I'm Anthony Nayeli, Licensed Massage Therapist

In too many of my employment experiences I have received “coaching” from my superiors telling me that I had misplaced my priorities–that in the spa we don’t try to help people we just want to make them feel good.

I don’t agree, so I decided that mine would be the kind of place where helping people is the priority, and now you’ve found it!

I stay informed on current trends in the field and further develop my approach with continuing education and personal research because I want the work to be truly helpful, I want this to be Helpful Massage and Bodywork.

But who says therapy can’t be beautiful? I weave tried-and-true, proven techniques with a modern, evidence-informed understanding. What you get is an intuitive and engaging flow.

Anthony Nayeli

MAT #12763 MAE #3297

I first became Interested In massage while living on an island in Ohio. Looking out over the water I realized that, becoming a manual therapist, or a "layer on of hands" would be a great expression of my life's story.

Growing up the only adopted child in a family of six had given me a unique perspective into family dynamics in society, and

being the only child of my ethnicity in our entire school district was an intensive training in some of the complexities of human relations.

Out of necessity I developed skills such as perceptiveness, sensitivity and empathy, which would later become the foundation of my work in manual therapy and pain relief.

I remembered a promise I made to myself, a “debt of gratitude” I felt I had to repay for my rare and lucky beginnings

During a period of profound introspection, I had consciously dedicated my life to “life,” something in service of life, or that promoted life, or supported it. I had been searching for a life path that would embody this expressions

As I sat by the water I realized that massage therapy might be such a path. I loved how massage seemed such a pure expression of the universal human connection, and though I couldn’t predict where life

I had already been working in restaurants for 15 years, doing everything in the front of the house, working my way up from lowly busboy to manager. I had walked away from college when I couldn’t figure out what I was supposed to do with my life, I didn’t want to keep accruing so much debt if I wasn’t building a career I could be passionate about… So I worked restaurants making cash and having fun, and thought I would continue like that until I “found my thing.”

Yet because I am adopted, I felt as though I’d been given a rare chance in this life I should do more with my opportunity than tend bar and sell intoxicants for money. (I mean no insult against career bartenders, I just felt that because of my rare and lucky beginnings I felt obligated to repay debt of gratitude by doing something in service of life, or that promoted life, rather than profiting from measured doses of its undoing.

So I decided to move across the country and go to massage school.

After training at the Desert Institute of Healing Arts in Tucson, Arizona, I began my career as a “healing artist” at the world famous Canyon Ranch Health and Fitness Resort in the foothills just outside of Tucson.

Canyon Ranch has hosted innovative and advanced wellness programming for decades, and the providers in every department there were both skilled and experienced. I was lucky to win my place, and coming in green was intimidating, and intense, and gratifying–really the perfect environment in which to develop.

When that company opened their first spa aboard a cruise ship, I boarded the Queen Mary 2 during her maiden year. As an ambassador for the home property, I served as Lead Therapist and Guest Service Representative for the Canyon Ranch SpaClub for about 2 years.

I think I sailed to about 20 different countries in Europe, Scandinavia, Canada, and the Caribbean (someday when life slows down I will make an official count). Now I can truly say that “massage has taken me around the world.”

While aboard that ship I met my future patron, who invited me to be a part of the team to open their brand new spa in Bora Bora.

“Sounds great!” we said, “Where’s Bora Bora?”

I arrived in Honolulu in 2012, I know that Hawaii is where I’m supposed to be. Here I’ve worked at a bunch of places trying to find my ideal situation, just before this at the Nalu Spa at Turtle Bay, and Island Therapy in Kakaako. Turtle Bay was simply an amazing location, and during the time that I was with Maria at Island Therapy her place was named Best Massage in Honolulu by the Star Advertiser’s readers’ poll.

I chose Kailua because I wanted to get out of the “tourist grind” and be able to work within a community; I want to build relationships and track clients’ progress over time. This has been great so far, I love my regulars and to see the change that this work has made in peoples’ lives!

Right now I’m working on becoming a personal trainer and Corrective Exercise Specialist, I’m excited to incorporate the “other side of the coin” into the work and get moving!

I look forward to meeting you soon!

Let's have a discussion about if and how my work can help you to feel better, have more energy, move more and with less pain in 2018!

Love and aloha, anthony

More About Me

I like to make stuff and do things. I also write. And I have a family or three.

\I’ll get it all onto another page here soon…

(Coming Soon)

Evidence-Informed Practice and the B/P/S Approach

Employing a modern perspective for best outcomes

Learn More

Kailua's Most Comfortable Table

I’ve transformed a basic table into a massage theater by adding improvements and upgrades that most clients have never seen before.

One more thing… You're safe with me.

Because of the intimate, vulnerable nature of this work it can be intimidating to receive from a male practitioner. We hear about too many bodyworkers out there and in the news who violate clients’ trust, misrepresenting and degrading our industry.

I am not one of those.

Consider:

Researchers estimate that approximately 1 in 6 boys and 1 in 4 girls experience sexual abuse before the age of 18—often in trusted environments such as homes, schools and places of worship, according to the American Psychological Association’s report, “Child Sexual Abuse: What Parents Should Know,” published in February 2014; and the National Child Traumatic Stress Network’s “Child Sexual Abuse Fact Sheet,” published in 2009.

This means that although they may never tell us directly, some of our clients are survivors of abuse, and are likely to be highly sensitive to any physical boundary crossing (even an accidental one).

I want you to know that I am here to be a professional for you. You have given your body over to be cared for, to be respected and healed, not to be taken advantage of. My therapeutic role in our relationship is to provide care through platonic, non-sexual love and touch.

To achieve the best outcome for your treatment I want you to be confident about my intention or technique, so I invite and request your clear, respectful communication: If you would like to make adjustments to any aspect during the course of treatment, be it pressure, temperature, draping, or even the approach, just let me know!

Thanks and see you soon, anthony

Helpful Massage and Bodyworks is the massage business my life and experience compelled me to create. In too many of my employment experiences I have received “coaching” from my superiors telling me that I had misplaced my priorities–that in the spa we don’t try to help people we just want to make them feel good.

I don’t agree, so I decided that mine would be the kind of place where helping people is the priority, and now you’ve found it!

Every one is different. Every body is more than just a system of bones, nerves and muscles, it is also the written record of every experience it has ever had. And just as every body is different, so too are the many reasons people come in for massage.

Let’s design the most appropriate course of treatment for your needs and goals for bodywork. What are the immediate goals for this massage here today? What are you hoping we will be able to accomplish with continued bodywork?

But who says therapy can’t be beautiful?

Anthony Nayeli