Awakening Spirit in the Physical Body
by Donna Jason / Originally published in Natural Awakenings, December 2011
When a person decides to get a massage, it is unlikely that they are thinking, “I need to unravel deep ancestral childhood patterning in order to enlighten my cells and embody divinity in my daily life.” More likely, they are focused on bodily pain, relaxation, stress-relief, or down-to-earth physical maintenance. And yet, when a person makes the choice to receive Lomi Lomi – Hawaiian massage, they may (on a soul level) be ready for fantastic life-altering shifts.
Not all styles of Lomi Lomi focus on awakening spirit in the physical body, but many do. Sacred Lomi®, rooted in “Temple Style” Lomi Lomi (also called Kahuna Bodywork), at its foundation has the intention of awakening the divine in every cell and in the spaces between cells. One name for this work is Ke Ala Hoku or “Pathway to the Stars”, which can be interpreted as “our life’s journey into the infinite realms.”
The massage techniques and Pule (prayers) of Sacred Lomi are designed to release anything that is no longer in alignment with the client’s highest truth; to dislodge cellular memories and replace the body’s detrimental vibrations with pure light, love and aloha. In an unconditionally loving environment, with flowing, nurturing movements, the body and soul are supported to release, transform and allow the infusion of Divine energy.
The fundamental physical movements of Sacred Lomi are circles and figure eights, which like EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, used in treating Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) stimulates the left and right hemispheres of the brain. This process has been known to release deep-seated, repressed memories and emotions. When the emotions and memories are released, room is made for new and beneficial subconscious thoughts. Thus, the body is supported to release anything from the past and come fully into the present.
What makes Sacred Lomi so powerful is multidimensional. On an energetic level, there is a transmission that comes through the trained practitioner from the ancestors and lineage of this work. On a physical and emotional level, the client is being nurtured and held in a totally safe way, as the practitioner continually allows love, aloha and honor to flow through. So no matter what comes up, the client is not alone in their experience. They are accepted and supported on their transformational journey.
The healing process that occurs extends beyond our known lifetime – our DNA carries patterning from our ancestors, which includes both physical and psychological traits. A forty-year-long study at the University of Virginia has provided substantial evidence of reincarnation, documenting children who not only remember past lives, but whose birth marks or defects replicate wounds of experiences from the life they have identified.
Therefore, we are not just embracing our own life; we are embracing a timeless connection to many other lives, potentially our own past lives and our ancestors’. It is within our abilities to support our own evolution and shift patterns from our connection to these lives. With Sacred Lomi, no verbal processing is necessary. Many times the person receiving will not be consciously aware of what they are releasing or where it cam from. It may appear as if nothing really happened during the session. The client may simply surrender into the beautiful, flowing forearm movements that replicate the wind and waves of a tropical island. And sometimes, profound transformation occurs after a session, off the table and in private.
For those interested in learning Lomi Lomi, the process invites them to first receive and experience this profound art for themselves. Reiki practitioners, nurses, spouses and friends, as well as seasoned massage therapists benefit profoundly from learning and integrating this modality.
Receiving the work as part of the learning allows practitioners to experience for themselves the letting-go-process and the infusion of love and light. This practice of receptivity translates into how the work is applied. The Lomi Lomi practitioner must be able to surrender into a receptive space, listening with their entire being for messages and support from the earth, guides, lineage, spirit and the body they are working on. So, in “working” or “offering”, they are also always “receiving.” This is a Shamanic concept, utilized in many shamanic practices both on and off the body.
The practice of receiving while simultaneously giving is represented in the figure-eight (or infinity sign) movement of Sacred Lomi. The figure-eight serves to remind us that if we receive as much as we give, we will not deplete ourselves; our energy is infinite and we are a part of all that exists.
This complex and beautiful art has developed out of the Hawaiian practice of “living aloha”, which in simple terms means to honor divinity in all things seen and unseen; to embrace all that is within and without as part of your ‘Ohana Nui (the great family).
