My Way Of Health & Life

The day I was born, September 21, 1979, I was named Binh Quoc An and was diagnosed with a progressive eye condition called Retinitis Pigmenttosa, which, over time, leads to blindness. I lived with my single mother in Saigon, Vietnam for the first twelve years of my life; her sudden death extinguished all of my hopes and undermined my confidence. I will never forget the mental anguish and physical pain I experienced. To add to my devastation, it is extremely difficult to be successful in a third world country when you have a disability. It felt like it was just me against the world.

I realized my only hope was to emigrate to the U.S., “the land of opportunity.” It was not easy to emigrate from Vietnam, but after many twists and turns, after crossing seas and mountains, and facing life and death, I was fortunate enough to relocate with my grandmother to the United States. Over time, I settled into my new American life and began learning the customs of a very different culture.

In 1993 I enrolled in Davidson Middle School. The physical pain and emotional scars had started to heal, and I knew that if I stayed focused on doing well in school, I would be able to realize my dreams. Occasionally, I would come across bullies. I used their insults and judgments to strengthen my motivation. Because of these agonizing experiences, I have learned to be an expert at finding positive ways to stay focused and to maintain my confidence. My internal vision, the power of my mind, and my strong dedication helped me overcome the pain of my disability.

Throughout my high school years, I focused on working hard at my goals and staying humble through my spiritual practice. My hard work paid off. When I graduated from San Rafael High, KRON channel 4 named me Beating the Odds Student of 1999. They granted me a scholarship to explore college. After two years of searching for my passion at SRJC, I completed an AA degree. I was ready to step out of my box and look for an interesting occupation.

In order to further expand my knowledge, I registered at Diamond Light School of Massage and Healing Arts. Most of my body work lessons and certifications were earned at Diamond Light. In one year, I was licensed with specialties in modalities such as Deep Tissue, Structural Integration, Myofascial release, trigger point therapy, Thai massage, Swedish, Neuromuscular Reprogramming, stretching and Acupressure. To be the best at my profession, I went to study abroad at the Wat Po Thai Traditional Massage School in Thailand. At this famous school earned my Thai Massage certification. In 2002 I joined the staff at BodyWise Massage and have been working ever since to build my experience. Over time I have learned to adapt my other senses and my intuition to help me attain a higher level of quality in my work.

As you know chronic, physical pain may have a hidden connection to old sports injuries, deep emotional pain or habits of negative thinking. Using the weight of my body and my knowledge of anatomy, I explore these patterns and help my clients build new body memories using deep breathing as an ever-present guide. The philosophy of my work is to enlighten the mind, strengthen the body, and expand the spirit and the soul and most of all to offer my clients and their loved ones an opportunity to experience pain free joy and a healthy lifestyle. Currently, my emphasis is on building deep connections with my clients by gaining a long term understanding of their level of activity and their general health patterns.

Most importantly, I am planning to continue my education and eventually become a chiropractor. At the moment, I am offering massages in Doctor Derik Anderson’s office and also in my private practice. My purpose in life is to serve and offer massage therapy to my clients. After all of my life experiences, I am confident and looking forward to providing you with holistic remedies and treatments which scientifically proven that it works.