Hawaiian Massage Lomilomi

Hawaiian Lomilomi Association conference

2010-09-17T11:23:00.003-10:00

The next HLA 'ahahui is October 21-23 in Kona at the Outrigger Keauhou. I'm excited about the location because two heiau (temples) recently have been renovated at the site. We will be having a ceremony at the heiau the first night.

What is great about HLA is the opportunity to learn from so many different teachers in such a short time. It gives you the chance to feel which one would be best for you to study with in depth. Students and teachers come from all over the world for this event. And it's only $350, which includes dinner on Thursday, and lunches on Friday and Saturday. The hotel rate is $109 including breakfast.

I have been honored to be included on a panel Oct. 22 speaking on Auntie Margaret's legacy in the context of the historic lomilomi tradition. Some of the other presenters include Uncle Kaipo Kaneakua, Uncle Donald & Aunty Yvonne Kaiahua, Aunty Mary Fragas, Aunty Maile Napoleon, Aunty Nerita Machado, Aunty Brenda Ignacio, Uncle Alva Andrews, Keala Ching, Rudy Valentino, Dr. Mimi George, and Kumu Haunani Hopkins.

October 23rd will be a LOMILOMI HEALING ARTS FESTIVAL free and open to the public, with lectures, demos and vendors with books and things Hawaiian.

For more information go to www.HawaiiLomilomi.com and click on "newsletter".

Auntie Margaret's Service on video

2010-03-16T13:53:00.001-10:00

Here is the link to Auntie's service on the big island. A beautiful memorial to our loving auntie angel. http://www.konasdachurch.org/videos/events/videos.php

Beloved Auntie Margaret Goes to Heaven

2009-12-30T12:35:00.006-10:00

Here is a link to a beautiful story about Auntie Margaret Machado in West Hawaii Today

Auntie, we will miss you but we know you are with us always.

Secrets of Lomilomi - Kahuli and Kahela

2009-10-13T09:48:00.007-10:00

My husband, Mark Chai, is one of the featured artists at the Maui Arts and Cultural Center in a show based on the book, The Epic Tale of Hi'iakaikapoliopele. This book is the translation of the tale as it first appeared in a Hawaiian language newspaper at the turn of the century. Lead translator Puakea Nogelmeier spoke at the art opening and said that one of the ways the Hawaiians kept alive their mana'o (knowledge) about healing was by giving the chants, prayers and remedies in the legends.

That inspired me to go back and read the part of the story where Hi'iaka revives Lohi'au from death. I knew that she gave him lomilomi to do it. I hadn't realized that it took her a month. Her treatment began by rubbing oil on his body for many days. She says, "Kahuli and Kahela are the oils I shall use." What are these Kahuli and Kahela oils???

In the index of the Hi'iaka book, I see Kahuli, Kahela is the supine woman who owns the 'awa drinking house. I remember Auntie Margaret used oils blended with 'awa.

I loved the neatness of the 'awa explanation, but then found another reference to Kahela and Kahuli in the book, Kepelino's Traditions, p. 185, in a Prayer to the God, Alalalahe, the god of love. A footnote states, "Kahuli and Kahela refer to the billows of the ocean Haalewawahilani, now the Arctic Ocean."

Then one morning I woke up knowing that kahuli was in the first line of the Kumulipo and wondering if kahela was in it. John Charlot notes that the second section (lines 8b--14) invokes female goddesses - the first in a sexual position: "Oh Kahela, the female who lies down with her face up." That is, supine, as is the 'awa drinking woman. Charlot says she is called upon to be active: E ala!

The next lines describe the rain, mists, and spray, traditional poetic symbols for sexual activity. Then comes the wave from Kahiki, origin of the gods, stressing the godly character of the mating. This section ends: E ola! "May there be healthy, vigorous life! May it live!"

I've also discovered that Kahuli-ali'i and Kahela are the names of stars, and of course kahela and hela refer to several hula steps.

How wonderful the ways of Hawaiians! What does this all mean?

We must remember that they speak in poetry. To fully understand this we must not only know Hawaiian, but about the legends, the lands, the plants, the 'olelo no'eau and more. There is so much more research that can be done on these two words. Are they in Kamakau, Malo, and elsewhere? Are there medicinal plants with these names? Are there place names that include these words? What is the meaning of a woman supine?

I am not adept at any of that. Being Western educated, I am quite lineal and literal (being a lawyer only makes it worse)! Having said that - One of the persistent quiet things that has been said about lomilomi is that there is a sexual component to it, as discussed in the Appendix on Temple Style in my Na Mo'olelo Lomilomi book.

The word kahuli means a complete turning, reversal, and that is what is sought in raising Lohi'au from the dead. Kahela, if it invokes a sacred mating, we can see it naturally being necessary before a rebirth.

I invite you to share your mana'o about these words. Have you heard or seen them before? What do Kahuli and Kahela mean to you to help in understanding the true meaning of lomilomi?

update:

Kahuli is the name of land snails that make a singing sound. Also, in the myth of Haumea as the patroness of childbirth, it is said, "The name of the remedy [for childbirth] is Ka-lau-o-ke-kahuli and its blossom is Kani-ka-wi. It is a tree to be fondled and its blossom is beautiful. The girl ate of it according to instructions. When the child was coming Muleiula felt it being forced out by the plant. Haumea pressed herself against the thigh. After the baby was born, through Haumea’s power the tree rose and flew and landed at Puʻukumu, Waihee, on Maui, and there it grew."

