Awen was raised in an environment surrounded by health and wellness professionals. His early fascination with the body and the power of touch led him to begin a study of Chinese Medicine and language while completing an undergraduate degree in Asian Studies at the University of Vermont.
Awen spent several years studying and living abroad in China, Vietnam and Southeast Asia. During this time, he developed fluency in Mandarin Chinese, and deepened his understanding of the traditional arts of tai ji quan, qi gong, meditation, and Chinese Medicine.
In 2013, he completed a professional therapeutic massage training with a focus on Asian Bodywork Therapy and Classical Chinese Medicine at Elements of Healing School of Massage in Essex Jct., VT. He later continued his studies of shiatsu and Oriental Medicine and received his Arizona Massage Therapy License in 2019.
Since 2014, Awen has been practicing massage and bodywork in spas and wellness centers as well as seeing clients in his own private practice.