WA State Massage Therapists

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Comment by Taya Countryman LMT on January 11, 2010 at 9:15pm

Tacoma is tough to find a reasonably price place especially since you want something nice. I have not seen this place but I have talked to Nichole and what she has sounds like just what you need. Taya Countryman LMT
Contact: Nichole Connelly :: owner & massage therapist
c: 253.314.4656
e: nurturehealingcenter@gmail.com

Comment by Barbara Helynn Heard on January 6, 2010 at 2:26am

Aloha Julianna, Karen, and the WA state massage discussion group.

(note: I use the terms lomi, lomi lomi and lomilomi synonymously.)

Thank you Julianna for your message. Truly, thank you. Your message highlights for me what lomilomi isn’t, creating an opening for me to speak about what lomilomi is, and about the culture it comes from.

Please know that I am writing today with intent to connect with you as we explore these issues. I’m not seeing right and wrong. Rather, I see multiple ways to look at this situation. I do see your point of view, Julianna. I remember thinking similarly myself not long ago and my attitude caused me difficulty in the Hawaiian community, and elsewhere.

Cultural differences are at play here.


(1) Difference #1: Lomilomi isn’t massage in the western sense. Rather, it is one aspect of the intricately interconnected Hawaiian healing arts grounded in the indigenous, land based, community oriented Hawaiian culture. The Hawaiian culture sees people, nature and Spirit at apexes on the “Lokahi Triangle” – the triangle of harmony. People, nature and Spirit must support each other and be in balance for harmony to exist. Mind, body and spirit are traditionally viewed as integrated and equally important.

The interrelated Hawaiian healing arts include: lomilomi (bodywork), assessment, Hawaiian healing songs and chants, prayer, indigenous herbal medicine, internal cleansing, service to others and ho’oponopono (creating right relationship between people, Spirit and nature). They all work together. Lomilomi doesn’t stand alone.

(2) Difference #2: The opportunity and associated responsibility to teach skills in traditional Hawaiian culture was not freely available to anyone who desired to teach them, as they are in our mainstream, democratic, Western culture. Rather, strict protocol related to teaching was followed. Why?

One reason is because the Hawaiian culture is traditionally an oral culture. The Hawaiian language was put into writing only in about 1820 by American missionaries who immigrated to Hawaii with intent to “convert” or “save” the native people. One of my Hawaiian teachers uses the word “invade” to describe the arrival of missionaries in Hawaii. See the power of words!! These emotionally tinged words tell a big story. But I digress…

As an oral and community-oriented culture, specific people were chosen and trained in various crafts, including the healing arts. These people held the responsibility to maintain, increase and transmit these skills and associated knowledge intact to the next generation. The masters were deliberate in choosing with whom to share knowledge. This was done to preserve the culture and the skills. A student apprenticed with a master for many, many years before being “graduated” and given the responsibility to serve by teaching others.

I know of only one traditional native Hawaiian who regularly teaches lomilomi in Washington state: Aupuni ‘Iwiula. His students study Hawaiian spirituality for two and a half years before being eligible to apply to study lomilomi in his program. Aupuni was specifically directed by his family elders to teach this work. Several years ago I studied his spirituality classes, but not his lomilomi classes.

Although the Hawaiians have freely used writing for almost two hundred years now, the values and practices of the oral traditions persist.

A second reason the opportunity to teach skills in traditional Hawaiian culture was not open for all is because the Hawaiian culture is a “we focused” culture in contrast to our western “me focused” culture. To borrow a word from your message, Julianna, the Hawaiian culture is traditionally a “small town” culture. It is centered in community. “How can I best support the entire community?” is a more relevant question than “what can I do to take care of me and mine?” This reflects a different value system and different way of living.

Having been raised in the United States, individualism has certainly left its imprint on me! I acknowledge the advantages of individualism you describe, Julianna. I also welcome the advantages of truly embracing community.


For those of you interested in more depth related to the teaching of lomilomi in the continental United States today, read on. Here is additional relevant background.