Mythologically, the dunes that run from Iao Stream to Waihee were built by the goddess Haumea to protect the sacred tree Kalaukekahuli. According to Fisher, the Hawaiians believed that Haumea, goddess of childbirth, built them to protect an ancient “tree of changing leaves” called Kalaukekahuli. In the story, she is given this tree in reward for a painless delivery, and plants it at Pu‘ukumu, a hill behind the site where Waihe‘e School now stands. Legend holds that while Haumea is away, a man climbs the dunes and cuts the tree down. For 20 days and nights a storm rages and the tree washes out to sea. But branches show up on shore, and from these spring various gods—sacred images are carved in the wood, and different heiau are built to house them on Maui.

Kolekolea is another name for kahuli (land snails) and for moana (goatfish). Interestingly, Koleamoku is connected with healing.

Research continues!

Aloha Pali Jae Lee

2009-05-26T22:04:00.002-10:00

Our dear Pali, author of Tales from the Night Rainbow and Ho'opono, passed away a few weeks ago. I miss her! At her memorial service, held at the Friends Meeting House, I could feel her kicking my butt to finish my book on Huna and get it published. I also felt her great love for Hawaiian culture, and it was a pleasure to meet all the others whose lives she had touched. We are so fortunate that she spent some time with us here on earth. Her books are gems that will be treasured forever.

Time for abundance thinking

2009-01-15T18:05:00.004-10:00

As we begin the new year, some people are fearful about the economy and how it will affect their practices. In times like these, your regular clients may cut back but they will continue to come. Other clients who used to go to high-priced spas will be looking for less expensive places to get lomilomi. Once they come and experience authentic lomilomi, they will see what they have been missing and become regular clients. Others who usually go on trips will cut back their travel plans and be looking for a half-day "mini vacation" locally. All of these are opportunities for practitioners to expand their practices. Look for ways to suggest to people that the best thing to help them through hard times is a lomilomi.

Another idea is to think back to the kupuna who never accepted money but instead were "paid" in food or services. Now is a great time to offer barter. In fact, one of the reasons I went to massage school was because I thought if things ever got really bad in the economy, I'd better have a skill I could barter.

Stay positive, work hard, and abundance will be yours.

How we chose kumu to be in the book

2008-08-03T22:49:00.002-10:00

Someone just asked me what process photographer John Kalani Zak and I went through to pick the kumu lomi in our book, Hawaiian Massage Lomilomi.

We started of course with the luminaries of lomilomi and la'au lapa'au - Henry Auwae, Margaret Machado, Kahu Abraham, Kalua Kaiahua. But we wanted to show the younger generations, too. We called people we knew mostly through the Hawaiian Lomilomi Association. Others I knew from working at the Lomi Shop.

But we always felt it was really God's decision as to who got in the book. Some people were available, others were not. It always seemed to be in Divine Order.

One of my favorite moments came when we met to take pictures of kumu Alva Andrews at Bellows Beach. We envisioned a deserted stretch of sand and sea. Instead, the beach and ocean were teeming with people. As we stood there waiting for Alva and wondering what to do, it began to rain. Then it began to pour. Everyone packed up their stuff and left the beach. 10 minutes later Alva arrived, the sun came out, and we got our pictures.

Mahalo ke Akua!

Missionaries Enjoyed Lomi-lomi

2008-05-25T20:50:00.005-10:00

A persistent myth is that the missionaries condemned lomilomi or made it illegal. The missionaries enjoyed lomi. Hiram Bingham was a zealot in every sense of the word. He's the one the book and movie, Hawaii, are based on. In his book he writes that he received lomi and appreciated it for relief of sore muscles.

As discussed in my book, Na Mo'olelo Lomilomi, lomi was never made illegal. It was, however, regulated along with massage beginning in 1947.

Do therapists need protection from negative energy?

2008-04-18T21:14:00.003-10:00

I just found a hilarious interview of Auntie Margaret commenting on Hew Len.

A few weeks ago, a friend called and asked if I had ever read anything about how lomilomi practitioners protected themselves from picking up negative energy from a client. At the time, all I remembered was Auntie Margaret Machado's insistence that we protect our client from our own negative energy. While doing lomilomi it is very important to maintain healing thoughts.

Yesterday I was in my favorite place - the Bishop Museum Archives - and in the course of looking for information on ho'oponopono, I found an oral history with Auntie Margaret from 1997.

Question: Do you feel that you can pick up any kind of negative energy from people at all?

Auntie Margaret: No. Not at all! How can I pick it up! You can't pick it up.

Q: I heard Stan Hew Len. He was talking about that whole process, ... with Morrnah Simmeona.

Auntie Margaret: Oh, well, Morrnah Simmeona was taking the test [to become a licensed massage therapist] the same time I was taking for my teaching ... I don't know.

Q: I heard Stanley say ... that anyone who does massage kind of work, all they're doing is picking up all the negative energy from people.

Auntie Margaret: Oh please.

Q: And he said you should never go in the ocean or in the swimming pool, because of all the negative energy.

Auntie Margaret: No. No such thing."

I love that part - Oh please!

another meaning for lomilomi

2008-02-14T22:39:00.003-10:00

I was browsing one of my favorite books, "A Treasury of Hawaiian Words in 101 Categories" by Col Winfield Kent, former President of Kamehameha Schools. After giving the usual definition of lomilomi, he gives this one:

"to act upon, as the spirit of God acts upon the heart."

Isn't that marvelous? And so true of authentic lomilomi.

