One of our offerings at the Cave is Effiji Breathwork. Effiji means to lovingly remove the mask. My role as a practitioner is to lovingly be in relationship with the breather while that mask comes off. It’s sometimes uncomfortable living as our true selves when we’ve been so used to reacting from patterns developed to protect us and hiding behind those masks for so long. In the 2019 Festival of Faiths Sacred Cosmos: Faith and Science, many of the topics revolved around relationship: relationship with the earth, relationship to spirituality, and relationship to one another. As Mother’s Day recently concluded, I recognize the gift of my most intimate relationships on earth, and am so grateful I’m able to be in them with greater presence than ever.  ​

These people, those closest to me, were my "why" behind diving into Effiji Breathwork. My teachers would say that relationships offer the place to practice deep self-discovery. I’ve done my best as a daughter, wife, mother, friend and neighbor but in an effort to be successful in the way I was raised to believe success was measured, I’ve worn a lot of masks. The only way for me to truly show up is to take off my mask so I interact as my vulnerable self and am fully available to those I’m in relationship with. 

During the Festival, Dr. Vivek Murthy gave the example of how relationships have taken a back seat to work. Accomplishment and reputation are emphasized over people - one may receive praise for moving across the country for a career advancement, but likely wouldn’t receive the same praise for moving across the country to be in relationship. 

What the? Who have we become?

Mary Evelyn Tucker stated that we are moving from a Declaration of Independence toward a Declaration of Interdependence incorporating Ecology, Justice and Peace. Good news, right?!? She referred to the concentric circle model of Confucius in her presentation. 

 “Only when personal lives are cultivated are families regulated; only when families are regulated are states governed; only when states are governed is there peace all under Heaven. Therefore from the Son of Heaven to the common people, all, without exception, must take self-cultivation as the root”

Dr. Murphy closed the hour, focusing on the structures that affect loneliness. He said, “There is nothing I have ever prescribed that is as powerful as love." WOW.  Read that again.  What a powerful statement.

I try to wake up and pray to follow God’s lead every morning - I believe my role on this earth is to lead in Love. Being available and vulnerable is an ongoing effort, and most notable in those relationships closest to me, but the potential for what life has in store if I do this is beyond my dreams. As Andrea Lane sang in church recently, “Take off your mask, I can see you anyway”.

Our April Health + Wellness Series: Body, Mind, Spirit, had record breaking attendance and some fantastic speakers from right here in Louisville. I've summarized some of what they shared and included their contact information so you can reach out if you're interested in furthering your journey. Thank you to all that came out to attend - be sure you're receiving our emails for updates on the next one!

Kim Evans, APRN and author of Transforming Health Care shared information about the APOE Gene, a genetic testing that she offers to help identify nutritional programs based on individual DNA make-up. 

As she stated, there’s been an increase in Parkinsons for those that have the 2:2 and 2:3 APOE combination because the brain is 60% fat, making this nutrient so much more important in these genetic types. The APOE combination of a 4:4 (only in 5% of the population) has shown a 90% chance of getting Alzheimers. Your genes are dictating what you should eat.

One of our favorite features of Kim's practice is that all genetic testing is anonymous! Some national life insurance companies have discriminated against people with genetic precursors for disease, so we love they go this extra step to ensure privacy.  

Kim also shared the importance of exercise, sleep and spirituality.

Jaime Seelmeyer, LPCC, M.Ed., CYT of Omology shared many descriptions on how depression can show up in the body, but my biggest takeaway was when she said, 'You are your greatest advocate' and to listen to your intuition when speaking with your doctor. 

From a physiological perspective, depression is oftentimes accompanied by chronic pain, digestive issues or a prolonged period of anxiety. She offered many nutritional suggestions such as vitamins D, B6, B12, and C, DHEA and amino acids, and suggested ruling out other issues with hormones, candida, inflammation, heavy metal toxicity and blue light exposure. 

