Kahuna massage: waves of delight

Imagine lying on a massage table, surrounded by soul-stirring music, as your therapist’s knowledgeable hands seem to rock and knead your whole body at once, gradually squeezing out any residual tension until you have no choice but to surrender completely. You’re feeling both light and heavy and so relaxed — maybe more relaxed that you’ve ever been. For some, kahuna massage is the next best thing to a sunny beach in Manly; for others it’s simply one of the best gifts this world has to offer.

Nemara Hennigan, founder and owner of Sydney Ka Huna, had her first eye-and-heart opening encounter with Hawaiian bodywork at the Sydney Mind Body Spirit Festival in 1998. There, she came across a stall where her teacher-to-be, Mette Sorensen of Mette’s Institute, and a few helpers performed this visually entrancing dance-like massage; the willing passers-by were treated by three or even four practitioners at once.

“I came off the table and couldn’t believe what had happened to me,” she reminisces. “I was very moved, I was kind of in shock, and what I realised more than anything else was that I’d never been in my body for my entire life; I’d been in my head. I’d been in the past and in the future but never in the present. When I walked out of there, my feet were at least a foot off the ground; that’s what it felt like. I was walking on cushions of air, I was so light.”

Myung-heui Moon, a graduate of the Australian College of Kahuna Sciences, who is also a student of nutritional medicine and a tai chi instructor, will never forget her first kahuna: “For me, kahuna bodywork was a transformational experience on both a physical and spiritual level. It was an experience of profound acceptance of myself and letting go of unresolved issues that I had been carrying with me for a long time.”

Miriam C, a wine shop manager, was surprised with a birthday gift certificate from her children to get a kahuna massage. She was slightly apprehensive at first but her therapist’s friendly and open demeanour quickly put her at ease.

“The therapist’s rhythmic rocking strokes up and down my body soon lulled me into delightful states of trance and relaxation, not unlike being rocked by warm ocean waves,” she says. “I felt accepted and safe and surrendered more and more. I fell asleep …”

As it turns out, kahuna massage can truly inspire one to change their life. Both Nemara and Myung-heui felt compelled to learn the art of the sacred bodywork themselves and share its gift with the world. Miriam doesn’t practise; she “merely” became a fierce and loyal kahuna convert, who cannot imagine her Sundays any more without a good dose of kahuna love.

From Hawaii with love

Kahuna bodywork (also known as The Temple-style bodywork or lomi lomi) originated on the islands of South Pacific. In ancient times in Hawaii, it was performed by kahuna lapa‘au (master kahuna practitioners) in the heiau (temples) and was administered to people in transitional phases of their lives as a rite of passage and a tool for deep physical and spiritual healing.

The arrival of Western people and missionaries at the beginning of the 20th century brought the flourishing healing techniques to a screeching halt. In 1920 laws were introduced to proscribe ancient native Hawaiian practices, dances, chants and language. As a consequence, kahuna training became a secret art, bound to be passed on only within the family.

Nowadays prospective kahuna bodyworkers don’t need to look that hard to find a school. Australia has been especially lucky in this regard. Following the boom in the past 20 years, kahuna practitioners have been springing up like mushrooms after the rain.

Philosophy

Kahuna bodywork is closely linked to Huna, the Hawaiian philosophy of life. Therefore, to understand the depth of kahuna massage, it helps to have an understanding of some of Huna’s basic principles. In the Huna belief system, all creations in the universe seek harmony and love.

According to Serge Kahili King, a Huna teacher living in Hawaii who was adopted as the grandson of the shaman Joseph Kahili and trained in his tradition, Hawaiian philosophy can be expressed within the seven principles of Huna:

* Ike The world is what you think it is, so be aware of your thoughts.

* Kala There are no limits, so be free.

* Manawa Be present, as now is the moment of power.

* Aloha To love life is to be happy with life.

* Mana All power comes from within, so be confident and use it.

* Pono Effectiveness is the measure of truth — be positive and do what works.

A trained kahuna bodyworker uses these principles in the massage room as well as in their daily life. The principle of aloha is one of the special significance in the realms of kahuna massage.

“There is a big difference between just touching someone and touching someone with love and awareness,” explains Nemara. “That love is the most healing part of the treatment.

“In this massage, the love is called the aloha. For me, the best way of explaining that is ‘joyful sharing of energy in the present’. When I give a kahuna, I’m joyfully sharing love and the joy comes through the rhythm of the treatment, the touch, the flow, the underbody work. It’s giving love to every single person who comes in.”

The Hawaiians view all aspects of the body as one and believe that the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual are all part of the “whole” self: when healing is effected on one level, all levels are affected.

Body-mind-soul healing

This graceful, in-depth bodywork incorporates hula movements to produce a profound healing effect for the recipient, at the same time energising the practitioner. Massage therapists use their forearms, hands and elbows and “dance” fluidly around the table, massaging the body literally from top to toe.

Kahuna massage works profoundly into the muscles with constant, soft and deep flowing strokes, nurturing the body and enabling the recipient to relax and surrender. Kahuna is much more than just a physical experience; it also facilitates healing on mental, emotional and spiritual levels.