The Question of Pay for Lomilomi

2008-02-10T21:29:00.000-10:00

When I did my lomilomi internship at a native-owned spa, I was shocked when one of my Hawaiian co-workers told me she didn't get paid. She was there 6 days a week, 8 hours a day, and did not receive any pay. She did accept tips or ho'okupu from the clients, and they often brought her gifts, but nothing from the store. When I asked her why, she said, "Lomilomi is a gift from God. If I were to charge for it, He would take it away from me."

I was so inspired and touched by what she said that I vowed not to charge when I went into practice. I do have to admit, though, that I cheated a little bit because when people asked me what I charged I would say, "The spa where I work charges $60, but I do it by donation." Giving that dollar figure first is a sales technique called bracketing -- it gets the person thinking in the area you'd like them to give. And it more or less worked. Everyone paid. But I have to admit that it felt like a job. Over the years I let go of client after client, until I had only one. He was an old man, and he was dying.

One day he told me that he could no longer see me because he could not afford to pay me what he had been paying. Obviously, he had forgotten it was a donation. I told him, "I will still come and see you every week, and I'm glad you aren't going to pay me anymore." It stopped feeling like a job and became a wonderful time together. I was with him through the end -- the only person who came to see him. He gave me so much in that last year when he stopped paying.

I completely understand people who do charge for lomilomi and personally do not have a problem with it. I was just fortunate that at that time I was able to do lomilomi without charge. I no longer give lomilomi outside of the family, instead seeking to make a living by writing and speaking about Hawaiian healing traditions. I hope and trust that my work is pono.

Another view on client calls

2008-02-06T22:35:00.000-10:00

The day after I posted the blog below, I went to a program led by two haumana of Papa Henry Auwae. They said when people called to see Papa, there was only one question they would ask, "Do you believe in God?" because if the person said no, he couldn't help them.

These haumana still practice Papa's way. They do not accept money, nor will they volunteer their services. They will only help if asked. They are on call 24/7. They never get a vacation. That is their kuleana.

How precious that they and many others are perpetuating the traditions. And how wonderful those who are melding lomilomi with Western business practices. Everyone is helping others in their own way.

The kumu never called back?

2008-01-30T20:42:00.000-10:00

A friend recently told me that he had referred a client to one of the kumu in the Hawaiian Massage Lomilomi book, and the kumu had not returned the phone call. How rude! A few minutes later, a different kumu called me. I asked, "Did you hear from the woman I referred to you?" The kumu said, "Yes! She called and wanted 4 sessions for her and her friends later the same day. I called around for 40 minutes to find 2 extra practitioners available on short notice. Then the lady called back and canceled because there was a television program she wanted to watch instead."

I encourage all kumu to set a tone with the clients from the very beginning. Establish that you are a master, not easily available. This is not an act - it is true. We sometimes so want to please people, to help them, that we drop everything. But they need to know from the first moment they call us they need to slow down, be open and stay flexible.

Your phone message machine is a good place to start. Leave a warm message that thanks them for calling, but that also says something along these lines:

Aloha! Mahalo, thank you, for calling. I love to work with new clients, and I have a full schedule of classes and appointments. Please leave a message with the dates and times you would like an appointment. We see clients [dates and times]. You will need 2 hours for your time here, so you can relax, prepare, receive a one hour treatment, relax and get ready to leave. The more open you are with dates and times, the more likely you will get an appointment. If we do not have an opening we will not call you back. Usually we return calls within 24 hours. Mahalo!

Then when you make an appointment with someone, I would suggest you get their credit card number and inform them you will charge if they cancel with less than 72 hours notice. Yes, I'm sure that's not a traditional Hawaiian practice, but we're not talking about traditional Hawaiians who are seeking your services. These are people who unfortunately are used to dealing with businesses and do not consider the human impact their behavior has. I like to say to kumu who feel uncomfortable charging for their services that you are not charging for what you do. You are charging for your time and travel.

If you have other thoughts on this I would love to hear them.

Makana

More Rules to Live By

2007-11-12T15:43:00.000-10:00

At the Hawaiian Lomilomi Association conference this past October, Kauhi Ho'opi'i referred to my prior post giving Aunty Mona Kahele's "Rules to Live By." Kauhi had his own set of rules, which I love, and he gave me permission to reprint them here:

1. Put your love and trust in God
2. Respect others
3. Mastery of self
4. Find "Joy" in service
5. There is no room for "EGO"
6. Learn to forgive yourself and others
7. Always be teachable

I love all of these, but the last one especially. Though Kauhi was a featured speaker at the event, he always deferred to the kupuna, paid attention during the presentations and continued to learn. How many people do we see take a weekend lomi class and then begin teaching others, never to take a class again? Kupuna Kaneakua, who is in his 70s, recently told me about a class he just took. These are the best teachers - the ones who know they will never be masters, because there is always more to learn.

That's one of the reasons I wrote my books. The wisdom of the kupuna in those books can be read again and again, and we will always learn something new. www.LomilomiBook.com

Beyond a Lomilomi How-To, This Book is a Why-To

2007-07-12T22:20:00.000-10:00

At first glance, this book appears to be simply 120 gorgeous photographs of native healers giving Hawaiian massage to beautiful men and women in spectacular settings on the beach, in the rain forest and in their hale ola (house of healing). With 70 inspirational quotes from historic and contemporary kahuna (masters) and kupuna (elders), it is not a traditional how-to book.

