The emphasis of lomi lomi massage is on soothing, rather than more pointed techniques such as accupressure. The massage is like a beautiful dance that gently rocks one into a blissful release of tension. Lomi Lomi massage therapy has been practiced throughout Pacifica for thousands of years. Polole Lomi, "the gentle hand of the mother, " Oluea Lomi, "to harmonize body, mind and spirit, " and Oluli Lomi, "to ignite the life-force." Lomi lomi has also been called "loving hands." It works gently yet deeply into the muscles with continuous, flowing strokes, totally nurturing the body and, enabling the recipient to relax, give in and simply be.

HISTORY:

Lomi lomi massage has a long history. Lomi lomi is also part of a philosophy known as Huna. A fundamental assumption of Huna is that everything seeks harmony and everything seeks love. The total energy of lomi lomi, using the long continuous, flowing strokes, combined with the very loving touch, relaxes the entire being, assisting in a letting go of old beliefs, patterns and behaviors that cause limitations and which are stored in the cells of our body. People generally think of memory, beliefs, our "programming", as being stored in our head, in our brain. This is not the case, this memory and other programming is in fact stored in all the cells of our body. The Hawaiians look at things in terms of energy flow, following the idea that an idea or belief can block energy flow as much as muscle tension can. Lomi Lomi helps release the blockages, while at the same time giving the energy new direction.

HOW IT'S PERFORMED:

A Lomi Lomi usually begins with the practitioners hands gently resting on the clients back. The practitioner will say a blessing or prayer asking for whatever healing is needed to take place during the massage. Alternatively or as well, the client may be asked to set their intention for any healing they would like to receive. The masseuse then works intuitively with the client. In this respect there is no set format or sequence for the massage and no two massages will ever be identical. The massage uses the forearms as well as the hands. Flowing strokes help to free the energy, make the body soft and promote free and abundant flow of life energy. According to Huna philosophy, energy tends to get blocked in the joints. Gentle stretches of the body and rotations of the joints are also incorporated to assist the release of tensions and assist the flow of energy. The masseuse may also hum at various points during the massage as the vibrating and amplified energy that results also aids the release of blockages. Another major difference from other massages is that in Lomi Lomi the person lays directly on the table and not on a towel, and rather than being covered completely by towels, is covered by a small sheet or towel leaving most of the body exposed during the massage.