ABOUT LOMI LOMI

"Aloha ia o’ka a pa’ulo: Meeting in love, we become one"

"The Polynesian experts named kahunas in Hawaii, tohunas in Tahiti and tohungas in Aotearoa (New Zeland) have already discovered a tight relationship between healthy internal and external relations, emotions as well as physical health centuries ago and before the birth of contemporary western psychology. They discovered that by changing internal relations, it is possible to influence psycho-physiological symptoms, such as the energy level, the efficiency of creating powers and happiness. Isolated from other cultures, they developed simple and efficient means to restore balance in our relationships, in shaping our destiny, in redefining the meaning of life, as well as good general condition and health. “Waiho wale kahiko” – The time to reveal the old secrets has come. The knowledge of the kahunas has been accessible for only a narrow selected group through centuries. The kahuna candidates were selected by long tests and challenges. The activity of the kahunas was entirely forbidden and strictly punished until the 1970’s. Only certain part of the old knowledge could be revealed in the last 20-30 years. The guards of the knowledge (because this is the meaning of the word ’kahuna’) carefully allow (if at all) non-aboriginals to access the knowledge. Our goal here is to research and share the accessible techniques for increasing the quality of life with the help of ethic principles, healthy relations and high vitality." (Witold Stanisław Kucharczyk)

Lomi Lomi Bodywork

Lomi Lomi is a unique form of bodywork with roots in the traditions of the ancient healers of Hawaii.

Lomi Lomi was used as a restorative health practice within Hawaiian families, each family having their own style of Massage.

Temple-style Lomi Lomi is one form of Hawaiian bodywork, that was practiced in old Hawaii to induce healing or rather, self-healing, for it is the person who is receiving the massage who will appraise their old tendencies and orientations and decide on their healing through a combination of conscious and subconscious aspects at the same time.

Huna

Lomi Lomi is based on the Hawaiian philosophy of Huna, which assumes everything seeks harmony and love and the free flow of Life Energy.

One of the aspects of the Hawaiians culture is that the human body is understood as a unity of the physical, mental, spiritual and emotional parts.

Due to their connection, by using different techniques of Lomi Lomi, the shaman or Kahuna would not only be able to help release tense muscles but also to facilitate overall (physical, mental and spiritual) healing and restore balance and the free flow of Life Energy.

Spirit of ALOHA

unintentional, unconditional love.

Temple Style Lomi Lomi, as a Rite of Passage

Lomi lomi effectively reduces stress and tension in the Physical body, as well as addresses tension trapped in ourselves by old memories, believes and patterns of behavior. Therefore it is commonly signified as a ‘Rite of Passage’—the point at which an individual enters a new part of their life.

Before every significant life-period or major event—e.g., the ritual before becoming an adult or in the taking on of some important social function—the ancient Hawaiians would turn to an appropriate masseur (Kahuna Lomilomi), so that with the help of the massage they would be freed of their fears, tensions and egocentric ways of looking at things. The result of a successful massage would be some fundamental change in the old character and of the usual situations in life, the replacement of the old patterns with consciously chosen new ones. In ancient times such massages were accompanied by songs, prayers and rituals, which could at times last for several days.

A fundamental element of this style of Lomi Lomi is the creation of an atmosphere of sanctuary around the treatment itself that allows us to focus on the divine part in all individual. The treatment served to induce connection to the divine elements present in every person, to help to get rid of fears, beliefs and habits that are obstacles, and in addition to that, allowed access to the collected wisdom of our forebears and their genetic memory.

The Flowing Strokes

Unlike most other massages Lomi Lomi is performed on the entire body simultaneously. Working with oil the therapist uses his or her hands, elbows, forearms and body weight.

This allows the therapist to make long flowing strokes, integrating movements of circles and figure eights, that go from head to toe in a continuous, rhythmic movement, massaging both the top and the underside of the client’s body. These continuous, rhythmic strokes of varying intensity gives the delightful sensation of gentle waves moving over the body.

The unique under body massage strokes can be performed because the massage is done on a massage table with a special oil resistant sheet, that enables the therapist to slide his or her hands and arms under and around the body.

Another feature of this type of massage is that two different parts of our body might be massaged at the same time. It is very difficult for our brain to fully concentrate on two different areas at once, it is done on purpose to deactivate the thinking function that is trying to follow what is happening. The movements are designed to confuse the thinking mind and are an invitation to surrender, letting go of control and allowing an altered state of mind where transformation is possible through accessing and integrating material both from the conscious and the unconscious mind.

In order to perform the long massage strokes along the body, clients are advised to wear no clothes during the massage, instead they are covered in the intimate areas with a towel during the whole treatment.

Please note, that massaging the genitals is not part of this treatment.

Although, Lomi Lomi can be for some people a rather sensual experience, it is not a sexual massage.

The focus is on establishing trusting connection, deep relaxation and overall healing.

The Unique Dance

To be able to move fluidly along the massaged body, it is essential for a Lomi Lomi practitioner to use his or her own body in a dance, moving fluently in alignment with the rhythm of the music and the natural rhythm of the breath.

When performing Lomi Lomi massage, it is impossible to give the same massage twice. Each time a unique choreography is created intuitively.

Health [ola] existed when the body’s cells vibrated rapidly or in other words, the body’s energy was free flowing. Illness [ma'i] occured when that flow was blocked or restricted for an extended period. In this style of lomilomi [massage], the practitioner is the dancer and the recipient is the choreographer. So the dance is always different. The foundation strokes are taught as a framework, in which the principles of attentiveness, love and respect are then emphasized, resulting in the practitioner developing the confidence to trust information coming from the recipient.

(Susan Pa’iniu Floyd:)