But on reflection, this book is far more advanced than a step-by-step protocol. Study the photos of practitioners in action to understand the basics of the physical movements. But you will see more than that. You will see the spirit of this ancient practice. From the moment you touch the sumptuous paper, you step into the sacred world of Hawaiian healing. Each stunning picture and wisdom quote evokes a feeling in your heart. As you take in each page, you feel that lomilomi is less about what the therapists do and more about why they do it. As Allen Alapa‘i, one of the featured kumu or teachers says, “Life is a feeling, not a thinking.”

This is a book to be savored again and again. Spend a few moments each morning meditating on a picture and quote. As you move through the sections on love of the land, prayer, breath and loving touch you gain a new perspective and bring a new spirit to your life. You learn the Hawaiian way to “gather the vibration of the plentiful.” You bring the sacred touch of aloha into your life.

To begin your journey, order the book now.

Mahalo,

Makana

The diversity of lomilomi

2007-06-08T00:32:00.000-10:00

Our new book, Hawaiian Massage Lomilomi: sacred touch of aloha, will be out in October but already has gathered comments. One man looked at the list of kumu in the book and said, "Oh, you have Papa Henry Auwae! Your book must be pretty good." Then he kept reading down the list and pointed to another name, "You have this guy in your book??? I don't respect him at all." I said, "We have 36 practitioners in the book. I guarantee no one is going to agree with everyone in here, but you will agree with at least one."

One kupuna told me that we don't have all of the masters in the book. I said, "I hope not! I hope there are more masters than will fit in one book. I intend to create many more books as I meet more kupuna."

This book showcases the diversity of lomilomi. And there is much more diversity that I have yet to see. For my next projects, I am working one-on-one with kumu to bring forth their own books in their own words. Hopefully, my researches into authentic traditional lomilomi will last my life time. I hope to leave behind a library of books on lomilomi and Hawaiian healing!

Romi or Lomi?

2007-04-02T10:07:00.000-10:00

I found a web site recently for people who teach Romi rather than Lomi. They say, "Romi is the ancient word for Lomi." Romi is actually the Tahitian word for Lomi. Probably the word in Tahitian and Hawaiian originally was the same, with a sound somewhere between an R and an L. The missionaries who went to Tahiti heard "R" and those who came to Hawai'i heard "L." Whether you teach Romi or Lomi, it's all good - just get your history right!

More on the Secret Languages of Hawaiians

2007-03-04T21:21:00.000-10:00

In Mona Kahele's book, Clouds of Memories, she writes about a code that was used by one chief to another. What was said:

There's the breadfruit
Landing at the water's edge of Two Cliffs
About four or five counts
Pick all of them and steam them.

Actual meaning of the code:

There are the men
Landing at the edge of the shore between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa
About 160 to 200 men
Attack and kill all of them.

Aunty Mona goes on to say there is more to the code than this translation; it is also a riddle and a parable.

How wonderful the ways of the Hawaiians of old! We will never understand their secrets simply by translating root words from Hawaiian to English.

Real Hawaiian Rules for Living

2007-02-26T08:43:00.000-10:00

A web page purporting to give Hawaiian rules for living had some wonderful sentiments such as "no rain - no rainbows." Maybe the people of old said such things, but a book from kupuna Mona Kahele, Clouds of Memories, had the list of rules she learned from her kupuna in the 1930s and 40s:

1. Remember God and prayers.
2. Respect your elders and kupuna.
3. Always listen and watch how things are done.
4. Always speak your language, never mind the haole.
5. When kupuna speak, you shut up, no questions asked.
6. At all times you must learn your culture whether you like it or not.
7. Watch and learn by observing.
8. Make sure you finish what you start.
9. Work is the main thing in life.

I have heard these rules from other Native Hawaiian elders and believe they are authentic.

What is Hawaiian?

2006-11-06T15:17:00.000-10:00

My passion in life is publishing accurate information about Native Hawaiian culture. But as a kupuna recently pointed out to me, we have to be clear about which Native Hawaiian culture we are speaking of. She divides it into the Hawaiian period (settlement to about 1250 CE), Tahitian (Pa’ao to Kamehameha), the Monarchy (1819 to 1893) and the American era (1893 to now). Most of what we know from Malo, Kamakau, Pukui, and other Hawaiian historians about “old Hawaii” is from the Tahitian period. For example, ali’i chiefs came to power only after Pa’ao. (If you do not know about Pa’ao, here is a place to start http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pa'ao)

I am sorry to say that I have not been as precise as necessary in my writing. I can only promise to be better in the future!

In a related development, a recent blog from a self-described “Huna lady” said, “There are no Native Hawaiians.” I wrote and asked her why she said that and she said because they came from somewhere else. Well, according to DNA research we are all originally African. But that doesn’t mean we should ignore all of the beautiful ways we have evolved and the diverse cultures of the world. So I will continue to write about the cultures that are uniquely Hawaiian.

Kake – The Secrets of the Kahuna

2006-10-22T21:54:00.000-10:00

Like Huna people, I love to break Hawaiian words into root words to try to understand their deeper meanings. This is an authentic way to begin to understand the richness and complexity of the Hawaiian language.

Huna people say that the kahuna hid their secrets in their words. But if the kahuna had secrets, do you think they would “hide” them in such a way that they could be understood by every Native Hawaiian, or any haole with a Hawaiian dictionary? I don’t think so!

The kahuna and chiefs did have a secret way of speaking, but it was not to be found in root words. They referred to it as kake (with a macron over the e). The best definition of kake comes from a wonderful resource book, “Treasury of Hawaiian Words in One Hundred and One Categories,” compiled by Harold Winfield Kent, former President of Kamehameha Schools.

