Introducing Cory Keene, B/U Expert Extraordinaire
At our Beach House, we are so lucky to have a wonderful team of health and wellness experts sharing their talents at our sacred spa, Botanika Union. Here, we believe in the power of rituals to create abundance, vitality, health and joy in everyday life. Our approach is centered around having daily rituals to help enhance every component of your life – physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.
We are proud to be featuring one of our amazing team members, Cory, who has been inspiring guests from the very beginning to live according to this philosophy. His charm and gravitas puts everyone immediately at ease. It is no wonder that more and more people are joining B/U’s ‘feel-good’ movement! Read on to hear more about Cory and what inspires him.
For as long as he could remember, Cory knew he had a calling to help others; in some way, shape or form. In 2009, he went to school to study massage and wellness and became absolutely consumed and amazed by the human body, with all its intricacies and even more astounded by how he could tangibly aid others’ wellbeing with just his hands. Cory elaborated: “It turned out that I had a very intuitive and natural capability of helping others to rest and recover, combined with a tenacious hunger to become the best I possibly could be in my field I felt the sky was the limit. It is said that talent you have naturally, while skill is developed by hours and hours of honing your craft. My passion for bodywork and that sense of fulfillment when helping others feel their best only grew from that point on; and still inspires me today. Before I knew it, I was a licensed therapist, but still eager to achieve. I then enrolled in an advanced study course to receive my degree in occupational studies and massage. It was through those advanced studies that I was able to find my niche within the bodywork world as an orthopedic, rehab and sports specialist. At that point I decided to fully embrace my career. There is no better feeling than helping someone to reconnect with their being, inspiring them to care for themselves and allowing them the opportunity to find peace and stillness physically and mentally.”
When asked what Cory loves about being part of the B/U community, he said: “Working at B/U is the fulfillment of that unimaginable goal every single day. I am blessed to be surrounded by so many incredible therapists who are just as enthusiastic about the wellbeing of their clientele as I am. We all come from such varied backgrounds that we get the chance to inspire and teach each other, while pushing one another to perform at our best every day. The level of service, professionalism and genuine care we provide for our guests and regular clientele is by far the most authentic I’ve ever experienced. Not only do we strive to make every treatment remarkable and memorable in every way, we truly believe that one’s wellness is created through ritual. We take the time to instill, inspire and promote daily wellness rituals with every guest. We hope to encourage everyone to take ownership of their wellbeing and hopefully plant a seed that they can nurture and grow for years to come. This can be as simple as integrating a new herbal remedy, skin care routine or any other variety of self-care that best suits that individual. The optimism is that this new ritual may seed another, and so on and so forth, so that individual may be able to live to their fullest potential. We only hope that our visitors lean on our combined years of experience and hopefully take away a newfound sense of wellness and inspiration that they can bring into their daily life. It is said that if you aren’t making someone else’s life better, then you aren’t doing it right. Our team at B/U gets the prospect of helping others improve their lives every day, no matter how large or small, I thoroughly enjoy being part of that community.”
When asked what attracted him to Cayman, Cory explained: “My partner’s family first introduced me to Cayman during a family trip several years back. I still remember stepping off the plane for the first time and having this strange sensation in my core that this was a home away from home. I hadn’t even seen the beaches yet, but somehow, I just knew. Instinct should always be explored and followed; it is these omens in life that catapult us to where we are meant to be in life. Just two short years later, as newlyweds, we picked up the keys to our first apartment together just a stone’s throw from Seven Mile beach. The task of making our dream a reality was far from easy, but worth every single amount of effort we put in. I think for us the attraction of Cayman was all about the opportunity to start a fresh new life together as a couple. A life that we could build together that would position us to be where we want to be in the future. For our relationship, future family and security. So long as we work hard and keep our focus on what we set out to accomplish, we really can realize anything we imagine. The tan lines and pina coladas in our down time doesn’t hurt either though!”
There are so many aspects of the Cayman lifestyle that Cory adores, but the main one is the simplicity. He added: “The thing I adore the most about the Cayman lifestyle bar none must be the pace at which we live. Although workdays can be long, they aren’t rushed, are filled with passion and are in the end fulfilling. Traffic may be a bit hectic at two times during the day, but it’s far from an eight-lane interstate parking lot, most days I actually prefer to ride my bike or take the beach to get to where I need to be. After a few months you truly begin to settle in, slow your pace, appreciate the waves and stop to smell the flowers. Soaking up the essence of life is a gift; Cayman gives you the chance to remain mindful of just how beautiful life is… constantly.”
Finally, we asked Cory to share some words of wisdom. We love what he said:
“Wake up every day and chase your dreams. Be thoughtful and precise about what you want in life. Once you become clear about your vision and you add desire to the mix, the entire universe will open up and help you achieve what it is you desire; so long as you have faith and a good sense of humor along the way. While being conscious of what it is you want in life, be sure to help as many other people around you as you possibly can, the monetary things in life will never fill your heart with the same joy as an act of kindness. Love hard and love passionately, love is never a wasted investment. Love and treat your body like the temple that it is, it is an absolute miracle that you are even walking on this earth and miracles merit respect, admiration and dignity. Buy the shoes, eat the cake, take the trip. Life is too short not too.”
His words are music to our ears! Make sure to swing soon and meet Cory and the rest of the beautiful B/U team! Botanika Union is open daily from 9am–6pm.