Lomi Lomi Course by Piotr Blue was created inspired by several methods of working with Lomi Lomi, the Polynesian art of touch, contemporary bodywork, and many years of individual and group practice in leading groups. Initially, it was like a kind of repeated practice, without deeper reflection, in full accordance with what was passed on to me, namely Kino Mana on behalf of Aloha International. That was a lot for that time and my state of awareness in working with the body. At some point, the practice of teaching began to arouse my curiosity. I started looking for information from other sources. Surprisingly, the door to understanding what Lomi Lomi is was opened to me by learning at the School of Tantric Massage. Then the program was supplemented with knowledge from Kahuna Harry Uhane Jim’s “Bone Wash & Ha Breath” and a workshop with Mana Akitangi from French Polynesia.
Symbolism of the Lomi Lomi Course and Its Structure
The Process of Learning Lomi Lomi and getting to know this massage can metaphorically be compared to a dive into the ocean. First, we learn to swim on the surface, and then when we gain more confidence, curious about what is beneath the surface of the water, we start diving into it to get accustomed to the underwater world, learn to move in it, and eventually emerge back to the surface.
We start the course with a greeting and introduction. It’s a moment to talk about ourselves, our vision of ourselves still from the level of the head, the level of everyday life, the world from which we enter the place where the workshop begins. It’s the first stage where we can feel better with ourselves, despite the fact that there is not yet full openness, which is completely natural. Then there is time for a joint, symbolic creation of the “workshop space” for work. After that, through the first practices of gentle work with touch, we begin to define and recognize our physical and qualitative boundaries of working with the body. In this practice, we learn what our level of sensitivity is during giving and receiving touch. Can we recognize boundaries and communicate them, and if we do, how: whether through words or maybe our body can express them on its own. Can our body communicate its current emotions? Only then do we move on to learning Lomi Lomi massage.
Lomi Lomi – Step 1 – Back, or Moving Energy
The back is a part of the body that our subconscious considers one of the safest. Therefore, it is the place where we can most quickly accept touch. Why this conclusion? Translating it into metaphorical language: for example, in a moment of danger, in a situation where we believe we can no longer defend ourselves or escape, we curl our body into a fetal position and expose our back. Thus, the back is a kind of armor that protects what is delicate in us (the front of the body, the belly) from threats. Therefore, it is relatively easy for us to expose ourselves there and start learning to receive Lomi Lomi touch from the back, where through the body we recognize different qualities of touch that we brought to the course. We learn about ourselves and build trust in ourselves to be able to move forward.
The back is a part of the body that maintains and creates its posture. It is like a power distribution board through which nerve impulses are sent to the brain and other parts of the body, so when we trust, we can let the touch go deeper, apply deeper pressure, while remaining particularly attentive to pain reactions coming from the recipient’s body, we can move on to working out the details: that is, to clearing the energy channel. In this way, we activate energy in the body, supporting the recipient’s body’s self-regulatory processes. At this point, the body usually relaxes a lot, and the brain enters the so-called deeper meditative state – the state of brain waves between Alpha and Theta. Then the so-called phenomenon of letting go occurs, in which everyday thoughts and analysis give way to feeling.
Legs and Buttocks – Step 2…
Legs support the body, allowing us to move on the ground and in the material space. Symbolically, they connect us with roots, that is, with family, ancestors, but also with the earth, and in the energetic context, they ground our body, providing us with negative charges necessary today to function in balance, in a modern reality dominated by electronic devices (i.e., positive charges). Therefore, in the next stage, we move on to working with the legs, that is, grounding the body. This gives a sense of security, allows us to maintain attentiveness and awareness in the body.
The buttocks and pelvis are the base of the spine, the center of the back part of the body, which plays a significant role in connecting the lower part of the body with the upper. In symbolic terms: connecting what is earthly with what is ethereal, the world of matter with the world of imagination, the subconscious of the body with consciousness at the level of the human mind, instincts with rational thinking. Therefore, in Lomi Lomi, among other things, underwear is not used, which hinders access to the buttocks and partially cuts off the flow of energy. Relaxed buttocks and a functional pelvis give lightness and freedom of movement. Working on the pelvis and buttocks also stimulates internal energy and the desire to move forward.