Kent defines kake as, “Artificial language made by transposing syllables. It was used in speaking, writing, and in chants. The purpose of the garbled communication was to hide the meaning from any but the initiates.”

Missionary Lorrin Andrews in his 1865 Dictionary writes, “it is made by transposing the letters of words and by giving words new meanings; it is used mostly, if not always, for vile, lascivious purposes.”

Andrews was fairly straightforward when it came to defining words relating to sorcery, healing, and sexuality, so I don’t know what he might mean by vile and lascivious.

I’ve spoken with several Hawaiians who have heard of kake, but who told me no more than the above. My research continues. If you know of any resources or wish to shed light on this subject, I would love to hear from you.

by Makana Risser Chai
editor, Bishop Museum book on Hawaiian healing massage
www.MakanaChai.com
copyright 2006 all rights reserved by Makana Chai

Kaona, the Real Huna

2006-10-02T21:59:00.000-10:00

Teachers of Huna speak of it as the “secrets” of the ancient kahuna (experts) of Hawai’i. I am still researching to what extent Huna is authentic Hawaiian.

What I do know is that if you really want to know the secrets and mysteries of the Hawaiians, you need to know kaona (kao-na).

Kaona is defined in the standard Pukui and Elbert dictionary as

“Hidden meaning, as in Hawaiian poetry; concealed reference, as to a person, thing, or place; words with double meanings that might bring good or bad fortune.”

These are not hidden meanings that can be understood by simply breaking the words into “root words” as is done in Huna. These hidden meanings can only be understood by those with an intimate understanding of Hawaiian legends, cosmology, history, and world-view.

For example, in one old document from an elder kahuna of the 19th century, medical doctors diagnosed illnesses by setting down pebbles on a mat in the same way that Lonoikamakahiki played konane (checkers) with his wife, Kaikilanialiiwahine-o-Puna, at Kalaupapa, Molokai.

I have no idea what that means. Even if I researched it and found the legend itself, I would never understand the nuances of the god-chiefs who played, the deeper meaning of the konane game, and what energies Puna, Kalaupapa and Molokai evoke.

There are innumerable examples from chants, prayers, songs, proverbs, and wise sayings. Theodore Kelsay translated an old prayer and took 2 pages to describe the hidden meaning of the first sentence. In ‘Olelo No’eau, Mary Kawena Pukui explains poetical sayings with a few sentences that raise more questions than they answer.

Who today can understand the fullness of Hawaiian traditions? Certainly not me. My hope is to present the traditions as documented by the Hawaiians so that others with more knowledge and wisdom can interpret them in light of kaona.

by Makana Risser Chai
editor, Bishop Museum book on Hawaiian heaing massage
www.MakanaChai.com
copyright 2006 all rights reserved by Makana Chai

'ili 'ili stones

2006-09-17T22:26:00.000-10:00

A recent email from Australia asked about ‘ili ‘ili stones. These pebbles were used to teach anatomy in old Hawai’i. According to one oral history from a kahuna of the 19th century (quoted in my book at 115), "In learning this method of diagnosing diseases, a pupil was trained by working his fingers over 480 pebbles that were laid down in the shape of a man. And on this pebble shape he practised how to feel out with his fingers the different diseases found in man. It was said that by this method of diagnosing, 280 diseases could be found." Another old document says "There are eight classes of diseases found in man; and 54 of the diseases could be located by this method of diagnosis."

There were 3 colors, red, white and black. The students had to learn to do it blindfolded, so I believe that the pebbles also had texture and energy. In the Pukui dictionary, the word 'ili means, in addition to pebble, skin, complexion, hide, pelt, scalp, bark, rind, peel, leather, surface, area. That would seem to imply that pebbles are distinguished by feel. Another meaning of 'ili 'ili is piled up, which makes me think they also would pile the pebbles to show swellings. They were very concerned with swellings, as seen in my book’s appendix on pehu.

According to the Territorial Board of Health's publication translated by Malcolm Chun (and quoted by Chun in his Must We Wait in Despair), Makaloa (sedge) mats, sometimes called pawehe mats after the type of weaving designs used, were also utilized. "Instruction of astronomy and Haha healing were done on Makaloa mats that had been woven [for that purpose]... [people] were taught by arranging small 'Ala [dense waterworn volcanic stone] pebbles given individual names, on some 365 meshes of the mat. This was also the same way for the practice of the Haha priests to use the same number of pebbles to show the Haha chart (papa Haha)"

Some teachers had the students put the pebbles on an ekahaloa mat, others on a lauhala mat and others on the beach. I think that's just preference, not significant. Most of the stories are about using the pebbles in medical training. But Aunty Mona Kahele in John Zak's DVD, Hawaiian Healing, said her grandfather kept a sand pit on the side of the yard surrounded by a fence and a chicken wire top which was kapu, where he laid out his pebbles. In the older texts and oral histories, kahuna diagnosed by palpating, praying and dreaming.

I am very interested in pohaku, stones. My husband, who is a Hawaiian artist, attracts stones to our home. There are many strange and wonderful stories about stones. My favorite is about the ‘ili ‘ili hanau, the birth stones of Koloa in Puna, Hawai’i. These stones are known to mate and create baby pebbles that are in the same shape as the parents. Moke Kupihea’s book, the Seven Dawns of the Aumakua, has a great story about these pebbles.