With the arrival of Christian missionaries and western business people in the independent nation of Hawaii in the 1800s, change accelerated. Due to historical forces beyond the scope of this entry, Hawaiian royalty at that time enthusiastically embraced Christianity and western culture. Unfortunately, (in my opinion tragically), this resulted in the suppression of many rich aspects of Hawaiian culture. Among other things, traditional Hawaiian spiritual healing arts were eventually outlawed, punishable by prison time and a large fine. Fortunately for us today, lomilomi did not disappear but rather went underground. The Hawaiian language was disallowed in schools, and was almost totally lost. In the late 1800s the Hawaiian Nation was illegally overthrown and illegally annexed to the United States.

I am deeply grateful for the cultural renaissance occurring today in the native Hawaiian community. This renaissance began in the 1970s, influenced by the civil rights movement of the 1960s. During the 1970s the near century old legal code outlawing traditional spiritual healing arts was repealed, reversed or invalidated. (I’m not sure of the correct legal word.) Doors were opened.

As part of this renaissance, traditional, celestial navigation has been revived with the help of a navigator from Micronesia, the marvelous Hawaiian language (I love this language!!!) is again spoken by many people and is taught in schools, traditional hula is again being practiced, and lomilomi is being publicly shared, not only within Hawaiian families, but also with people worldwide.

After having their culture largely decimated as a result of Western influence, I personally feel humbled that many Hawaiians continue to share their healing arts with me and with others with a true desire to learn.

Beginning in the 1970s two Hawaiian healing masters taught lomilomi to many interested westerners. One was Aunty Margaret Machado, who “walked the rainbow” or “crossed over” just last week at age 93. Many native Hawaiians also studied with Aunty Margaret, and continue to do her work. The style of lomi she taught is often referred to as “traditional lomi”. Mana Lomi®, the lomi I now practice and teach comes through Aunty Margaret’s lineage and was specifically developed by one of her long time apprentices, Dr. Maka’ala Yates, D.C.

Kahu Abraham Kawai’i, who passed away several years ago, also taught lomilomi to lots and lots of westerners. As I understand it, he taught primarily westerns and very few native Hawaiians. The lomi style Kahu Abraham taught, or at least what it has become today, is frequently called “Temple Lomi”. It is very different from the lomi that Aunty Margaret taught, or that Aupuni ‘Iwiula mentioned above teaches.

Over the past 40 years Temple Lomi has certainly been embraced by westerners. It has also, in my personal experience, lost connection with its roots. Universal and New Age teachings have been liberally integrated with it, though it continues to be presented and advertised as Hawaiian. The bodywork itself has also continued to transform as it is passed from hand to hand. My first teacher lomi teacher – from whom I learned a version of Temple Lomi – did not share with me from whom she had learned. My connection with her was severed, when I took classes in Hawaiian spirituality from Aupuni. She said studying with only one teacher at a time was the respectful Hawaiian way. I believe there’s partial truth to that, but that’s another story.

Some Hawaiians today are seriously grieved to have Temple style lomi labeled “Hawaiian bodywork”. For many Hawaiians, Temple lomi doesn’t resemble what they know as Hawaiian lomi. And…. Temple Lomi is being used by some individuals and corporations to “make a living” and to financially profit. At the same time, high percentages of native Hawaiians are at the bottom of the social ladder – experiencing poor health, low levels of education, high levels of drug addition, high percentage in prison, etc. Both the perceived misrepresentation of their culture as well as the social and financial disparity leads to pain and resentment.

I don’t intend to point fingers here. From 1996-2003 I personally practiced and loved a form of Temple style lomilomi. I also co-taught with teachers of Temple influenced lomi until very recently. Temple influenced lomi brought great gifts to my life. When I gradually became aware of the conflict described above, it took me years to resolve the dilemma in my own life.

I have recently stopped co-teaching with teachers who teach Temple influenced lomi because it causes such to people I care about. I certainly don’t have all the answers!!

In addition to practicing lomilomi, I dance hula here in the Seattle area. Here is a quote from my native Hawaiian kumu hula (hula teacher) that relates to the preservation of the culture. As I see it, these concepts apply to lomilomi as well as hula. “It is how you look at ceremony and how you perceive your participation that I wish to convey upon you to keep strict observance of the traditions and protocol. If too many liberties are taken in the methods of observance then we will lose that lifeline to the culture legacies as passed on by the ancients and it becomes a westernized, modernized act that no longer holds the same purpose. So much of the philosophy, values, purpose and spirituality of the root culture has been redefined in western terms for ease of acceptance by non practitioners and confuses the traditional practitioner as to what is truth and what is pono”.


