Indianapolis Salt Cave in Lawrence was founded in 2018. The man-made salt cave mimics salt mines in Poland and uses pink salt for halotherapy services to help with cardiovascular and respiratory conditions.
Owner Stefanie Patterson answered questions from Current about the company.
What is the backstory of Indianapolis Salt Cave?
We are recreating the environment of a salt mine. We have about 9 tons lining the walls and the floor. It’s basically a room completely made of salt, direct from the salt mines in Poland. We are really trying to mimic that atmosphere. We not only have that salt lining the walls and the floor, but we also have a machine that’s called a halo generator. What it’s doing is using pharmaceutical-grade salt in the machine and it’s grinding up super fine, finer than a dust particle. It then aerosols it into the air during your session. Not only are you getting the salt surrounding you in the walls and the floor, but you’re also breathing those particles deep in your lungs.
What is the goal?
We are spreading holistic healing in a responsible, kind and compassionate manner. We want to make sure that people are introduced to a therapy that can really complement their health journey, but also just help relax them, help (with) stress relief.
What was the building process like?
We had a guy come from Poland who grew up going to the actual salt mines. He brought his brother and his son and helped us get the salt imported and then helped build the cave. It was a pretty extensive process. The salt boulders literally come as boulders, so it’s like a puzzle piece trying to fit them all together and make it feel like a cave – as authentic as possible.
What are the treatments like?
It really depends on what you have going on with your body already, or what your goal is coming here. I would definitely recommend the salt cave, that is the one more for your respiratory health. We also have infrared saunas – that would be mainly for people with body inflammation. We also have our hand-and-foot detox. It’s a room where you put your hands and feet on heated salt blocks, so it’s going to gently pull out toxins and heavy metals through sweat. Our newest treatment is called our fire and ice treatment. We have it out in a yurt. It’s basically an infrared sauna with red-light therapy and cold plunges. That would be good for recovery if you’re an athlete.
What has the public feedback been like?
People love it. We have quite a few people who come back on a regular basis. We have really good testimonials of people who have used this as a compliment on their health journey. We’ve had really good feedback. It’s been fun to see those transformations.
What is to be expected on a first visit?
For most sessions, we would tell you to dress comfortably. There’s really not a whole lot of prep work you need to do. We tell you all about the treatment that you’re doing and then we make sure you’re comfortable. All of the indoor sessions are 45 minutes. The yurt treatment is an hour.
For more, visit indysaltcave.com.