My book talks more about ‘ili ‘ili pebbles at pages 29, 115, 117, 118, and there is more in Samuel Kamakau’s book, People of Old. There is also a photograph of a reconstructed "stone man" in the book, Daughters of Haumea.

by Makana Risser Chai
http://hawaiianmassagelomilomi.blogspot.com/
http://www.MakanaChai.com

Using Hot Stones – guest blog by Kumu Dane Kaohelani Silva

2006-08-20T21:53:00.000-10:00

Editor’s Note from Makana Risser Chai:

[A 2006 newspaper article sparked an email conversation among some kumu lomi (teachers of lomilomi Hawaiian massage) about the traditional use of hot stones for lomilomi. In my research in the Bishop Museum Archives, I found few mentions of hot rocks. In my book, Na Mo’olelo Lomilomi, are quotes from kahuna la’au lapa’au (medical priests) who used stones to heat salt or la’au (herbal medicine). There’s an eye-witness account about rolling heavy round stones up and down the back for compression. But I could find nothing written about rubbing the body with bare hot stones as is done today, or laying bare hot rocks on the body.

[Kumu Dane Kaohelani Silva sent this delightful description of what he learned from Uncle Harry Mitchell of Keanae, and also talks about an event with Papa Henry Auwae. I love his stories of using an umu, a shallow version of an imu oven, lined with hot rocks. They would lie in the umu to heat and relax their backs.

[Kumu Dane is a Native Hawaiian teacher of lomilomi. He was trained in lua (martial art) and lomilomi both in his family and from noted traditional practitioners. Dane is a Doctor of Chiropractic and Licensed Massage Therapist.]

"Hot Rock Soup" – guest blog by Kumu Dane Kaohelani Silva

Traditional kahuna la'au lapa'au used hot stones to treat their patients. Sometimes they used it on la'au, and sometimes they used it to kahi [rub] the patient. Stroking downward from the houpo (ie. area inferior to the xiphoid process) to the area just above the symphysis pubis is one specific technique where a stone was used. This was used to treat heartburn, esophagitis, and symptoms of hiatal hernia. Research may reveal this method was used for the treatment of "huli opu."

Uncle Harry Mitchell of Keanae [Maui] taught me about the use of hot stones with la'au (eg. koli leaves). He learned that practice from someone else, probably his grandparents. He passed on around 1990 or '91. Uncle Harry was the kupuna la'au lapa'au who led the renaissance on Hawaiian medicine, back in the mid 80's. At that time, no one that I know of was using hot stones for anything other than cooking in the imu or firewalking.

I don't know if Uncle Harry taught this to anyone else. I treated this information as a trade secret, from one la'au lapa'au to another. Uncle Harry said that la'au was used with hot stones for lomi. He didn't specify whether the stones were held in the hand and slid over the body during lomi. He did say that the stones were used to heat the la'au which were placed on the body. Like other kupuna la'au lapa'au, Uncle Harry did not micromanage the knowledge that he shared; rather, he allowed his haumana and colleagues the unique opportunity to explore the different possibilities of using that shared mana'o. Uncle Harry was a humble master of la'au, kilohoku, lawai'a, mahi'ai, and haku mele.

Prior to that information from Uncle Harry, I used hot stones in an umu. The umu is more shallow than an imu, but serves the same purpose. During the early '70s, we used the umu for cooking. After cooking, I covered the stones with sand. Then I covered the sand with a grass mat. Then we laid on the heated area to relax our back muscles. The heat lasts for hours. I remember one time in Punalu'u, Ka'u when Uncle Harry was cooking up some 'awa roots for the Makahiki Ceremony while I was preparing the umu on the black sand beach. The hot stones lasted through the night.

Around 1988, I began to use the stones in the East Hawai'i Clinic (formerly MAE 629) on various trigger points, with koli leaves or castor oli packs to treat TMJ, low back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, lateral and medial epicondylitis, plantar fasciitis, etc. Sometimes I used ti or 'awa leaves. Nowadays, I also use noni leaves, again based on personal information from Uncle Harry. The heated koli leaves made me feel sleepy and dizzy, so I performed that lomi on my last clients
of the day/night.

Today, I continue to use the stones with la'au on specific areas of the body, which I call stresspoints. These are not only trigger points, but places where stress causes a blockade (eg. injury, spasm, stagnation) of the normal flow of life force.

Hot stones release infra-red energy deep into the tissues of the body. This energy is useful for releasing stagnant life force.

During a training camp on Lanai with Papa Auwae and the kupuna la'au lapa'au o Hawai'i, about 15 years ago, I heated a hand stone in the fireplace. Sprinkling it with cold water to regulate the heat from the stone, I then applied it to the scar tissue of the shoulder of one of the MD's who accompanied our group. He moaned loudly as the heat penetrated the scar tissue. I used the hot stone to lomi and mold the knotted scar tissue, releasing the blocked energy. The next day, he was "good to go."

I believe that heated stones were used by North Americans and Europeans to keep their feet warm during the cold nights, back in the day. The use of stones and heated stones is a methodology that is useful for all healers, maoli or haole. The past is pau; the future is now.
Imua!

Dane Kaohelani Silva

Temple Bodywork, Lomilomi Nui, and Kahu Abraham

2006-08-14T10:18:00.000-10:00

According to Nancy Kahalewai in her book, Hawaiian Lomilomi (2nd edition):

“Outside of the Hawaiian Islands, temple bodywork is the most common type of ‘Hawaiian massage’ being done in the world. Its founder is the late Abraham Kawai’i DeCambra, who lived on Kaua’i until he passed away in June of 2004.”