Says Myung-heui, “I would describe kahuna bodywork as a canoe that takes you on a journey of discovery of self. According to the teachings at Australian College of Kahuna Sciences, kahuna bodywork teaches one to access one’s own inherited genetic wisdom. It teaches one how to access pathways to physically, mentally or spiritually unexplored areas within the self.”

Kahuna massage often allows the recipient to become aware of their own body in a fuller and more positive way. They may realise in which parts their body tension is being held and then actively — through the use of breath and visualisation — allow the tension to dissipate. Miriam recounts that the change she saw in herself after her first bodywork was palpable: “I couldn’t recognise myself in the mirror later on. My face looked soft and relaxed.”

Often the clients are not able to exactly specify their sufferings, which are of a more general nature: they complain of tension, fatigue, lack of energy or indifference. In these cases, kahuna massage can have especially healing benefits, as it is known for its balancing and harmonising effect.

Nemara witnesses these effects daily, watching her clients come out of the treatment rooms lighter and radiant: “It’s beautiful to see people who have come in looking very distressed, leaving very balanced, content and more at peace with themselves. I think you can see a shift in everyone, even though they can’t articulate it or even talk about it.”

On a psychological and emotional level, bodywork can help to release fear and anxiety and gain better emotional stability. You may get ready to take an honest look at your issues and start a journey towards change. So called “emotional releases” tend to be the often unexpected gift of Kahuna massage.

“When the clients are relaxed that deeply, things come up,” says Nemara. “Long-held traumas in the body may start to come up to the surface as a direct result of being touched with love. When that happens, the person who is receiving may have a conscious memory or connection, or even an unconscious memory of some past trauma or distress or accident or pain.

“This is why people sometimes have such full-on emotional releases, such as crying, screaming, anger or laughing. Whatever it is, that’s been sitting in their body for however long; it’s coming to the surface and leaving them, setting them free (whether they’re conscious of it or not). Sometimes people cry because they’re so moved by being touched by a complete stranger in such a loving and trusting way.”

Miriam experienced an emotional release during her second session: “At the beginning of my massage, I started to cry. It had been hard for me to even shed a tear till then, so I was very grateful for this opportunity to let go. I bawled my eyes out for the whole hour, from gentle weeping to spasms, depending on which part of my body was being massaged. For the rest of the day I felt lighter in my body and in harmonious mood.”

Kahuna massage affects its recipient on an energetic level as well. According to the Huna philosophy, life energy (chi, prana) flows through the whole organism and through the aura surrounding it. The easier the flow, the closer one is to their natural harmony and state of well-being. Kahuna bodywork tends to release the energetic blockages, helping the stuck energy to shift and move around the body.

Energy flows where attention goes

Anyone can receive kahuna bodywork. Regardless of age, body shape or state of health, everyone can hop on the massage bench and benefit from Hawaiian massage. A skilled bodyworker will accommodate their technique and approach to meet almost every client’s needs.

In this style of bodywork, the practitioner is the dancer and the recipient is the choreographer. Hence the “dance” is always different. In the training the foundation strokes are taught as a framework. Then the principles of attentiveness, love and respect are emphasised, so that the practitioner develops the confidence to trust information coming from the recipient.

“I think the most important thing in kahuna bodywork is working without intent,” says Myung-heui, quoting her teacher Ki’a’i Ho’okahi Weber. This is what makes this work very different to other modalities and allows full relaxation and synchronisation of the heart beat and breath in the client almost immediately.

Mette Sorensen’s school of training doesn’t emphasise the necessity of no intent to the same extent. Much focus is put on connecting with the client before the session in order to create a safe and supportive atmosphere.

Says Nemara, “When I work with a person, I always chat to them before we get up on the table in order to find out why they’re there. I ask them how they want to feel after the treatment, no matter how fantastic or ridiculous that might seem. My intent is their intent. I like to bring that into a prayer, so that I’ve listened to them and I’ve heard them.”

Regardless of the differences, every kahuna bodyworker’s intention is to help their client rediscover the innate joy of life. Sharing the gift of touch laden with aloha might just be the right tool.

“Lomi lomi is such healthy nourishment for the whole body,” says Klaus Assmann, author of the book Lomi Lomi Nui: The Temple Massage from Hawaii. He advises the recipients to make a conscious effort to maintain the positive effects of this nourishment in their daily lives. Huna philosophy teaches us to be gentle and nurturing towards our bodies and emotions. One should aim to live a natural lifestyle, listening to their body’s needs.

As helpful as the massage is for the individual, it doesn’t end there. “A person who is feeling good in their body and happy in life will be friendlier towards other people,” says Klaus Assmann. “He’ll be ready to take responsibility for himself and others; he’ll be working more efficiently and benefiting the society in a fuller sense.”

Natalia Jerzmanowska is a Poland-bred, Sydney–based kahuna bodyworker, massage therapist and freelance writer. She is passionate about and has a voracious appetite for many things in life, including grass-roots travelling and ocean swims.