Arms and Head – Learning to Fly
Once we are grounded through the legs and have an open connection with the upper part of the body through the pelvis, the next step in developing Lomi Lomi during its learning is to move on to the arms and head. Arms, in metaphorical terms, symbolize our wings, so by relaxing them, we symbolically prepare them for flight (that is, rising to higher consciousness), that is, to freedom, ease, and lightness in life. The head allows us to let go of troubling thoughts, go beyond the limitation to the world of senses, life, and being grounded in matter, open up to connection with the energetic space of the heart, activate imagination and insights. At the stage of developing the arms and head, we symbolically shift the body’s attention to higher energy frequencies, opening the body to connection with the superconsciousness. Hawaiians call this connection the Aka cord, and the superconsciousness Aumakua.
Once we are grounded through the legs and have an open connection with the upper part of the body through the pelvis, the next step in developing Lomi Lomi during its learning is to move on to the arms and head. Arms, in metaphorical terms, symbolize our wings, so by relaxing them, we symbolically prepare them for flight (that is, rising to higher consciousness), that is, to freedom, ease, and lightness in life. The head allows us to let go of troubling thoughts, go beyond the limitation to the world of senses, life, and being grounded in matter, open up to connection with the energetic space of the heart, activate imagination and insights. At the stage of developing the arms and head, we symbolically shift the body’s attention to higher energy frequencies, opening the body to connection with the superconsciousness. Hawaiians call this connection the Aka cord, and the superconsciousness Aumakua.
Belly – The Place of Inner Power
A moment of pause. Probably the most difficult, but at the same time the most liberating. It requires special focus and attentiveness because it is the most sensitive part of the body, which we protect in situations of threat. In the belly, like in a vessel, which like the spine, is connected to the rest of the body, information about our current state of health, emotional and energetic state is recorded. Polynesians believe that the belly is our Center, where the source of our inner power is located. The belly also symbolizes our subconscious, or the traits of the Inner Child – Unihipili.
Therefore, when learning belly massage, one should proceed like with a child – very gently and attentively. With the belly, we often touch painful places, working on the threshold of physical pain, possible to accept for the experiencing person. Thanks to this, we can reach deep emotional wounds, which we can release and heal during the massage. The belly is also connected with fetal life and ancestors. As it turns out, not only Polynesians had their belly massage. A very similar method was used by the Slavs; the so-called Old Slavic belly massage. The moment of developing the belly is the most difficult element of Lomi Lomi, enabling the transformation of the so-called “inner shadow” and opening the way to the so-called “freedom of the body”.
Joints and Neck
The energy moved in the belly needs space to spread, to flow throughout the body. Therefore, the next step is to work on the joints, which symbolize the energy channels connecting and integrating all parts of the body. Joints and neck on the physical level determine mobility, and on the energetic level create space for the free flow of energy in the body.
Chest and the Remaining Front of the Body
The chest is connected with the thymus. The thymus is a gland playing an important role in the functioning of the human immune system. A tense chest and shoulders pushed forward occur in people who have limited trust and need to protect themselves. It is also said that people who carry wounds from the past in their bodies have muscle attachments in the chest, that is, a closed heart. The chest in the Lomi Lomi course is developed in the final phase of learning because the body needs time for the places where we carry wounds to open up.
The heart is also a symbolic bridge connecting Unihipili (inner child – belly) with Uhane (inner parent – mind), which is located in the head. Such a pure connection allows for an immediate connection with Aumakua (superconsciousness), therefore the massage of the front part of the body in the last phase of learning Lomi Lomi gives an extraordinary feeling of lightness, joy, and freedom, qualitatively corresponding to childhood sensations, exactly where the whole process of holistic experiencing and discovering Lomi Lomi massage is heading.
Such a complete development of Lomi Lomi with a division into individual parts of the body and experiencing this massage in various stages, which have their scheme and appropriate order gives future course graduates and Lomi Lomi Practitioners readiness and a full spectrum of tools to conduct professional Lomi Lomi sessions on many levels of experience.
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* Not all symbolic references to working with the body have been described in the above text. You can get more information at the Lomi Lomi course combined with shamanic traditions found Here: Lomi Lomi Course by Piotr Blue
* You can continue learning in subsequent courses for Lomi Lomi Massage Practitioners in the following order: 1. Bone Wash & Ha Breath; 2. Lomi Lomi ‘Ou’a / Dance of the Dolphins
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