According to Kahalewai, various versions of this bodywork involve five specific practices: use of forearm strokes with oil, “dancing” foot movements, chanting by the practitioner, nudity of the patient, and in some cases “sacred sexual rituals.”

My husband and I met Ho’okahi, the widow of Abraham Kawai'i, and found her to be a sincere, warm-hearted and loving person. I interviewed her several times, and saw hours of videotape of Abraham. Ho'okahi said that he did teach a style that used forearms, oil, and movement. The movement was not "dancing" but rather fluid rhythm based on particular sequences of steps. He did not chant before or while giving lomilomi. He did not display nude bodies, but used top and bottom sheets and always draped appropriately. He never taught nor demonstrated sexual touching. He disavowed former students of his who taught it using his name. Several who are renown for teaching “his” method never studied with him. Ho’okahi may be contacted (www.napuaolohe.com) to find out who is authorized to teach his method.

Kahu Abraham called his method "romi kaparere" or "kahuna bodywork," and though he said he studied with 9 teachers, including family members, he declined to name them. He did not claim his style was passed down to him, but said he developed this work out of the depth of awareness of his own body.

I have apologized to Ho’okahi and Kahu Abraham for the mistakes in my book about him. It is a good lesson to remember to “nana i ke kumu” – look to the source. Auntie Margaret and Kahu Abraham both have been victims of people who claim to be their students who do not have their permission to teach, and in some cases who have not even taken classes from them. Auntie Margaret and Kahu Abraham have family members who perpetuate their teachings. Go to them to find out the truth.

Limitations of Traditional Lomilomi

2006-08-06T11:00:00.000-10:00

Many lomilomi practitioners have studied the old ways and seek to duplicate them. It is good to learn what was known by the kupuna. At the same time, we need to be mindful of recent discoveries in the science of the body, so that we do no harm to our patients.

A kupuna lomi told me about one of her teachers, who had learned traditional lomilomi in his ohana. The teacher learned to stroke down the leg, from knee to toe. This is not recommended today for anyone, and especially for people with diabetes. And, in fact, after the teacher gave downward-stroking lomi to a diabetic, the patient’s leg had to be amputated.

Perhaps amputation was inevitable and not the fault of the teacher. But the fact is this teacher had no knowledge that this treatment was potentially dangerous. Having been taught only in traditional lomilomi, he did not learn this – because the people of old did not have diabetes. It is an illness of the modern age.

This teacher has brought healing to many patients who have come to him. He has had an almost miraculous effect in many people’s lives. There is much we can learn from him.

But we must also learn the science – anatomy, biology, chemistry, DNA, all of it – if we are to be practitioners in the Hawaiian tradition. As discussed in George Kanahele’s book, Ku Kanaka, the Hawaiians of old were great scientists. They were skilled in the science of their times. If we hope to achieve their level of skill, we must learn the science of today, and combine it with the physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of lomilomi.

Finding a Lomilomi Teacher

2006-07-25T08:23:00.001-10:00

Auntie Margaret Machado and her daughter Nerita have watched with sadness as people advertise that they are teaching Auntie’s way, when they are not. Some of them did take a beginning class with them, but not the advanced. More important, they did not ask for permission to teach. Others took the advanced class, but have added their own interpretation to Auntie’s methods. For example, there is a 1982 booklet that reprinted much of Auntie’s work without permission or even mentioning her, and then adds in other information that is not from Auntie.

Other respected teachers have similar stories. Students fly in for a weekend, go back home, and declare themselves teachers. But the Hawaiian of old studied for 15 or more years just to become a practitioner. To become a teacher took many more years of study and practice.

Anyone who wants to study lomilomi would do well to investigate the teacher and his or her teachers. [By the way, I’m not a teacher, nor do I get referral fees, so I think I’m objective on this issue.] Some questions you might ask: Who did you study with? How long was the class you took? How long have you been practicing lomilomi? How long have you been teaching lomilomi? Do you have permission from your teacher to teach? Are you teaching only what you learned from that teacher or have you added teachings from other sources?(Of course, this assumes people will answer truthfully.)

Please comment if you have other suggestions for good questions to ask.

Some other recommendations:

The teachers listed with the Hawaiian Lomilomi Association all have been trained by recognized teachers, and have permission to teach. http://www.lomilomi.org/instructors

Our book Hawaiian Massage Lomilomi lists some of the most respected teachers in the islands, along with their contact information. Whenever anyone asks me to recommend a teacher, I tell them that each teacher is perfect for some students. I suggest they look at the pictures in the book and they will feel which one is right for them. So far, everyone who has done that has been pleased with the results.

What is authentic lomilomi?

2006-07-24T22:33:00.000-10:00

Lomilomi was first documented during Captain Cook’s voyage in 1779, and today is practiced throughout Hawaii, Europe and Japan. Popularly known as Hawaiian massage, historical documents prove it is much more than simply massage.

Traditionally, lomilomi was practiced by every member of the family. Children performed it on adults (by walking on their backs), adults on children, and adults on each other. It was used to remedy common illnesses such as headaches, colds, fevers, low back pain and rheumatic joints.

Kahuna la’au lapa’au (medical priests) used lomilomi as physical therapy to remedy more serious problems. Using massage, herbal medicine, chiropractic, osteopathy, physical therapy, colonics, steam baths and, most importantly, prayer, forgiveness and ho’oponopono (reconciliation), they prevented and cured injury and disease. They cured compound fractures in days, and revived people from the dead. Lomilomi was part of the care for pregnancy, childbirth and early child development.