One Eastern medicine approach, incredibly important and oftentimes overlooked in Western medicine, is an evaluation of prana, chi, or qi, otherwise known as life force energy. There are many practices to help with this including: speaking your truth or asking for help, laughing and crying, singing, chanting, speaking affirmations, breathwork, yoga, Ayurveda, Earthing or being in nature, and spiritual development. 

Patty Matsumoto with Energetically in Harmony spoke to the vibrational frequencies of emotion and physical matter, and how one can affect their own vibration with the use of crystal energy. 

“The government recognized the ability of quartz to hold information in 1958, which is why it is used as a carrier in our electronics today. Marcel Vogel went from an IBM researcher to crystal quartz enthusiast, where the Vogel cut was created for it's ability to direct and transfer energy." 

Patty also led participants in an energetic clearing and guided meditation around the Four Agreements, based on ancient Toltec wisdom. What are the agreements?
Be impeccable with your word.
Don't take anything personally.
Don’t make assumptions.
Always do your best. 

Below are some of the references our speakers suggested - please reach out with any questions you may have about the information they shared this month!​

The Perfect Gene Diet - Pamela McDonald
Emotional Intelligence for Performance Blog - Josh Freedman
The Body Keeps Score - Dr. Bessel Van Der Kolk
You Can Heal Your Life -  Louise Hay
The Four Agreements - don Miguel Ruiz

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Louisville Salt Cave announced that it is launching a free three-part Wellness Series: Body, Mind, Spirit, that will introduce different experts around each subject matter to provide tangible tools in healing the entire self. 

“Every expert that has spoken at our previous speaker series’ emphasized illness is not solely physiological. We have so much opportunity to prevent illness, or combat it more efficiently, through considering whole body healing,” said Nicole Bartlett, owner of the Louisville Salt Cave.

Kim Evans, who kicks off the series on April 11, is an APRN and CEO of the Institute for Integrative Medicine. She is the author of Transforming Healthcare - Healing You, Me and Our Broken Disease-Care System. Kim is committed to transforming healthcare by offering an unparalleled experience to help patients achieve optimal health and wellness of body, mind, soul and spirit. 

On April 18, Jaime Seelmeyer, M.Ed., LPCC, CYT, Reiki Practitioner and owner of Omology Wellness, will speak on the origins and holistic management of depression. She offers clients a body/mind/spirit approach to mental wellness, including mindfulness, yoga, reiki and intuitive development.

“Dis-ease, both mental and physical, very often have root causes which are treatable. Too often these root causes go unaddressed in our western, out-dated medical model of treating mental health,” said Seelmeyer.

The third workshop in the Body, Mind, Spirit series will be led on April 25 by Patty Matsumoto with Energetically in Harmony. She is a Native Hawaiian of the Kahuna lineage and was born intuitive which placed her on the path of healing connected to her roots. She uses numerous spiritual modalities to access universal healing energy and has a personal understanding of crystals, minerals and stones.

In addition to sharing valuable information, each speaker will also hold a question and answer session for anyone curious about personal experiences. Each of the workshops will be held in the retail area of the Louisville Salt Cave and are open to the public. To register, please visit https://www.louisvillesaltcave.com/visit.html, click on Schedule Now, scroll down, click on Speaker Series, click the date or dates you would like to attend and enter your information. Or call 502-996-7000 to register. Everyone is welcome to attend any or all of the sessions.

In our last Effiji Breath class at the Cave, Sarah Charmoli talked about the fine lines between pain and joy, between emotions that exist on opposite ends of the spectrum, but not really. ​

March 4th marked the 7 year anniversary of my father’s death. The weekend was full of growth opportunities; multiple days of Ohio Valley dark grey skies, the height of my menstrual cycle, and a flood of feelings since I hadn’t over-scheduled myself to avoid them. Despite all my work toward being present, John had many chances to catch the flying debris from this tornado. 

