Healing by Melody

If it’s your first time booking a lomilomi massage, you probably want to know the difference between it and other types of massage. 

Some people say what makes lomi different from other massage is the use of forearms, but there are many styles that incorporate forearms, such as Shiatsu. Others say it’s the long, sweeping strokes, but Swedish massage also has long, broad strokes. Some say it’s the type of stretching, but Thai massage does a lot of stretching as well. 

The main difference between lomi and other types of massage, is pule, or Hawaiian prayer. “Far beyond a massage technique, lomilomi is a sacred healing ritual centered on pule, which channels mana into the session. The initial pule sets the body and mind into a receptive state, aligning with the spiritual purpose of lomilomi. To perform lomilomi without pule would be to reduce it to a mere physical act, missing the deeper spiritual dimensions that define Hawaiian healing. In this tradition, true healing comes through pule and in honoring the wisdom passed down by ancestors.”¹

What to expect when receiving lomi from Melody

Lomi styles can differ depending on your lineage and my lomi lineage is through Kumu Dane Silva, who recognized my Kumu, or teacher, Mariko “Kekai” Sato, as a Kumu Lomi, so the lomi I practice is in the style of Kumu Dane Silva. This is to say that the lomi you get elsewhere might be different from the lomi you get from me. There are many techniques and styles of lomi.

All my lomi sessions follow a protocol, which begins with pule followed by a warm-up touch to introduce my touch to you. Then we begin the massage.

The oil I use is coconut oil, so if you’re allergic to coconut or tree nuts, please let me know so I can massage you with an alternative.

During your session I ensure that you’re covered with a sheet the entire time, with exception to the parts of your body we are working on. So for example, if we are working on your left leg, only your left leg will be uncovered. 

I will check in with you periodically if you’d like more or less pressure but if at any time you’d like me to adjust the pressure on your body, please let me know. 

Some people wonder if it’s okay to sleep during massage, and the answer is, yes! Massage therapists encourage sleep during massage because it lets us know you’re relaxed and it helps your body recover faster from the mental and physical stresses of the day, further enhancing the benefits you receive from your massage. 

To close your session I’ll stand at your feet and help pass any stagnant or unbalanced energy out of you and return it to the earth.

Make sure you drink plenty of water after your massage to rehydrate yourself and to flush out metabolic waste that was worked out of your muscles during your session.²

Interested in trying lomi?

1. Sato, Mariko Kekai. “Relaxation Lomi.” 2024, pp. 8 ↩︎
2. Grutzmacher, Amy. “Why Do Massage Therapists Always Tell Me to Drink Water?” Why Do Massage Therapists Always Tell Me to Drink Water?, New Jersey’s Top-Ranked Hospital Network, 17 July 2018, http://www.hackensackmeridianhealth.org/en/healthier-you/2018/07/17/why-do-massage-therapists-always-tell. ↩︎