Olohe lua (martial arts masters) taught lomilomi to their haumana (students). It was said that lomilomi is the foundation for the training of lua. Before learning how to maim, the warrior must first know how the bones, muscles, joints and nerves work, where the vulnerabilities are, and how to repair injuries.

Lomilomi was practiced by servants to the ali’i, the kings and queens, who enjoyed it as a luxury of life as well as a remedy for indigestion. Women ali’i also enjoyed lomilomi performed by the kualapehu, defined by native historian Mary Kawena Pukui as a pugilist in the high chief’s court, a muscular young man who might also be asked to massage a chiefess or have relations with her.

Given all these different uses, it is no wonder there are many different styles of lomilomi today. In addition, as an indigenous practice, lomilomi varied from island to island, from one ahupua’a (land division) to another, among ohana (families) and individual practitioners. Traditionally, Hawaiians respected differences among practitioners. An old Hawaiian proverb says, “A'ohe i pau ka ‘ike i ho’okahi halau” - all wisdom is not taught in one school.

Differences among practitioners traditionally had to do with the physical aspects of lomilomi, but historically they agreed that healing begins with pule, prayer. There was even a goddess of massage, Hamoea. Emma Akana Olmstead, an elder of Hana, Maui, said in 1933:

“When a treatment is to be given, the one who gives the treatment first plucks the herbs to be used. He prays as he picks the herbs. No one should call him back or distract his attention, all should be as still as possible for they do not want the vibration broken.

“They knew the laws of vibration. They knew the power of the spoken word. They knew Nature. They gathered the vibration of the plentiful.”

Lomilomi is often called “loving touch,” and that love flows from this spiritual foundation. A description by Martha Noyes of the work of Papa Kalua Kaiahua shows it is more than a massage technique:

“I remember an old woman who had cancer that had already metastasized. She’d been through chemotherapy, but she was dying. Papa made no effort to be objective or detached. He felt the woman’s pain. He touched her in affection, brushed away her tears, stroked her forehead, embraced her and kissed her. Papa went to her, right where she was, and knelt on the floor beside her so he could work on her body without moving her. Her dignity was intact. Her spirit was supported. Her feelings were accepted. Her value was acknowledged.”

Early visitors received treatment for their maladies and wrote many delightful descriptions of restorative massage, such as this one from 1892:

“Our young attendant proceeds to knead and mould our limbs with her small, well-shaped hands, tracing with dexterous fingers the course of the tired muscles, and by her scientific manipulations driving from them all latent aches and causing them to tingle delightfully. Each joint is flexed and reflexed until one feels as supine and limp as a rag, ... and this is prolonged until all symptoms of involuntary resistance have vanished, and he is rolled from side to side and kneaded into a state of bliss that leaves nothing to be desired in the way of perfect rest. There is a glorious feeling stealing over us, and what with the lassitude consequent upon the lomi-lomi-ing, enhanced by the perfect quiet about us and the drowsy influence of the soft air stirring the rustling leaves of the thatch, we drop asleep.”

As lomilomi flourishes in today’s world, practitioners take many different approaches. Some offer what is called lomilomi, which, though it is a wonderful experience, is not traditional. Others offer traditional practices, though they have not traditionally been called lomilomi. For example, massaging with oil is properly called hamohamo. Among authentic traditional practitioners, there are many genuine differences. But these differences seem to be on the physical level. What makes lomilomi authentic is not only what is done with the body, but also with the mind, the heart and the spirit.

by R. Makana Risser Chai
copyright RMR Chai, 2006
reprinted from Inspiration Magazine

Tibetan Medicine and Hawaiian Medicine

2006-06-20T19:34:00.000-10:00

I just saw the movie about Tibetan Medicine, “The Knowledge of Healing.” It is a wonderful overview of the ancient principles and practice, combined with supporting research conducted by physicians and biomedical researchers in Europe.

I was struck by the commonalities between Hawaiian and Tibetan medicine. Watch the Tibetan doctors as they are feeling wrists for pulses, palpating shoulders, and massaging legs. They are in constant physical contact with their patients, thus giving them healing touch.

While the doctor administers the medicine, both he and the patient chant prayers. This works not only on a spiritual level but also on the mental and emotional states of the patient.

One patient is told not to drink or touch cold water after the treatment – common advice in old Hawai’i.

A nun tells the doctor in a matter of fact manner that she was tortured and abused in prison. She says she has trouble sleeping and eating. The doctor briskly attends to his diagnosis and treatment, while tears cloud his eyes. It reminded me of Martha Noyes’ description of Papa Kalua Kaiahua. She said he made no effort to be detached or objective. He laughed and cried with his patients.

There were differences, too. It appeared the Tibetans use only dried herbs and roots, while Hawaiians preferred to pick them fresh the morning the treatment was to be given. However, both Hawaiians and Tibetans use minerals, including coral and shells.

In fact, the part of the movie that really surprised me was how the Tibetans talk about the channels of the body being like waves on the ocean. They spoke knowledgably of wave action, and use coral and shell, when they had lived all their lives in a land-locked country.

The similarity that struck me most was the complexity of the herbal remedies. Both Tibetan and early Hawaiian remedies use a large variety of ingredients, in some cases more than 50 herbs in one dosage. Swiss scientists explained the importance of having a large number of ingredients.

Unfortunately, many in Hawai’i have lost this knowledge. Those who recommend the use of noni for every ailment carry on a folk tradition, but the kahuna la’au lapa’au used noni only as one of many ingredients in elaborate preparations.