well, I, I, I love it at the Salt Cave. I've had my best massage ever there. I've taken my, my best nap ever. 

Jodie Appel: Yay. Nice. So 

Speaker 8: yeah. I'm a big fan. I love that. Alright, well, uh, let's do some rapid fire questions here for you. Just are, these are a short answer just for fun here. So what is your personal favorite self-care ritual?

Hmm. 

Jodie Appel: That varies day to day. Mm-hmm. Uh, yesterday we floated in a lake, so that was awesome. Um, usually it's around water. I love being in the ocean or being near it. Sometimes it's about taking a walk, you know, like kinda like I said [00:34:00] before, I'm, I'm one that maybe changes things, but like cooking is important to me.

And that's even a self-care ritual. Right. Or taking a walk in the neighborhood. So like, I'm not one that's very like rigid of like, every week I do this. I'm very much a, like, what does my body or my mind need right now? And that could be fluctuating from Yeah. Journaling and art to taking a walk. So, um, I don't have a, per se perfect one.

They, they rotate. Sometimes it's going in the salt ca or the humum. Like, 

Speaker 8: I actually like that better. I like that better because it, it allows you the flexibility to just be as you are and to do it. Like use your intuition to what, feel, feel into what you need, um, next. So I love that. Yeah. 

Jodie Appel: Like what is my body need for that?

Speaker 8: Yeah. Uh, all right. Uh, a book person or philosophy that's influenced your approach to healing. Like, 

Jodie Appel: wow, I didn't think about that one. That's a good one. Um, a book person or philosophy? Hmm. [00:35:00] Right in the moment. I'm gonna say the one that comes to my mind is a philosophy of, I don't know where it comes from, but like Ben lit, like bamboo.

I feel like that is life right now in so many ways of like, you know, showing up in the world as a business owner, as a partner, as a person on a podcast. Like you gotta, you just kind of gotta keep bending and be flexible in life, um, and be gentle with yourself. So that, 

Speaker 8: that's as good as answers as I can possibly create.

Like, oh, good. That's, that's, uh, yeah, that's perfect. Um, a all right, well, what's your favorite local Asheville spot that you like to recharge and, uh, outside of your own? Outside of 

Jodie Appel: your Outside of my own. There's so many. Let's think. Well, I always love taking a yoga class. Right now I'm in a silks class. Um.

What's my favorite, you know, probably, I'm gonna give Dobra a shout out. You know, it's just a really simple way to take care of yourself. [00:36:00] Yeah. And who doesn't just wanna just go and sit in their beautiful spaces that Andrew's created? Like, 

Speaker 8: yeah, I love Dobra too. Sit the, have 

Jodie Appel: tea and, you know, maybe meet with a friend.

So give, give them a little shout out. I, I do appreciate that simplicity of that. 

Speaker 8: Absolutely. We'll put, we'll put Dobra in the, in the show notes. And if you haven't checked out Dobra, if you're a listener, if you're out of town or come on into Dobra. It's a beautiful, amazing, yeah. Tea shop. And I lo, I actually love going to all of their different, they've got multiple locations you can go to.

Mm-hmm. So, um, well great. So I guess, is there anything we haven't covered, anything else you wanna, uh, talk about today that the listeners should know? Final thoughts? Uh. 

Jodie Appel: Let's see. I'm kind of looking through your little questions to see if there was anything that I kind of missed. Um, no, I feel pretty good.

I feel just excited to be able to share a little bit about who we are and what we do. Yeah. And you know, we've got a little small corner of the world over here, but, you know, hopefully we're making an impact [00:37:00] in some people's lives, even if it's subtle or if it's massive. 

Speaker 8: Yeah, I agree. Well, I think you're doing really great at the salt ca with all the things that you're doing and, and offering the people, uh, not only the tourists that come in and want to have an, an experience, but even just for the locals to have a, a place that they can regularly go to.

Because for me, be, well Asheville wants to be a, um, a hub for and pushing more of our local community to become mm-hmm. Regular, um. Guests at places like the ash. Yeah, the salt cave. 'cause I think it's important to do, uh, to take care of ourselves, not just on vacation, but as part of our daily lives.

Jodie Appel: Totally, totally. And yeah, it's hard to do when like, you know, a fancy smile like the omni it's hard to get there, right. Like to get into the room. So like, having affordable services is. You know, we want services to be affordable so people, all people can kind of come in and utilize. So I think it's, yeah, it's not just about a vacation [00:38:00] moment, right?

Like, that's nice and great, but like how do you keep it going? 

Speaker 8: Right. And if you find a way to get me into the Omni, please do. 'cause I'm, I'm, that's, uh, that's like a bucket list. That's fine. Point. Yeah. That's a massive 

Jodie Appel: one for sure. 

Speaker 8: Uh, well Jody, thank you for your time. Yeah, thank you. It's been awesome spending time with you today.

Jodie Appel: Same for me. So thank you for making this all happen and I'm excited to see where it all can lead from there and get to some networking too. 

Speaker 8: Wonderful, wonderful. Well have a, have a great one. 

Jodie Appel: Thank you so much. Take care.

Thank you for listening to this episode of The Wellness in Asheville podcast. To learn more about the Asheville Salt Cave or to book your own journey into stillness, visit asheville salt cave.com. And if you enjoyed this episode, like always, please leave us a review and share it with a friend who could use some deep rest and restoration.

 to learn more about Be Well Asheville, visit be well avl.com.

And don't forget to follow this podcast. You can catch the next episode while on your way up to visit Mount Mitchell [00:39:00] or cruising down I 26 or on your way to catch a nice sunset view over at the Black Balsam Knob. if you loved what you heard, please rate and review this show. Your review helps others discover and grow our wellness community.

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