Aloha to Hawaiian Life

Geoff Dawe ('95) recently left the island of Manhattan for the isle of Maui, to work, live and play. So far, he’s still enchanted. “When I first got here, I was out on the lanai (what you mainlanders call the porch) in the morning, and I could hear the calls of the humpback whales. I drive through sugar cane fields to get home and I go to a beach where dolphins come into the shallows to join the early morning swimmers.” Geoff, soon to be a dive master, tries to get underwater with all kinds of creatures as often as he can. The beautiful waters are what brought Geoff and his wife, Michelle, a diving instructor, to the Hawaiian Islands.

Geoff brought a sterling resume of experience with him when he relocated. He had been manager of the massage therapy department at the Spa at the Peninsula Hotel for eight years. “The Peninsula is a world class spa,” Geoff said, “and I still think it’s tops.” He had also been a full-time faculty member at the Swedish Institute, teaching advanced techniques and sports massage. He had supervised many of the off-site clinics at major sporting events, where students have an opportunity to provide massage for elite athletes. In addition, Geoff maintained a private practice, his clientele including many professional dancers and athletes. Somehow Geoff also found time to act, primarily in television roles and NYC Shakespearean productions.

Now he’s constructing a new life, which includes working at a spectacular hotel on the island, teaching at the Maui School of Therapeutic Massage (run by his old friend Jim Hackett) and saving time for diving, his wife (they were married just over a year ago), his dog and a house. “Honestly, we were looking for a higher quality of life,” said Geoff. “This is an extraordinary journey I never thought I’d be on. When I was a kid growing up in Colorado, I dreamt one night that I was holding a cup of coffee, looking out over a beach. Through the years that image stayed with me because I thought it so odd, since I had never seen a beach up to that point. But now here I am; it’s come true!”

While an instructor at the Swedish Institute, Geoff gave occasional “Spa Talks” for students that were always standing room only events. What is the secret to a successful practice in a spa? According to Geoff, “You have to be the kind of person who loves making people feel special. You say to the client, ‘Hello, I’m your therapist today; how can I help you?’ People need to feel good, that’s so needed and so important. If you only judge yourself by how much money you’re making, you’ll burn out. It’s not something you should get into only for the income.

“I was working on a celebrity client the other day at the resort and he asked me if people appreciate massage. I asked in return, ‘appreciated by the receivers or the givers?’ For one, I think people really don’t understand the full benefits of massage. But there are also benefits for the giver. The nature of the work—the rhythmical way of moving and breathing, the pressure on the body, the use of essential oils—can be experienced like a beautiful piece of music, appreciated by both the client and the therapist. However, when the receiver gets in sync with the intentions of the giver, then it’s two egos working together, and that piece of music becomes a masterpiece.”

Geoff Dawe can be reached at GDawe58@aol.com.

Photo Credits All photos of Geoff on this page were taken by Michelle Dawe.

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