Koren Walsh, Bodywork Studio

I am writing to let you know I will be having a complete hip replacement for my birthday.

My surgery is scheduled for July 17th, and I’ll be in hospital for a couple days.

I’m hoping to begin sessions again starting the week of August 10th.

For now, I’ll be working up until the 16th of July, as my pain level allows.

Please let me know if you would like to get in before July 16th if I don’t already have you scheduled.

This has been an extremely challenging year, and I still can’t believe I’m facing a second surgery in 7 months.

I am grateful for your understanding as I maneuver through the days to come, and I hope this procedure has be back on both feet soon.

Many of you know that I stepped on a stone in July and injured my foot.

I walked on my foot for months before seeing the doctor. When I finally went in on October 31, and found I’d fracture my calcaneus, shredded my plantar fascia and I’ve developed bone marrow edema.

It’s causing a lot of pain.

This weekend I’ve decided to step back from working earlier than planned.
This is a tough decision to make, because I realize that many people depend on my work to increase their quality of life.
I need to practice the self-care I encourage my clients to exercise in their healing journey.

I have an injection scheduled for December 16th that will hopefully create enough scar tissue in my plantar fascia to hold it together.
I’ll be zero weight bearing and toes above my nose for 4 weeks.

My hope is to be back to work the week of January 19th.

Many clients are scheduling their January appointments now, because I’m already filling up fast.
If you would like to book ahead, you can call, text or email me directly.

If you are interested in gift certificates for the holiday season, I can email them to you to print yourself. Just call to arrange payment and delivery.

I’m so grateful for the love and support I’ve been receiving from everyone, and I wish you all a happy and healthy holiday season.

See you in the New Year!

Place your palms together in front of your chest like this 🙏

Breathe in deep and slow through your nose

Then exhale slowly and completely while pressing your palms together 🙏

Keep pressing your palms together, until you begin to feel the urge to inhale again

Release the press and start the breath cycle over again two more times

This helps you to access your parasympathetic nervous system and calms the fight/flight/freeze response

You’re welcome

On top of all the crazy hurricanes effecting the planet at the moment, we are also experiencing a massive amount of energy coming at Earth from recent solar eruptions due to the solar cycle 25.
It’s the reason behind all the sightings of the northern lights in recent weeks, and probably a reason why you may have been feeling out of sorts or uncomfortable in your body and your mind.

Today there was a huge eruption that will be hitting us around the 10th, adding to two previous eruptions earlier in the week. Because the solar cycle we are experiencing is on going, we can expect more solar storms to continue well into 2026.

This video explains the effects of this energy on our bodies as well as how if effects the planet.

I found it interesting that many of my clients have been reporting more fatigue, brain fog, aches and pains far beyond their normal body aches. Also, many have talked about bad dreams and restless sleep even though they have been experiencing deep exhaustion.

In the words of Neil deGrasse Tyson, “We are Stardust. We are alive in the universe. And the universe is alive within us.”

We Have TWO MORE YEARS of CRAZY Solar Activity 💥 Health Effects and the Science of Bioelectricity ⚡ Rapid changes to solar activity due to solar maximum will be common for AT LEAST the next two years, and with so many people now feeling the health effects o...

My last session of the day was a blend of yoga, body rolling and hands on bodywork.
While my client found their breath and presence in supported asana, I applied myofascial and crainosacral techniques to lengthen the body and deepen the pose.
This is an amazing way to merge yoga, pranayama and bodywork into an incredible healing session.

In the cold, dark shadow of today’s US Supreme Court’s decision to allow businesses to discriminate against the LGBTQ+ communities, I want to make clear that my business, my practice and my heart sees you, accepts you and loves you.

Bodywork and breath work and art work are for everyone.
My studio has no place for hate.

Today is World AIDS Day.

I remember, as a Gen X teenager hearing about “gay cancer”. I was a dancer and so many of my friends in the theater world were hush hush when talking about it because of the way the virus stigmatized.

When I went to college to study massage in Arizona, we were told not to work on anyone with AIDS because of risk of transmission even though the means of transmission was so clear.

I went rogue, and with one of my instructors we began donating hours of massage to people living with HIV/AIDS in Phoenix.
People in need were directed to us by bartenders working in the clubs. They had their fingers on the pulse of the community and they knew who needed our work.

When I moved to Idaho in 1988, I began volunteering with The Idaho AIDS Project. I was listed as a massage therapist willing to work on people living wirh HIV/AIDS. They kept me busy doing house calls.

After a few months I was asked to work in a more involved role. Idaho AIDS created a national hotline and I trained to be able to answer phone calls about this virus and steer people to services available.

Suddenly I became a volunteer coordinator for the organization. I juggled staffing the hotline as well as compiling a list of volunteers willing to serve the local population of people living with HIV/AIDS. I connected those in need with those willing to help.

We had lists of hair stylists and handi-people, dentists, home healthcare workers, lawyers and veterinarians and more that weren’t afraid of the stigma attached to our clients and were so willing to provide for their needs.

We had a food shelf. We had a clothes closet. We had a needle exchange program. We had funds to cover emergencies and funerals if money was needed.

We also provided educational outreach that gave science based information about the virus and how to best protect yourself from it. I remember running our booth at Boise’s Pride Festival, handing out condoms when I was obviously very pregnant with my son and being teased about how I must not of been practicing safer s*x at the time.

I was in bed asleep that night when I received a phone call from one of our board members. Someone had broken into our office, ransacked it and then lit it on fire. My husband and I stood in the parking lot with staff and volunteers watching the fire department put out the flames and waiting for our chance to salvage any sensitive documentation that we could find.

The arsonists were never found.

When I moved to Oregon I got involved with Cascade AIDS as an outreach volunteer, doing much of the same work that I did with Idaho AIDS Project.

When The Name’s Project came to the Pacific Northwest, I went to work for them, finding funding for the project by taking panels of the AIDS quilt to businesses, churches, schools and street fairs to raise awareness and donations.

When we set up The Quilt, I worked as a docent, leading groups through the display, giving voice to the panels that memorialized so many lives lost to AIDS. I did this while I carried my little boy in my backpack carrier. He was raised as an activist.

I moved to Minnesota with my son when my marriage fell apart. As a newly single parent, my volunteer hours were replaced with all it takes to raise a child alone. Thanks to my nephew, I was able to take a week to volunteer as a massage therapist for the AIDS Ride.

As part of the massage crew, I helped riders warm up with assisted stretch in the early morning hours. As soon as they were on the road, I jumped in the bus that took us to the evening’s camp sight where I awaited the riders arrival. Once they had showered, they came to our tent for much needed and appreciated bodywork.

The experience was that of selflessness and humbleness. I will never forget it.

Because of my work, I met many people who are no longer with us. I held the hands of many while they took their last breath. For some, I was there instead of their family memebers, who ostracized those with AIDS. For others, I became part of their family.

My photos of my time with The Names Project/AIDS Memorial Quilt are buried in a box somewhere, but here are a couple photos from the Ride.