Finding Purpose Hawaiian Lomi Lomi Massage

INTERVIEW WITH ROSALIE SAMET BY MADELAINE WINZER

The story of Hawaii is essentially a sacred love story about the people’s deep reverence for nature, their beliefs, and customs for their people. The people were in love with the beauty, power, and magic, and in return, they felt truly loved by life. Lomi lomi is an ancient massage that had been practised for over 1000 years and was a sacred part of healing affecting the body, mind, and spirit. This style of massage differs from other types of massage with its use of smooth therapeutic strokes to massage the whole body to release trapped memories and tensions, so that balance and harmony can be restored throughout the body.

Itravelled two hours by train from my family home in Essex to Brighton to meet this lovely lady. We chatted for a couple of hours by the fire where Rosalie asked me “Can you write?” before I proceeded to ask her about her journey into massage and what continues to inspire her to share her passion with others in the Western world. And like any interview I do, I ask one question and the answer tails off to the point where I intervene with a style that could compete with Amelia Dims on Chicken Shop Date. For me, writing means being able to put myself out there and communicate how somebody else sees the world by giving them a voice while being a good massage therapist means creating a place of trust and helping somebody feel good, by relieving some of their pain, whether that is physical or mental.

Rosalie first discovered the sacred art of Hawaiian massage when she was in London in 1990. It was an experience that allowed her to reach a state of mind that made her feel at peace, reminding her that she had everything she needed within her – you could call it an ‘aha’ moment. It was the beginning of a new journey that led her to study in Hawaii where she discovered a whole new way of seeing the world.

After being influenced by the rituals of Hawaii, Rosalie transformed her life by integrating Aloha into her own life to generate positivity. She has been sharing the benefits of lomi lomi with others for over thirty years through her work as a massage therapist and shares her knowledge with the next generation through the courses she runs. Her passion is obvious as she ensures her students are connected to their life force to facilitate healing in clients before they become certified in lomi lomi massage.

There is no better way to understand something than to try it and I had the pleasure of receiving my first ever lomi lomi massage from Rosalie. In preparation, we discussed the expectations of the massage before Rosalie went ahead and prepared the room, so it was warm and relaxed. She then went on to cleanse the room of all frequencies less than love and harmony so they could be replaced by love and light. She then left the room, and I got ready for the massage.

And unlike most other types of massage, I removed all my clothes and was covered with a sarong to protect my modesty as I lay face down on an oil-resistant table rather than on a towel. This allowed for an uninterrupted continuous flow of the massage techniques with oil that traversed along the sides of the body, giving access to the gluteal muscle group that holds so much tension. Rosalie made sure only the area being massaged was uncovered so I was never exposed.

With soft music lingering in the background and Rosalie checking in to make sure everything was okay, I switched off soon after the massage began as my mind lost its trail of thought. It was a ninetyminute massage which allowed me to fully reap the benefits of the massage with me turning over at the midway point so my front including the face could be massaged.

Hawaiians believe that massaging the back of the body clears the path towards the future and by working on the front of the body issues of the past are resolved.

The benefits of lomi lomi that stood out to me as my massage came to an end after Rosalie performed some grounding techniques was the total state of relaxation. When Rosalie finished the massage, I continued to lie on the massage table for a further ten minutes feeling like I could fall asleep there and then. I couldn’t think of a better way to experience this Hawaiian massage than from Rosalie down in Brighton.

The benefits are vaster than what I felt at that moment and contribute to an overall feeling of vitality by positively impacting the physical body, mind, heart and soul. From improving posture and helping detox systems and organs to calming the mind and restoring wellbeing, a safe space is created for individuals to reach a state of mind where they feel at peace in a trusting environment. It was my first Hawaiian style of massage, and it certainly won’t be the last.

ROSALIE SAMET

Hawaiian Massage UK Training Center ± www.huna-massage.com Contact: E: info@hawaiianmassage.co.uk ± T: 01273 730508 / 07974 083432