Lomi Lomi

Comment

Comment by Makana Risser Chai on January 10, 2010 at 1:20am

Auntie Margaret's memorial service has been set for Sunday, March 7, at the Seventh Day Adventist Church, 82-1013 Kinue Rd, Captain Cook, HI 96704. Phone: (808) 323-3317.

Auntie’s daughter, Nerita, has established a memorial fund to help defray Auntie’s medical costs and to contribute to charities she believed in. To cover the costs of care-giving, they had to take out a second mortgage on their house. A percentage of all contributions to the memorial fund will also go to Auntie’s favorite charities. Any contribution people make will be greatly appreciated. Cards may be sent to Nerita Machado, P. O. Box 221, Captain Cook, HI 96704.

Some have asked about what the future holds for lomilomi classes. The lease on the beach house where Auntie and Nerita taught for many years was set to expire, but it is being renewed in Nerita’s name. She plans to teach a class there in April, 2010. The mana or spiritual power of this place is amazing. Anyone who wishes to truly connect with Auntie Margaret’s lineage is encouraged to enroll. For more information about classes, you can send an email to Nerita at nerita.machado2@hawaiiantel.net or call (808) 323-2416.

Comment by Barbara Helynn Heard on January 6, 2010 at 2:40am

Aloha lomilomi group, A lomilomi related conversation has been happenning during the past few days in the WA state group. I wrote this (very long) entry tonight for that discussion, and am copying it here for this group. I'm thinking many of you might be interested in what I've written and/or have additional comments on this (contraversial) subject

If I have made any errors in stating facts, please forgive me.

Aloha mau,
Barbara Helynn Heard
Mana Lomi® practitioner and teacher
Seatte, WA
www.lomilomi-massage.org

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 1 hour ago 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 Mike Hinkle on January 1, 2010 at 9:13am

Yes, she will. But through the Hall of Fame, I hope many therapists in the future will know of her gifts to the world.

Comment by Darcy Neibaur on January 1, 2010 at 6:19am

When I click on this pdf file it says not found. Nice article in Honolulu newspaper. Auntie Margaret will be greatly missed.

Comment by Mike Hinkle on December 31, 2009 at 6:34pm

Here is the coverage from the Honolulu Nwespaper http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009912...

Comment by Karen Reifinger on December 28, 2009 at 7:19pm

Auntie, Malama pono. As the stars shine bright tonight, may blessings fall like rain with unconditional love. And may the winds gently touch this planet with your strength and joy.

Comment by Gloria Coppola on December 28, 2009 at 2:10pm

Pualani
SO beautiful. Mahalo for your heart

Comment by Pualani Gillespie on December 28, 2009 at 2:06pm

From Pualani Gillespie to Ariana Vincent and L…
Sent 52 minutes ago

I just wanted to let everyone know that the stars will be shining brightly in the night sky over Kealakekua and Keei from now on for our beloved teacher, mother and mentor has left us to join her "co-pilot" Uncle Dan in heaven. This morning at 4:00 am Margaret Kalehuamakanoeliliu'onapali Machado went home to be with her beloved Jesus. Her family and dearest students were with her last night and we sang her favorite songs and prayed for her safe journey home. She was in her 93 year with us on this earth and the amount of lives she has touched is endless. Her early students became the founders of Massage Magazine and others founded ABMP, as well as great authors and teachers. Her thousands of students share her loving touch around the world and share the true meaning of ALOHA. Her message to all was a simple one. LOVE ONE ANOTHER....She was a true example of pure love. Her Lomilomi massage of "touching the body with a loving touch" will be shared for generations of massage therapists to come. Her lifestyle of unconditional love, prayer and forgiveness will always be the one and only truest heart of Lomilomi Massage. We all rejoice that she is now with Uncle Dan and her beloved Jesus.
I am priviledged and blessed to have been under her guidance as a patient, student and a teacher of Hawaiian Lomilomi and I will honor her every day for the rest of my life as I am with others as we walk thru the garden of life together.

Mahalo nui loa a ha'a ha'a Auntie Margaret. We will love you forever.

Blessings to all,
Pualani Gillespie

Comment by Mike Hinkle on December 28, 2009 at 2:01pm

I am sorry to hear this. Please tell Nerita and Lana, they are in our prayers.

Comment by Gloria Coppola on December 28, 2009 at 1:44pm

Makana
Thank you for letting us know about Auntie. I will hold here and her Ohana in the light!

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