Feeling Salty

Breathe in healthier lungs with Dallas spa's detoxifying new treatment

Salt Room at Woodhouse Day Spa Mockingbird

Breathe in, breathe out.

Photo by Kathy Tran

On a quest to get in shape this year? Help your body out by making sure it's at its healthiest before you begin. This especially includes your lungs and respiratory system, and one way to improve their functioning is with halotherapy.

Although it sounds ethereal, the treatment is very much rooted in the earth. Halotherapy is where you inhale fine salt particles to improve lung function, drawing water into the airway and thinning mucus so that it's much easier to breathe.

The best part? This lung detox can be done while getting a massage at the new Woodhouse Day Spa in Mockingbird Station. The spa itself opened in November, and its Salt Room debuted on January 1, 2021.

One entire glowing wall of the treatment room is made of stacked Himalayan salt blocks, with an adjustable ventilation system that circulates a customized amount of salt micro-particals through the air. The LED light warmer uses very little electricity and no chemicals, while emitting negative ions to reduce oxidative stress in the treatment room.

This unique atmosphere is paired with a Swedish or deep tissue massage, plus several small breaks where you're instructed to simply focus on your breathing.

Instead of traditional volcanic stones, the massage therapist uses hand-carved, heated discs of pink Himalayan salt to ground and balance the body's electromagnetic field. One side is even exfoliating, to better help slough off dead skin and make it easier to absorb the healing salt.

At the end of your treatment, look down: the floor will be covered in a thin film of salt, showing just how much had been dispersed while you were blissfully relaxing.

Himalayan salt is said to have 84 naturally occurring minerals and elements that can benefit the body by stimulating circulation, detoxifying, improving sleep, reducing inflammation, calming the nervous system, and reducing the signs of aging.

The Mockingbird spa is the first of Woodhouse's 70 locations — including ones in Fort Worth, Plano, and Highland Village — to offer this new Salt Room.

Woodhouse Day Spa is following strict COVID-19 protocols, including personal hand sanitizer and touchless faucets, sanitation stations throughout the building, seating configurations set up for social distancing, antimicrobial coating on surfaces, and frequent sanitization.

You can book online or by calling 972-777-6068. Woodhouse Day Spa is located at 5331 E. Mockingbird Ln., Suite 172, across from West Elm.

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chronological wonders

Shop dedicated to vintage watches opens first location in Fort Worth

thewatchpreserve.com

Longines E Francillon 18K gold key wind Hunter pocket watch.

What was initially an eBay store for antique watches has transformed into a visionary shop set to open its doors in Fort Worth's Near Southside neighborhood on September 2.

The Watch Preserve will open at 1253 W. Magnolia Ave., taking over a storefront next to Grand Cru Wine Bar, where it will specialize in buying, selling, and repairing authentic vintage timepieces.

The company was founded by Nikolaus Libby, who has more than two decades of experience selling vintage items on Ebay. His journey collecting watches began at 15 years old, and Libby has been operating one of the largest online vintage watch shops on the site since 2006.

Libby's passion for his e-commerce business to inspired him to open the brick-and-mortar store in Fort Worth. They took over a space that Grand Cru previously used as offices.

"It's an ideal neighborhood, one of the few where people come to stroll and shop," Libby says.

Vintage watches are generally defined as "more than 25 years old." Not every vintage watch is rare and not every old watch is worth anything. But classic names like Rolex, Cartier, and Patek Philippe, often made of precious metals like gold and sterling silver, hold their value through the decades.

Libby says that between the internet and celebrities who've sought vintage watches out, there's been a massive surge of interest in and sales of vintage watches. Buying pieces can not only be a solid investment, but a vintage watch often comes with the dings and flaws that add personality.

His shop's mission is not just to be a haven for collectors and enthusiasts, but to develop a relationship within the local community, including pursuing collaborations with local artists to exhibit their creations in-house.

Watch collectors and appreciators can find their next treasured timepiece at The Watch Preserve at a fun opening party on September 2 from 12-8 pm, when they'll serve complimentary bites and drinks.

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