Welcome to my new blog at Both Worlds Massage.
I hope to use this blog space to offer tips and advice for staying healthy and feeling well. I will also include information about new discoveries and advances in the wellness field, and and information about myself, my business, or any special offerings or classes that may be available. As this is my first post, I would like to use this space to introduce myself and my work.
My name is Kevin Henn and I am a Licensed Massage Therapist. I focus primarily on achieving a feeling of wellness for my clients, and maintaining it long-term. I believe each person can and should take the lead role when it comes to staying healthy. No one can advocate for yourself better than you can and, despite the best descriptions and examinations, no one can directly feel what it is you are feeling.
The earliest influence pushing me the direction of my current work was my grandfather, Fred. Before I was born, Grandpa had been involved in what he called an “alternative studies” group. A club of like-minded individuals who made a hobby of investigating ideas and concepts regarding health and spirituality that were not mainstream. The use of vitamins and supplements, Yoga, hypnotism, illness and its prevention, fasting, and meditation make only an incomplete list of the topics covered. I remember many days as a child spent at his dining room table while he explained in great detail the concepts of various schools of thought, including his own opinions of what did or did not make sense. He also more-than-once presented a concept, brain-teaser, paradox, or whatnot that would forever change how I viewed certain phenomena. While some of Grandpa’s opinions I still agree with completely and some I may no longer find quite valid, my early conversations with him will forever be the foundation from which I began my own explorations.
Next came something to help funnel my life into a direction that would let me combine my interests with my career. I practiced martial arts since about the age of eight and received, as perhaps many children of my generation did, my black belt in Tae kwon do at the age of 12. Looking to expand my training, as an early teen I came across a certain style of Jujutsu. Developed in the early twentieth century, this style is a Japanese and Hawaiian hybrid martial art, that also includes several other influences. The interesting thing was the focus on helping, caring, and healing. Included were many traditional healing techniques, from battlefield first aid and resuscitation to helping headaches or mild strains. Drawing again from traditional Japanese, Hawaiian, and other traditional and modern techniques, it even included an entire system of massage! The practice of all these techniques, including the violent ones if they should ever be necessary, was was always undertaken with a certain desire to constantly improve yourself and also the world around you. The spirit of the tradition was summed-up with a Hawaiian word, kokua, which means to help one another like family. Although I may not find much time these days to get thrown onto the mat or choked, in the spirit of kokua I continue to practice the healing arts almost daily.
Continuing my journey, I have been certified to practice cupping therapy by the International Cupping Therapy Association (ICTA). One more tool at my disposal, the use of therapeutic cupping allows me another option for dealing with difficult recoveries, sensitivity to deep pressure from some massage techniques, and to help assist with circulation issues. I also have been given training or certification in various other modalities, including passive and active assisted stretching, Ayurvedic Marma Therapy, Reiki, myofascial release, and various classes for specific body parts or conditions. Also reading and researching on my own, I always strive to further improve my ability to help others.
But enough about me… In the future, I will be using this space to bring information about advances in medicine and our understanding of health, hints and tips for feeling well, and maybe some updates about anything exciting going on with my practice or office. Be well!