What is a Lomi Lomi massage? Getting to know this healing bodywork practice
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The roots of Lomi Lomi
Lomi Lomi massage comes from the traditions of Hawaiian healing bodywork practices.
It is rooted in ideas of working with energy, compassion and love to promote holistic healing of body, mind and soul. As a way of life, Lomi Lomi practitioners aspire to live for the greater good of the whole, promoting care of self, other and the earth (Pono). A practitioner holds the intention to see the wholeness of the one receiving and offer the loving service of their touch and healing intentions to them. These intentions and ways of working are thought to be most important to the Lomi Lomi. As a result, an important part of honouring the tradition of Lomi Lomi, is embodying the vision and values of kinship, love and compassion which run through it.
What to expect in a Lomi Lomi treatment
A Lomi Lomi massage is a unique experience. Until you’ve experienced it, it can be hard to imagine what it’s like. Like waves of the ocean, the long flowing strokes of Lomi Lomi flow over, under and around your whole body. Rather than working on small isolated sections of the body at a time, a single stroke may flow from head to toe on top of and under the body. As your body is carried in this ocean, it supports the mind and body to let go, rest and enter a profound state of relaxation. In this state of relaxation, you might find yourself getting in touch with an intention, your own wholeness, or a letting go of emotion, memory and tension that is no longer needed. It is not unusual for a Lomi Lomi treatment to involve working with intentions, sound and breath as well as massage.
Long before Western science acknowledged ideas of trauma, armour and memory being stored in the body, Lomi Lomi practitioners believed that memory and experience were stored in the body. The Lomi Lomi massage is intended to support the release of energetic, physical and emotional blockages and restore flow and balance in the system.
What to wear during the treatment
Because the Lomi Lomi uses oil and involves long fluid strokes that integrate the whole body, the receiver of the massage is often covered minimally. Frequently, the receiver is nude with the genital region covered by a sheet or sarong. Some receivers opt to wear a very minimal underwear that they don’t mind being damaged by oil.
After the treatment
The massage will stimulate your circulation, reduce muscular stress and improve the flow of lymph in the body. It supports release of physical, emotional and energetic blockages helping restore balance and make space for new things in your being and life.
It is not unusual for the receiver of a Lomi Lomi to notice shifts and releases, sometimes feeling extra emotional or having extra vivid dreams as the body processes and releases what is no longer needed. As with all massages, it is good to drink lots of water after the massage. Additionally, it is useful to get adequate rest and cultivate an attitude of kindness towards yourself in the day following your massage.
Book a Lomi Lomi massage
Book a Lomi Lomi massage in Haarlem via Collaborative Motion. Additionally, I offer Lomi Lomi massage in Berlin and when travelling. Inquiries from other locations are always welcome.
Additional resources:
Hawaiian Shamanistic Healing by Powell and Miller
See also