Massage Terms

By Anna Lynn Sibal

Lomi Lomi massage or Hawaiian massage is a unique massage technique which involves prayers and chanting, as well as dancing the hula. This massage technique is based on the philosophy of the Huna, which holds that all things in this world seek to be loved and be in harmony with others. The Polynesians' word for this massage technique is "lomi lomi," which is actually their word for "massage."

In Huna, it is believed that negative thoughts and behavioral patterns, as well as bad memories, causes the body to lose its harmony with its surroundings. Love ebbs away from the system. The loss of harmony and the lack of love lead to stress and afflict the body with various forms of illnesses. The aim of lomi lomi massage, therefore, is to restore harmony to the body and make the body aware that it is loved.

Lomi lomi massage is not just about the relief of physical pain. In the application of the lomi lomi massage, the practitioner also seeks to bring calm into her client's mind and to bring balance back into his or her spirit. It is said that if caring and compassion is not present during a session of lomi-lomi massage, the treatment itself will not work.

A session of lomi lomi massage can be done with the client fully clothed, but oftentimes, it is done with the client having only a towel to cover the body. This exposure of skin helps the therapist to go about her work continuously.

A session of lomi lomi massage begins with prayers. The philosophy of the Huna holds to the existence of a higher power, and the aid of this higher power is invoked by the therapist with her hands laid on her client's body. The practitioner seeks the help of this higher power so that healing may take place as a result of the session. The client is also often asked to speak his or her own prayer, naming the affliction of his or her body which the massage session is supposed to handle.

In performing the massage, the practitioner makes use of aromatic massage oils, which she applies on her client’s skin. Broad, two-handed strokes are often used; it is not uncommon to feel one hand of the practitioner applying pressure on one part of the client's body, while her other hand is massaging another part. It is also not uncommon for the giver of the massage to make use of not just her hands but also her forearms and elbows.

There is no set routine with the lomi lomi massage, and so no two sessions of a lomi lomi massage are alike. Oftentimes, the therapist chants while performing the massage, and she also dances the hula. The purpose of the hula dancing during the massage may seem funny to those who experience the lomi-lomi massage for the first time, but it is actually a technique employed by the therapist to keep her body in harmony with her client's body. After all, the restoration of harmony is the point of lomi lomi massage.