This is a very long entry!!! I trust some value has come through my ramblings for some of you. Perhaps this conversation pertains only to the practice and teaching of lomilomi, or perhaps it is also relevant to the practice and teaching of other massage modalities in use today as well.

This WA state massage group conversation was initiated a few days ago by lomi teacher Karen Reifinger. Although, I haven’t met you Karen, from your website I understand you focus on presenting lomilomi authentically. I applaud you on this, and on your willingness to embrace community. I also certainly welcome your input to this discussion.


I am humbly yours,
Barbara Helynn Heard
Seattlle, WA
www.lomilomi-massage.org

Comment by Julianna Holden Mohler on January 5, 2010 at 7:47pm

I suppose there's no harm in working with an established group of teachers, but if they're that protective of their classes, they may not be wholly welcoming to any newcomer on the scene. If they struggle to get enough students for one training, it might be their own energies holding people back. Every person has the potential to draw students with their own energy - and I don't think a person needs approval from anyone to teach. If you love to teach, then do it. That would be kind of unethical for any group of people to hold a monopoly over one method of massage. It sounds a bit small townish to say, check in with the locals and get their approval before earning a living your own way.

This reminds me of many, many times when I was searching for the best teacher for myself or my children - I beat the bushes to find the one that fit for us. I think variety and diversity is the spice of life, and no one can nor should tell anyone else not to embark on their own livelihood without first checking with others.

The massage industry, in general, seems to be rather competitive. Who gives the "best" massage, or the "best" type of massage. Every massage therapist seems to worry their client base will shrink with more therapists entering the market. It just isn't true. We each create our own niche (or not). Someone who comes to me may hate my work and move on. And that's ok, because I truly feel that whoever is meant to benefit from my work, I equally benefit from their participation. No one can deliver exactly what I do, nor can I duplicate someone else's work.

I personally dislike anyone telling me I must fit in before I can succeed. Do I want to get along? Sure. But not if I have to hide under their umbrella to excel.

Comment by Barbara Helynn Heard on January 4, 2010 at 12:40pm

mahalo (thank you) Karen.

Comment by Karen Reifinger on January 4, 2010 at 12:36pm

Aloha Barbara,
I appreciate and respect Ohana and protocol and will contact the teachers you listed. For so long, lomilomi has become 'territorial' and ohana are isolated in pods. My other goal is for us to be a collective community of similar mind and intent. Thanks so much for your input. Lots of Love, Karen

Comment by Barbara Helynn Heard on January 4, 2010 at 9:42am

Aloha Karen,

I appreciate what I hear as your intent to identify for Temple Lomi what is truly Hawaiian lomilomi and what is new age information added to lomilomi by non-Hawaiians. I also appreciate that you are working cooperatively with other lomi teachers in the Return to Source workshop you are offering on Kauai this year.

Although I don't practice or teach Temple Lomi, I have connections with people in Washington who do. As I mentioned above, there are already 4 experienced and well established teachers of Temple lomi in Washington State that I know of. I feel some concern about having another person added to the scene as a separate entity, competing for the same students to register for classes. On the other hand, as I said above, I appreciate your intent to educate.

Might you be willing to contact Washington Sate Temple Lomi Teachers Kim and Jim Hartley, Kohleen Kohlrus and Abby Cicirelli to explore ways you can work cooperatively with them? At a minimum, before offering a class here you might explore the similarities and differences between what you teach and what they teach.

me ka aloha ha'aha'a,
Barbara Helynn

Comment by Karen Reifinger on January 4, 2010 at 7:28am

Aloha Barbara,
Thank you for your information. It's good to know Washington State has a solid stream of LomiLomi. My training started with Temple Style with Alani Galbraith, Tom Cochran... then evolved into Traditional Hawaiian Healing styles from different lineages and families...Phil Young, Harry Uhane Jim, Maka'ala Yates, Sandra Michael. Through the years I discovered the new age twists and turns and the bells and whistles added to most of the Lomilomi trainings on the Mainland and even the islands. A few of us are committed to restoring integrity and authenticity into this profound healing art, educating practitioners and instructors, or at least providing old concepts and other styles so people have more of a spectrum of what Hawaiian healing traditions encompass. as you know, many people practice lomilomi but few really understand it, and it takes years to make a solid lomi practitioner... we're here to educate and support.

