Today we’d like to introduce you to Katya Mattingly.
Hi Katya, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I grew up in the Soviet Union — life was simple, structured, and in many ways, heavy. The land carried a quiet weight, and even as a child, I could feel it. People worked hard, lived in routine, and rarely spoke of dreams.
I got married young and became a mother at eighteen. When my son turned three, my world changed completely — I lost my husband to addiction. With his passing, I also lost our home and everything material I thought gave me stability. The pain was so great that my mind did what it knew best — it blocked the memory, protecting me from feeling the full depth of my grief. I didn’t know how to process it then; I just kept moving forward.
But somewhere inside, something deeper was awakening — an understanding that nothing in life is guaranteed, and that the only real foundation I could build was the one within myself.
In 2003, at twenty-five years old, I left my country with my little boy and $300 in my pocket. I barely spoke the language and had no idea what waited ahead. I just knew I had to start over — to trust that life had something more for me.
Life in the U.S. wasn’t as easy as I imagined. I faced challenge after challenge — moments that felt impossible at the time. But now I see why it all happened the way it did. Every experience was preparing me — teaching me how to hold space for others, how to meet pain with compassion, and how to walk people through their own healing with presence and understanding.
The years that followed were full of survival. I was working very hard in the pharmaceutical world, raising my son, and trying to build a new life from the ground up. But deep inside, I knew there was something more — a spark I hadn’t found yet. I kept asking myself what I wanted to do “when I grow up,” and then one day, I discovered massage.
From the first moment, I knew — this is it.
I wanted to make people feel good, to help them reconnect with something peaceful inside themselves.
But as I was helping others, I began to notice that my own body was speaking to me. My digestive system was suffering and slowly getting worse. Searching for answers led me to a psychosomatic therapist, who helped me uncover the truth — my health was declining because of unprocessed emotions and the grief I had buried for years.
That experience changed everything. I realized that behind every knot, every tension, there is a story — a wound, a memory, a longing to be seen. And that true healing begins not when we fix the body, but when we listen to it.
That was the beginning of my path into bodywork and holistic healing. Massage became much more than a physical practice — it became a language, a way to communicate with the body, to help people come home to themselves… just as I had to learn to come home to mine.
As I kept studying the body and learning to listen deeper, I realized that what people were seeking wasn’t just relief — it was connection. We live in a world that moves too fast, one that teaches us to fix instead of to feel. I wanted to create a space where slowing down felt natural again, where people could come back to their bodies and remember their own wisdom.
That vision became Kalm Sanctuary.
It’s more than a spa — it’s a space where the body, mind, and spirit meet in conversation. Every detail — from the scent in the air to the music, the lighting, the colors, the product we use, the tea we serve — is part of the healing.
Our approach blends massage, energy work, and psychosomatic understanding. It’s not about chasing pain away; it’s about listening to what the body is trying to say. When clients come in, they don’t just receive a service — they enter a space of presence, of calm, of being seen.
For me, Kalm is the embodiment of everything I’ve learned through my own journey — that real healing happens when we stop running from ourselves, when we soften, when we allow. Each person who walks through our doors is a reflection of that truth.
Looking back, I understand that every challenge was preparation for what we do today. The pain, the rebuilding, the uncertainty—all of it taught me how to hold space for others with empathy and presence.
At Kalm Sanctuary, our whole team shares that intention. Each therapist brings their own story, wisdom, and energy, but we’re united by one purpose: to create a space where people can slow down, feel safe, and reconnect to themselves.
We believe healing begins with awareness. It’s not about fixing; it’s about remembering that peace already lives within us. Every session, every detail, is designed to help our guests return to that place of calm and wholeness—together.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
One of the biggest challenges has been about getting the message across about who we really are. It’s not easy to express in words that we’re more than just a spa — that our work is about presence, emotional connection, and the deeper layers of healing.
Another ongoing challenge has been finding like-minded therapists who share that same depth of care — individuals who see massage not just as a service, but as a way to hold space for others, to help them come “home”.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Kalm Sanctuary?
Kalm Sanctuary was created from the belief that true healing begins when we slow down and listen — to our body, our emotions, and our inner rhythm.
Our work blends ancient wisdom with modern awareness — drawing from Hawaiian, Thai, and Eastern healing traditions while integrating somatic and psychosomatic practices. We offer intuitive bodywork, couples sessions, and therapies such as deep tissue, Thai, Lomi Lomi, Reiki, cupping, hot stones, pregnancy care, and 4-hands experiences.
What truly sets us apart is the space we hold. Our clients often say they feel seen, supported, and safe to just be themselves. Healing happens naturally when people feel that level of care and authenticity.
At Kalm, we live what we teach. Every therapist continues their own personal growth and somatic awareness practices, so we’re not just offering techniques — we’re sharing a way of being that we embody ourselves.
What are your plans for the future?
Our vision is to bring this work to more communities — expanding into multiple locations while preserving the same sense of presence, intimacy, and care that our clients know and love.
We’re also developing retreat experiences that blend bodywork, somatic awareness, and mindful living — spaces where people can step away from daily noise and reconnect to themselves in nature.
Another part of our vision is to create women’s gatherings and healing circles — spaces for connection, reflection, and growth. Our intention is to help women rediscover their inner stability and rebuild their foundation from within — emotionally, physically, and energetically.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kalmsanctuary.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kalmsanctuary/?hl=en
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katya-mattingly-kalm-sanctuary
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/kalm-sanctuary-salt-lake-city
- Other: https://www.chamberofcommerce.com/business-directory/utah/salt-lake-city/massage-spa/2013959008-kalm-sanctuary
