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Damien, People magazine has featured you as being “Hollywoodʼs version of magic fingers.” Just what is the philosophy behind the “magic”? Iʼve always said touch is everything. Itʼs very important to release whatever connection in the body through touch some way some how. Itʼs very important. If you get one massage every month, which is considered average, One massage a month keeps you less stressed and circulating blood flow and energy in the body so that your body stays healthier and so it can heal itself naturally keeping you from getting sick and having to see a doctor. It helps flush the toxins out of your body. Thatʼs average? How does the average working person manage a once a month massage? Itʼs a matter of understanding that massage is not a luxury thing to do. If you want to save up for and travel to a resort and pay $150 for a massage go ahead, you will probably find a decent therapist to work on you, but if you have pain in the body or you want to stay less stressed you should be getting work done more frequently. Thatʼs why I donʼt charge as much. Itʼs not about the money, itʼs about what weʼre doing for your body and it should be more affordable for you to get more regularly. So once someone books an appointment how do you decide what work they should get done? Iʼm not what we call a fluff and buff massage therapist. Itʼs a joke amongst massage therapists of how we interpret those who give very nice, enjoyable, relaxing, spa-like massages but they donʼt do much deeper healing work. Iʼm a healer. The work that I do here varies depending on the person and what we are trying to accomplish for their body. I practice 20 types of massage. I offer all types of massage offered at other facilities but most people come here because they want to feel better. About 95 percent do. Have you ever had someone come to you saying that the work you did for them didnʼt work out? Yup… I have, and thatʼs when I say ʻI told you you
needed to comeback in a couple of days for another session,ʼ and theyʼre like ʻohʼ. I see. You say healing is what your practice is about but what drew you to massage to begin with? I guess my grandfather since he was a world recognized massage therapist. He practiced massage for 55 years and also went to school to be a chiropractor. He was one of the first people to incorporate acupressure with chiropractic adjustment. Originally I thought maybe Iʼd be a chiropractor. By the time I was 12 I could do a full body massage ʻcause my grandfather taught me a lot of stuff. Originally I wasnʼt planning on really continuing with it, it was just something I knew but one day I realized it was a part of me and something I wanted to keep doing so right after high school I went to massage school right after. You mentioned ealier that massage has taken you many places, any where youʼd be if you werenʼt practicing here? I have no idea. I have lived in a lot of different places and Iʼve panned on going back to some of them. I guess Iʼve realized over all my travels that I have a wanderlust, so it doesnʼt really matter where I live so long as it satisfies my need to travel occasionally. And what about Kinara Spa? Did you meet any interesting celebrities? Oh, Iʼve worked on so many. -- Well there are big celebrity names that go in to the facility like Halle Berry and Helen Miren, the [People] article says that right off the bat so most people know Kinara as a high end place. While in California I met Megan Mullally and others. In Jackson Hole, WY. I met Uma Thurman. Have any of them sought you out after? I was offered a job by Uma Thurman. They ended up not doing that area so I guess Iʼve been waiting for her to call back. If she knew I was here she would probably come here, she likes his area.