My passion and focus is a Māori Healing modality called RomiRomi.
A common question I hear is….. “Is RomiRomi like LomiLomi?”….

I began this post some time ago, and I recently joined some of my KaHuna family in Perth for an Aloha day, I felt it was time to attempt to respond again. 

An Aloha day is a day where our KaHuna & LomiLomi Ohana or family share our Polynesian knowledge, gifts, and sessions with each other in an open community.

The group is made up of those who have trained through the Hawai’an modality of LomiLomi or KaHuna and those of us who have trained in the Aotearoa, New Zealand practice of RomiRomi / MiriMiri.

While there are many similarities between the two practices, I first want to speak to this question in terms of my approach. 

I incorporate aspects of LomiLomi into my practice. 

I have undertaken training in LomiLomi and share LomiLomi as a volunteer therapist at Solaris Cancer Care, a holistic care support network that offers counselling and holistic therapies for Cancer patients within Western Australia. I may share more on this experience later. 

What is LomiLomi? 

LomiLomi, is a Hawai’ian massage form that is sometimes translated as loving hands form of massage.

You may sometimes hear it described as KaHuna massage.  Different names are also used depending on the family lines from different parts of the Islands.  The Hawai’ian bodywork practice that uses fingers, palms, wrists & forearms in a rhythmic dance that aims to settle, relax and shift energy.  The modality is holistic and as a traditional practice works directly to heal the body, mind, and spirit.  The practitioner moves around the table with precise movements that are intended to create harmony between the practitioner and the client. LomiLomi is most commonly practiced where the client does not wear clothes, including underwear to allow flow throughout the whole body. 

Benefits of this approach is stimulation of lymphatic, circulatory, respiratory and digestive systems offering benefit for a variety of imbalances. 

The flow of energy that is instigated through the flowing movements of LomiLomi acts as the ‘loving hands’ or balm for any energies that are released.

What is RomiRomi?

 

RomiRomi is a bodywork practice that uses body weight, fingers, hands, elbows, forearms, feet and knees in a direct and precise way with a specific focus on Roimata and Haemata, internal and external vital points throughout the body.

The practitioner is not seeking harmony and instead aims to shift and move energies that are not in alignment with the individual’s wairua ~spirit and mauri ~life-force. 

 

RomiRomi focuses more on vital points and is not a massage form.  Clients can leave their clothes on, or have a massage-like experience when MiriMiri is included. 

 

There are many physical benefits seen in the stimulation of lymphatic, circulatory, respiratory and digestive systems offering benefit for a variety of imbalances.

 

How are these practices similar?  

Although the precise migrational relationship between the Hawai’ian people and our Māori practices are unknown, there are many similarities in philosophy, approach, practice and the ways these bodywork practices are shared that nourish and support each other. Both forms of bodywork: 

• View the body as a holistic, physical, emotional & spiritual system
• Use rhythmical movements and footwork to move around the body
• Work with atua, energies, ancestors and spirituality in a deep way that honours your unique pathway & Mana
• Use chanting, takutaku or prayer to ensure the healing spaces we work with are safe and clear.
• Physical benefits are seen in the stimulation of lymphatic, circulatory, respiratory and digestive systems offering benefit for a variety of imbalances.
• Encourage practitioners to be deeply aware of their own energy

As Māori we are already engaging with all the different dimensions in an incremental and layered healing process. In connecting into the energy of Hawaii ~ Lemuria or Mu, we are accessing a specific dimensional plane.

How are these practices different?  

While these differences are not absolute, some differences include: 

• LomiLomi works with the ancestry from Hawai’i and RomiRomi works with the ancestry from Aotearoa, New Zealand. While these are similar, they have evolved differently. 
•  LomiLomi is soft, more like a balm, tender and nourishing, a dance, like a Hula, whereas, RomiRomi is akin to the energy of a volcano, the energy is stomping, precise, direct, more like a Haka.
• During LomiLomi, clients are usually required to be massaged throughout the whole body; whereas RomiRomi can be practiced with clothes on, or off. 
• LomiLomi focuses primarily on flow; RomiRomi focuses on release. 

As many of you know, I am a Māori woman and therefore the essence of what I share here is likely framed by my Māori lens.  I have written this post to clarify the way I share, and not to define the practice for my Hawai’ian brothers and sisters. 

Take all that I say
And toss it away
Without a thought
All that does not
Strike within You
A recognition.
For You do not learn
Wisdom & Love.
You only encounter
A catalyst, who helps you to remember
What is all
Within yourself

~ Ancient KaHuna Prayer

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p style=”text-align: center;”>Whakamanatia, in our sacred sovereign uprising, 
Gabrielle ♡