Huna Article

Huna International

Lomi Lomi Nui
by Anne Kanoelani Carlson

The Flight Of The Being

One of the original names meant "to soar, to fly, to lift up, as an offering to the gods." While it is true that most people experience a feeling of being much "lighter" when they complete a private session, it is often a feeling that is beyond words.

Lomi Lomi Nui is designed to reconnect us with our greater being; to rediscover our innate senses that are actually far beyond our concepts. In ancient times people accomplished this by imitating birds or animals that possessed qualities which they themselves desired. In Hawaii, the martial art of lua was based on this practice. To be a better hunter a person might emulate the pueo (owl). To improve navigation skills one might copy the movements of the 'iwa (frigate bird). Some of the same types of movements are used in lomi lomi nui to access information stored in the body. The ancient Polynesians understood the wisdom of the body, which they honoured as the "child self", because, like the child, your body will always tell you the truth if you choose to listen.

Because Lomi Lomi Nui is a medium for transformation, there is a lot more going on than just bodywork. The "child self" gets to play, to dance, to come to the foreground and reconnect with nature in a sacred way. Many people experience this as a memory of how we once were all of the time - joyful about being in this physical form. Moving the body is a way to access the emotions, to discover what lies beneath the surface and to integrate it. The lightness of being occurs as more of who we are, feels relaxed and safe in expressing itself.