KAPAA — When Katharina Becker first stepped foot onto the sands of Kauai, she says, the spirit and beauty of the island enveloped her and started her on a journey to bring serenity to its people through massage. This year,
KAPAA — When Katharina Becker first stepped foot onto the sands of Kauai, she says, the spirit and beauty of the island enveloped her and started her on a journey to bring serenity to its people through massage.
This year, Katharina and her husband, Enrico, celebrate the 10th anniversary of their massage company, Touch Kauai.
“One main intention is to share the aloha with the people in the world,” said Enrico. “For me, it’s the biggest gift you … can offer the people.”
Touch Kauai seemed to start itself, Katharina explained. While working at a bed-and-breakfast, she answered many people’s questions about the island. Visitors found the massage therapist’s comments helpful and gave her advice about offering massages for more of Kauai’s people.
Thus Touch Kauai was born.
The Beckers will celebrate their decade of success by returning to the Kauai Health and Wellness Association expo in late January.
Although Touch Kauai participated in the event during its second and third year, it hasn’t been back since.
“It’ll be a nice way to come back,” said Katharina. “Then in March we’re going to have a celebration and we’re going to send cards of appreciation to the people that come, and probably we’re going to offer specials. So we’re in the process of designing the celebration year.”
As a healing and relaxation facility, the Beckers’ program provides individuals with “a connection to the divine,” and specializes in physical therapy such as massages, yoga, water therapy and crystal healing. They also offers two tours of the island’s mountains, waterfalls, coastline and jungles which offer visitors a spiritual connection with nature and the Hawaiian people and culture.
The first tour, called the “short, sweet adventure,” lasts four hours. The private journey of the person’s choosing includes organization, preparation, personal guidance and local snacks for the trip.
The second tour is known as the “long, luscious adventure” and includes many of the features of the first tour but also features a healthy picnic lunch.
“Some people just want to experience the jungle and they wouldn’t want to go by themselves, and so we guide them and help them to feel safe,” said Katharina. “Other people come. They really feel like they want to connect more with the spiritual essence of the island, and then we do our tours in a more meditative space … that’s when we sometimes open the doors for the Hawaiian connection.”
Touch Kauai also offers tours of other Hawaiian islands. The Beckers will fly with their clients and provide tours of forests or active volcanoes, depending on what the clients want to experience.
“We have many customers that come from Europe and it’s a dream for them to come, maybe one time in their life, to Hawaii,” said Enrico.
“We share with them one part of the real Hawaii. … We go, not only to where many tourists are, but we go a little bit deeper.”
Although Touch Kauai has a similar name as the massage company Touch of Kauai, the two establishments aren’t connected; Touch of Kauai was created in March 2014 and is a full spa that doesn’t offer tours.
“Touch Kauai is an intention and a business to serve the people that feel called to working with us to do massages, bodywork, but also to take them in nature and to share the island with them,” said Katharina.
“If they feel that there’s something special about Kauai, and they want to see it, not just with their eyes and with their ears, and want to have a little help to really lend and connect, then they should come.”
“People do say that they’re deeply touched beyond their expectations,” she added.
