Lomi
Hawaiian Massage
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     Lomi Lomi is a form of massage practiced from ancient times by the Hawaiian people. Each family had, and many continue to have, their own unique style, passed down from generation to generation by the kupuna, the elders. When I was a girl, at the end of a long work day, the children had the privilege of giving lomi lomi to their parents. 
     In the old days, lomi lomi was done with the "patient" lying on a lau hala mat. Today it can be done on a bed, on a bench, in a chair, or even on a professional massage table! 
     I was taught to use fingers, hands, elbows, arms, feet, and even, sometimes, knees. 
     Coconut oil was, and remains, my favorite massage oil. I add different fragrances, depending on the effect I want to produce.

     Lomi lomi is used for general relaxation, health maintenance, and specific healing. It includes pule (prayer) and alignment of the spirit as well as the body.
     The Hawaiian arts and other cultural practices are wholistic in nature. None is considered more important than another, for they all comprise the fabric which makes up our existence. Think, for example, of a fishnet. Which knot is the most important? All are necessary, or the net is weakened and the fish will escape. Thus, whatever art one learns, some lomi lomi will be taught, and in learning lomi lomi, other arts are taught as well.
     For example, hula dancers learn lomi lomi to enhance their knowledge of their own body mechanics, and to be able to avoid and heal the stresses of the dance form. Lua practitioners (a fighting technique - the word means "pit" and comes from the practice of attacking the various pits or orifices of the body) study lomi lomi for their own body maintenance, to heal their fellow warriors, and because of the duality in Hawaiian philosophy. Those who will injure must also be able to heal.

     There are many styles, and many variants in each style, but a typical session might begin with prayer to center the patient and the practitioner. After the prayer, some discussion of the patient's concerns might take place over a cup of herbal tea or a purgative, as deemed necessary by the practitioner.
     A patient might then be scrubbed with pa`a kai (Hawaiian salt) and wrapped in hot wet cloths to steam toxins from the body, and/or scrubbed in the ocean. 
     Throughout the treatment, the practitioner prays for the health and wellbeing of the patient. 
     Injured areas might be wrapped in la`i (ti leaves) to surround them with the protective mana of the plant, and as a bandage to hold on poultices, to reduce fever, or to increase warmth and blood flow - all depending on how the leaves are prepared and applied.
     Pohaku (stones) might be heated and placed on afflicted areas to add warmth and increase blood flow. The practitioner might use Kahi Loa - "long strokes," a technique of using gentle pressure of the open palm of the hand, or `A`e - walking on the person's back so the full weight of the body can be applied to certain spots. Expert practitioners also were versed in what we now consider chiropractic techniques.
     The patient is expected to be an active participant in lomi lomi, thinking healing thoughts, and conciously releasing any negative feelings. 
     The experience often leaves the patient feeling very "open." As the session ends, the practitioner helps the patient return to the common world through controlled breathing techniques. A few minutes of peace and quiet, closing prayers, and the treatment is "pau."

     Sometimes, the lomi lomi practitioner will determine, by feeling the skin texture, muscle tone, and by other signs, that the patient needs a specific diet. Sometimes specific prayers, or baths are prescribed. This will vary depending on the training of the practitioner and the heritage and customs of the patient. Hawaiian philosophy does not preach "one size fits all," but that "not all knowledge is contained in one school."

     I am not a practitioner of lomi lomi. I only know what we did in my own family. But I have great admiration and respect for the trained practitioners such as Aunty Margaret Machado and Sylvester "Papa K." Kepelino. 

Resources

Hawaiian Lomilomi Association - www.lomilomi.org

Big Island Academy of Massage - www.HiloMassage.com 

One of the most sensible sites with information on Massage and Lomi Lomi that I have found. The "No Hands Massage" alone is worth checking out -  http://www.positivehealth.com/permit/Articles/Massage/Massage.htm