On my way to work Monday morning to lead another breath, I heard Only The Good Die Young by Billy Joel, which dad  thought was a product of the antichrist until he lost his best friend at an early age. My body filled with joy from his presence and laughter around the irony of a lifetime living, sure of our convictions, all to be flipped on its side toward the end. 

Grief for me is one of the craziest emotions we get to experience, and when it can turn to joy or pure love in the flip of a switch, I recognize how much we create our own life experiences. 

I was really proud of myself for noticing when I would start to spiral and self-correct instead this weekend. This might mark the first time doing that…ever. I would get in my head and feel down then remember to take 5-HTP, I practiced Xyngyi energy movement, and I was gifted the opportunity to socialize with friends and surround myself in Spirit. So many beautiful gifts showered me, including the reflection from a man who gently holds my heart while I express my needs. 

Dad is with me always, and I’m grateful that I get to experience him differently now than when he was physically here. He taught me how to grieve, how to believe, and from the moment I met him, how to love unconditionally. 

I think what I was grieving this weekend was his voice that came Monday morning with the sun. I spent a lot of time processing and slowing down to allow whatever was there to rise, and relished in that thin line. 


P.S. As I wrap up my certification of Effiji Breathwork, I’m offering classes at a $10 discount for March and April. You can book these through our website. I’m also available for private breaths for one-on-one interaction and feedback. I look forward to breathing with you.

There was so much that happened in November, and now I’m staring at a blank page wondering how to wrap it all up in one blog post. The old part of me just wants to dive in and capture the details, but the part of me that has been rebirthed this year is a lot slower to write, and sits in contemplation. 

I’ll start with transformation. I entered into Effiji Breathwork this year and finished my weekend intensive requirements this month. Over the past 9 months, I’ve learned what I feel like, how to operate as my best self and how to accept every part of me, even the parts I’m used to judging. As every teacher has said, this work is a journey, and a new lesson is offered at every milestone met. 

I’m spending my time and energy now in becoming a facilitator of this work and will shift a lot of my focus in 2019 toward offering breath classes. I hope you join me in accessing this incredible tool for your journey. 

My passion for being a business owner in Louisville is to make a positive impact on this community. The 2017 Festival of Faiths about compassion lit my fire, but it took a tragedy in my neighborhood last month to fuel it. The Louisville Salt Cave is a small business member of the Louisville Urban League and because of that, I learned just a picture of the amazing things they’re doing in our community. 

In the past year they’ve achieved:

• 350 job placements with an increase of $2 million in wages
  • The average placement earned $15/HR
  • 31 of these were senior job placements
  • 50 of these were in the construction industry
• Saved $325,000 in court fees through the Reily Reentry Program that served 1,925 cases
• Registered 471 voters, 112 of which were in High School
• Completed home ownership for 105 families
  • While helping them secure $2,000 in savings and a 640 credit score in the process
  • Prevented 63 foreclosures

If you think that’s as awesome as I did, I’d encourage you to become a member and get more involved. 

​This month also included our 3rd Speaker Series: Greeting Your Sacred Center. Two of my favorite teachers and I shared information on how to connect and center before the holidays. 

Maria Whitley with Shine provided techniques for grounding through the 5 senses, 5 sensations and 7 chakras. When considering self-awareness, she offered nurture, desire, balance, commitment and boundary as places to check in. 

Jacque Saltsman shared a lot around perspective, and we discussed how we have multiple choices in all decisions. Her four gates of information include the mind (thinking), emotions (feeling), body (sensing) and gut (intuiting).

I shared my story, and led a grounding meditation before we took inventory of our lives. This proved to be quite the writing project, but as you can see, it’s my favorite form of creativity.

Each one of these subjects deserve their own blog post, and I encourage you to contact me if you have any feedback or want to see more around particular topics. 

