(: Modality Spotlite: LomiLomi Massage Part Two :)

Lomi Lomi, the Hawaii-style art of massage healing, teaches the integration of these three aspects of self, through the principle and belief that by healing and strengthening one, the entire self benefits. That through a fluid fusion of the three in daily living, movement, and philosophy, a harmonious existence can be achieved. The same way the three shapes above create a sort of harmony for the eyes.

I've never been to hawaii, but the more I read up on Lomi Lomi, the more I hear of the "flow" that must be maintained to facilitate healing with this modality (somehow speaks "surfer" and Jason Mraz to me). At first I wondered if it was different from the flow we were told to seek in school (massage school, for the uninitiated). Of course it's the same meaning, but practitioners of Lomi Lomi have a certain flow. See the video on this earlier post. The practitioner has a gorgeous flow to her treatment. But I harped about that then :)

My question is: how do I incorporate lomi lomi into my other modalities?

To begin with, Lomi Lomi isn't even a modality to just alleviate symptoms, like say, swedish can be. What it does is this: if the pain a client is experiencing is emotional or energetic (the energetic aspect presents a healthy paradox, later) then the practitioner, with the soothing confidence that communicates itself through the flow as well as the soothing, loosening movements, can coax the pain away. Thus, contact the body (through movements and manipulations), contact the mind (the mind registers the real source of pain, when confronted by confident hands, all sorts of things pop up), contact the spirit (the spirit expressed the pain by causing it mentally), and heal the whole thing.

That being said, this flow that is so paramount (along with an understanding of the philosophy) dictates that we keep moving! I for one incorporate many modalities into my service, that would call for being still. Reflexology, craniosacral, and my form of healing touch is very still. so these then won't be involved as much with the flow we're talking on here.

Oh forget it, I'll post another video, so I don't reference the last article so much...




I believe that with work, you can incorporate plenty of extensive Range of motion stretching, of course all swedish, and deep tissue. Shiatsu, perhaps not so much, due to the fact that with shiatsu, you're really feeling for inbalances . Any modality where you need to use your energy sense to find inbalance, and find it necessary to move slow, you may not want to incorporate the fluid yet, from what I perceive, fast paced flow that lomi lomi provides into your massage.

Lomi lomi is VERY popular from what I've read. This makes sense, as it gives a very relaxed feeling all over very early on in the massage. The faster they can fall asleep, and the better the sleep is, as well as how they feel immediately after getting off the table, determines how much they like it and how often they will be back (not to mention the word of mouth that will come pouring in your favor when they get out of your office!).

Also, just incorporating the "dance" that's taught with lomi lomi, called the hawaiian "flying" dance, can be incorporated to achieve a flow, which can be used to transition into any modality you feel is necessary (albeit moving, see comment above). I hope when I find a video of the flying dance that it's something I can learn by looking...But something tells me it won't be. Maybe that's cause I have yet to take my ballroom dancing class :)

So there we have it! Next time...

We'll get into what's included besides the movements. I mean the philosophy, as well as auxillary things, like sounds and whether or not we should really use bamboo sticks for lomi lomi. Plan to absorb plenty information from this one! Stay healing, EveryBody!

Until next time,
Zebulion

(: Modality Spotlite: LomiLomi Massage :)

LomiLomi...

Whoever heard of LomiLomi? I hadn't, until I heard one of my clinic supervisors from school talking about it when referencing another student's natural style. He described it as very "flowing, almost intimate, very intuitive". Being a natural aspiring King of all modalities, I had to look it up.

On wikipedia (of course I use wikipedia) I learned that the word Lomi is Hawaiian, or Olelo Hawai'i, and means "to rub, press, squeeze, massage; to work in and out, as the claws of a contented cat". Ok then, less Tom and Jerry during a chase, more Garfield after a meal. OK, I get that. It's also described as a holistic healing modality seperate from "simple" massage, which I take to mean relaxation massage. Nice :)

After reading that chunk of information, I let wikipedia sit in another tab as I cast google out to search for other resources. Saw the Sacred Lomi site http://www.hawaiiantemplebodywork.com. Ok, weaving the traditional principles into a more heart centered approached is quite golden. These two healers, Tom Cochran and Donna Jason developed it, and it definitely looks like something to check out, as soon as I purchase the hundred dollar dvds. um...

You'll find this out about me relatively quickly: I'm an advocate of buying a teaching aid only after I've gotten the hang of it and want to round out my incorporation of the modality with formal knowledge. In other words, I'm going to find some site with introductory guides, some youtube videos with decent routines that sport great flow, and emulate those. That's how I do it :)

That being said, wikipedia (back there again) says that lomilomi is performed with all the same tools as swedish massage (hands, fingers, elbows, knuckles, knees, feet (shiatsu?), with the addition of sticks and stones. Whoa, sticks? That's right up my alley...

On to videos!
I vehemently dislike three minute videos when a decent routine could take an hour. At the very least, show me eight to ten minutes. Then I saw this video, and decided that the lady practicing here was too good to pass up. check it out




I love the fluidity, see her body mechanics? Of course, she's in her zone, you can tell, but mastering that, along with the seemingly effortless transition between body sections of the body. She works each section, but also incorporates all other sections to keep everything from getting cold. when I learn that in particular, how to keep the client's whole body involved in the massage, I feel I will have accomplished something.

NEXT TIME...
We'll go into brass tacks, how do we incorporate LomiLomi into our modalities, and where can we go after we've exhausted all resources? I personally prefer to watch and then emulate as I incorporate my own spin, so I'll scour the net and try and find us some LomiLomi therapists to interview. Until then, keep your minds learning, your hearts loving, and your hands healing, Merry Billion style!

A single step, says I

Hello all, Zebulon here. This blog will document the journey of the Merry Billion Holistic Healing Coalition from an idea to a reality and a way of life for over a billion human beings on the planet earth. Holistic healers and Holistic healing enthusiasts are welcome to comment and share their experiences and enthusiasm. I will be sharing the same, as my day to day life takes me from the suburbs of Smyrna, Georgia to downtown Atlanta, to Tampa and Miami Florida, to California, and beyond. Events I attend, connections I make, and other goods will be on showcase here, as well as innovative gadgets and technology that are currently bridging the gap between western and eastern medicine. A journey of a Billion miles has begun... :)