Julia Vergara

Lomi means massage (rub, soothe, knead, to shift) in Hawaiian. – Basically lomi lomi massage is 3 times redundant.- haha

To better understand Lomilomi, it is important to understand the Hawaiian philosophy (Huna) and how this one relates to healing. At the foundation of Huna is the idea that everything looks for harmony and love.

The relation between this concept and Lomilomi is that the massage is given with love and focus so that the client is in perfect condition and the practitioner uses the hands with love. It is a soft but firm massage that addresses the muscles but the intention is realignment of the body at a deeper level, helping the client to find his or her own healing.

Lomilomi is not only a physical experience, but also helps with emotional, mental and spiritual healing. When healing occurs at a certain level, other levels are affected too, because we are interconnected, we are ONE.

Receiving a Lomilomi massage helps to leave certain beliefs behind, behavioral patterns that create limitations that are stored in every cell of the body. We not only have memory in our brain, we have memory and programs in all the cells of our body.

In Hawai‘i, Huna was practiced for everyone, from a child to the great Chief. It is an indigenous practice of hundreds of years duration. In 1820 when the American missionaries arrived in Hawai‘i and converted the people to Christianity, Hawaiian practices were forbidden.

Lomilomi, as a medical practice, was among those forbidden practices. Lomilomi as massage remained popular among Hawaiians and visitors.

Lomilomi, as a medical practice, was used in different contexts:

• As a healing practice: kahuna la‘aulapa‘au (herbal healers) and kahuna haha (diagnosticians).

• As a luxury and as a digestive aid, especially used by the Chiefs (ali’i).

• As a massage within the family.

• By ‘olohe (masters of Hawaiian martial arts).

The client is not seen as a person who is broken, but rather as someone who is coming back to balance and harmony. It is important to point out that the practitioner does not heal but is just a facilitator so the healing can take place.

Doing a Hawaiian massage is to do a massage with aloha. Aloha not only means hello and goodbye, it is the sharing of vital energy in the present, to bless one another, and expresses love, tolerance, forgiveness, acceptance, appreciation, respect, and not judging, among other meanings.

Lomilomi is an alternative healing technique beyond a simple massage.

Licensed Massage Therapist in the state of Hawaii: MAT#11686.