I ask for your support by showing up at the Cave, doing the work on yourself, and standing up when you feel the slightest resistance that you’re used to squashing for ease of the moment. 

I love you. Thank you for giving me a place to play out my soul’s purpose. 

WHAT: Wellness Series: Greeting Your Sacred Center
WHERE: Louisville Salt Cave retail area
COST: Free
WHEN: Nov. 1, Nov. 8, Nov. 15 at 6 p.m.
WHY: To provide tools for personal centering and grounding in preparation of a busy season


LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Louisville Salt Cave announced that it is launching a free three-part Wellness Series: Greeting Your Sacred Center, beginning November 1, that will unite mind, body, spirit experts with community members to discuss awareness techniques for staying true to self during a stressful time. 

“Health prevention requires consideration of the whole body. Maria and Jacque bring a beautiful combination of movement and stillness for understanding who you are and how to love yourself. I’m so honored to stand beside them on a topic of my heart.” said Nicole Bartlett, owner of the Louisville Salt Cave.

Maria Whitley, who kicks off the series on Nov. 1, has been teaching music and movement to children and adults for over 18 years. Maria opened Shine 10 years ago to create a place where people of all ages could come to connect with themselves through music and movement. She recently received her 1st Degree Black Belt in the Nia Technique and is honored to share some simple grounding techniques at the Louisville Salt Cave. 

On Nov. 8, Jacque Saltsman, certified professional coach and speaker, will share how living in self-love and self-knowledge creates a more authentic, peaceful and powerful life. Her passion is working with soulful women who want to change the world and live with more intention and love.

“It's hard to stand in our power and let our light shine if we don't know who we are. It's hard to know who we truly are without taking the time to slow down and discover.” said Saltsman. 

The third workshop in the Sacred Center series will be led on Nov. 15 by Louisville Salt Cave owner Nicole Bartlett. Nicole’s transition from executive to entrepreneur was led by 10 years in prevention education, and the quest for peace in raising her 3 young children. Her topic, Moving Parts: a soul centered lifestyle, will cover techniques to aid in decision making.  

In addition to sharing valuable information, each speaker will also hold a question and answer session for anyone curious about personal experiences. Each of the workshops will be held in the retail area of the Louisville Salt Cave and are open to the public. To register, please visit https://www.louisvillesaltcave.com/visit.html, click on Schedule Now, scroll down, click on Speaker Series, click the date or dates you would like to attend and enter your information. Or call 502-996-7000 to register. Everyone is welcome to attend any or all of the sessions.

Lately, it feels like all I can do is breathe. 

I was headed to a networking event in New Albany last week, exhausted from previous weeks of multiple breath sessions, social overload, school starting and transitions at the Cave, when I pulled off 64 and drove straight to a park instead. 

I sat on that park bench, inhaling the people that passed by. I was too stimulated to connect with my eyes, I needed a quiet and meditative environment, and each person that passed me blessed me with a part of themselves that I never would have picked up on had I not been so desperate for stillness. Their scent was my stimulus, strange and new and intimate. 

Change is hard. And so is waking up. 

Recently a friend who’s a nutritionist by trade and I were discussing how one of the toughest parts of our jobs is working with people that aren’t ready to do the work. Fear prevents us from living our fullest lives. But in truth, what is there to be fearful of?  

I’ve struggled lately, and my work is accepting the complete undoing for rebirth to occur. I’m on the cusp of something amazing. This knowing led me to this place, and my struggle comes when my head wants to compete with my heart. I pray daily for clarity, for doubtless confirmation that I’m making the right decisions. I know I’m on the right path and that when I slow down enough to squeeze God into the equation, she shows me the way.

This Labor Day, I’m grateful for a break in the busyness of life. I’m excited to get away with my family, to the water and woods of Kentucky, and to breathe again. To breathe in beauty. ​

I’d like to welcome you to the Cave for a regular session this September. While transition has occurred, the rebirth of her space is palpable, and she feels really good.