With Waves of Aloha...Karen

Comment by Barbara Helynn Heard on January 4, 2010 at 2:50am

Aloha Karen,

Perhaps I can a offer bit of background about lomilomi in Washington State that might be helpful for you as you consider teaching lomilomi here, and may be interesting for other participants in this group as well.

To my understanding, lomilomi has been taught iin Washington for about 20 years. Shawn Lasalla Kimmel of the Northwest Center for Hawaiian Healing Arts was the first lomi teacher in this area. She was my first lomi teacher from1996-2000. She taught a style that she identified as Lomi Pololei, and which in hindsight I associate with Temple lomi, though it is probably somewhat different than what Kahu Abraham taught. At the time I studied with Shawn I hadn't ever heard the term temple lomi. Shawn taught lomilomi to hundreds if not thousands of students i the Seattle area and elsewhere. I believe Shawn has retired from teaching now, though she continues to sell fine oils through her online company - Reign Dance.

Four lomi practitioners who live in Washington and who studied from Shawn in the 1980s-1990s now teach lomi they learned from her - and from teachers - in Washington. They are: Kim and Jim Hartley of the Heartspire School of Hawaiian Massage, Kohleen Kohlrus and Abby Cicerili (sp??). They all have websites where you can learn more about them. Kim & Jim and Kohleen have taught here for at least 10 years, maybe closer to 20. In my experience, Shawn's teaching clearly informs the lomi style that all these teachers share.

Aupuni 'Iwiula of the Kalama Foundation also teaches lomilomi in several locations around the country, including here in Seattle. He lives here. Aupuni is native Hawaiian and teaches 'Iwiula lomi - the lomilomi style of his family on Kauai. 'Iwiula lomi is very different that the Temple influenced lomi Shawn and the other teachers I mentioned above teach. It could never be confused with Temple style lomi. Check out his website to learn more.

I teach Mana Lomi. Mana Lomi is a clinically oriented stye of lomilomi developed by Dr. Maka'ala Yates, D.C., drawing heavily on his 16 year apprenticeship with Aunty Margaret.

Maka'ala grew up in Kona near Aunty Margaret, and grew up under her watchful eyes and her guidance. Ten teachers are currently certified by Maka'ala to teach Mana Lomi, and I am grateful to be one of them. We all remain under his guidance and direction. We work as a team and we receive additional training from Maka'ala yearly. I so value being connected to the source of Mana Lomi, and through Maka'ala to his na kumu and na kupuna. I appreciate not only receiving Maka'ala's support, but also having the opportunity to support him.

Mana lomi is deep yet gentle, and is very specific. It is wonderful! I have written about Mana Lomi in some depth on my website, www.lomilomi-massage.org.

I teach Mana Lomi in Seattle as well as in New England, where I grew up. I've lived been in Seattle for 30 plus years.)

I hope my sharing here is useful. Please let me know if you have other questions I might be able to answer.

E malama pono,

Barbara Helynn Heard

Comment by Karen Reifinger on January 4, 2010 at 12:52am

Aloha Group,
I'm looking for someone who'd like to sponsor a LomiLomi Training in Washington State. NCBTMB approved CE Hours. This isn't the typical lomilomi training that has spread across the U.S. This training takes you to the roots and truth of Temple Style Lomilomi, the cause and effect of true healing through Hawaiian values, and empowers you with knowledge and understanding. We explore the new age interpretations, traditional concepts so you can offer the world the best of both! Sponsor takes the training at no cost. Anyone interested?

www.hunamua.com

Comment by Michael Jacobus on December 21, 2009 at 8:50pm

Ditto on Clickbook.net. I love it.

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