Not all cultures view breasts with the same sense of fascination and conflicted sensibilities and childishness as we do in the US in particular.  Breasts are simultaneously elevated and shunned. It is an odd duality, again seemingly leftover from the the arrival of the puritans.  We are still living with their ghosts.  I am certain somewhere out there I will be criticized for even writing this post, however I was asked to create a small post on the importance of breast massage and since it is so difficult to find, some self care suggestions.

The breasts have been used in symbolism since time immemorial. They have represented love and fertility, as well as sex and pleasure. But dream interpretation theories show that in the deep recesses of our minds, for men and women alike, breasts symbolize something even more integral--our primal need for motherly love, support, security, care, and nourishment, because their function as an organ is to give just that.

The breasts serve not only physical needs of sexual intimacy and breastfeeding but also energetic needs. Likewise, the state of breasts and changes in them can be clues as to what emotions are being processed or need processing. In this way, caring for your breasts is caring for your soul. A beautiful statement by Susun Weed in her book Breast Cancer? Breast Health! sums up this idea: “We cannot nurture others fully or well unless we also nurture ourselves.”

In terms of the mind/body connection - never have I seen an area of the body correlate so well with what is manifesting within a person’s heart and mind.  Both men and women often go to their doctors with a feeling of discomfort in the chest, without any cause found after numerous tests and scans. But the discomfort is real—the causes are often too subtle for Western instruments to detect. Ayurveda can recognize these subtle sensations as signs of imbalance.

Ayurveda ( a 5000-year-old healing wisdom tradition from India, teaches in order to maintain a state of balance, the whole person must be addressed—no part of the body or energy is excluded) relies on massage as preventative medicine, and traditional ayurvedic massage doesn’t overlook the breasts as in the West.

Jennifer Johnson, spa director of the Chopra Center writes   "Over years of work, we found that many women work through complicated issues with their breasts, confusion from oversexualizing, and shame carried through various belief systems, and also that women very rarely touch their breasts," says Johnson. "We also saw women confronting complicated emotions after recovery from breast surgeries—everything from biopsies, lumpectomies mastectomies, reconstruction, and augmentations.  I have  written on this topic before here   and if you are interested please go over and read my prior post. But for now, back to the self care. Here is a basic 10 15 minute ritual that will help you get connected to your body, and can be practiced with frequency.







A Simple Breast Massage Ritual

Frequency: 
Practice breast massage frequently, taking special care to notice the health and condition of your breasts and note fluctuations around your monthly cycles. Daily, weekly, whatever you can do. Not only is this ritual good for your physical health, it is grounding and could be a key to your emotional well being..

Massage oil:
Ayurvedic medicine favors Sesame as a nourishing and neutralizing base oil. One oil I use daily is cold pressed almond oil.  Add essential oils if you are comfortable with them or simply use as is.

Technique: 
Stand or sit in front of a mirror.

1. Begin  by opening and placing  your hands over your heart and breasts. Your hands have tremendous healing potential. Through your hands, feel.....connect.....Breathe 
   
   
2. Give yourself permission to let go. Observe without judgment what thoughts and emotions naturally come up.
   
   
3. Cup your breast from underneath with one hand while you massage with the other hand, working in gentle but firm strokes from  from the outer breast toward the nipple. Make your thumb and middle fingers into a “V” shape and press from the outside edges to the center, systematically massaging the entire breast. It is not necessary to massage directly on the nipple or areola. 
   
   
4. Using two finger pads, begin massaging one breast in a circular motion spiraling from the nipple outward toward the outside of the breast.
   
   
5. Massage the armpit and the outermost quadrant of the breast tissue extending to the shoulder joint. This is an area where lymph nodes are very concentrated.
   
   
6. Massage above and behind your collarbone from the shoulder in toward your neck in long strokes.
   
   
7. Repeat on the opposite side.
   
   
8. Cover your breastbone with your hands, sending and receiving love, peace, and forgiveness.
   
   
9. Observe. Breathe.

That's all there is to it.   Pleas let me know your thoughts on this article, if you found it helpful, and feel free to share it.

~ with Aloha

Further Reading
Breast massage therapy, although uncommon in many massage practices, and sometimes controversial on the health front, should be a higher priority for women and their physical, emotional and spiritual wellness.

How Ayurvedic Breast Massages Can Help Promote Lymphatic Flow

Why Your Breasts Need To Be Massaged

Holding hands is an ordinary activity that we see and can do every day.  It can signify love or friendship.. It could be that if you don't have a significant other  that you don't feel like there is an opportunity for hand holding.  That is simply not true,  Its partly cultural.  Society today, in particular American culture, increasingly mis-associates almost all touch with sex and thereby discourages touch.

.​Yet this tiny, simple behavior triggers chemical reactions in our minds that make us feel loved, happy, cared for, and respected.

Non-verbal communication is important to understanding human behavior. Holding hands is one small fundamental way  we can positively impact our lives. When we hold hands, the nerves in our skin communicate with our core nervous system, producing hormones that make us feel pleasant and warm. There’s much more to it, of course, and new studies are emerging which explore the positive psychological effects of human touch today.

Here are seven benefits of holding hands which you may not have realized existed:

1. Holding hands is a stress reliever
Holding hands with your significant other or another decreases the level of a stress hormone cortisol. Even the touch of a friend or a teammate can make us feel more content, connected, or better about ourselves. When we are stressed out, a light touch on our hand can help ease the strain, both physically and mentally. Our skin also gets more sensitive when cortisol is rushing through our bloodstream, so the touch of a helping hand will have a significantly larger impact. The largest concentration of nerve endings is contained inside the hands and fingertips. This is the subject of another blog post.

So, next time you’re having a really tough day, get together with your partner or a friend and ease the stressful day with touch.

2. Holding hands boosts love & bonding
Oxytocin is the hormone behind this benefit. Oxytocin strengthens empathy and communication between partners in a relationship, which is proven to be a contributing factor for long-lasting, happy relationships. Holding hands with your partner will improve your relationship and reinforce a bond that will impact the quality of your relationship significantly.

Couples who have happy relationships hold hands automatically, sometimes without even noticing, because of a habit developed by their nervous systems. Holding hands produces the oxytocin, which makes us feel happier and more loved.

3. Holding hands is good for your heart
Besides relieving stress, holding hands lowers your blood pressure, which is one of the major contributors to heart disease. When we’re clasping fingers we’re not just easing stress and improving our relationships – we are providing a comfortable sensation that helps our heart. The power of a warm touch goes beyond the health benefits to the heart; A study from Behavioral Medicine supports this. 

4. Holding hands helps relieve or cope with pain
While enduring pain, humans have the natural reflex to tighten their muscles. Think of childbirth – husbands are typically inside the delivery room holding their wife’s hand while she’s going through labor. The reflex to grasp our partner’s hand comes as second nature: It’s always easier to endure pain while holding hands with your soulmate.

5. Holding hands fights fear
Remember that horrible scene in the last horror movie you saw that made you want to jump out of your chair? Luckily, your darling was with you to hold your hand and make you feel safe. The human brain responds to sudden stimulation using adrenaline; this stimulation gets our blood pumping and releases high levels of cortisol throughout our body.

During these moments, our natural reaction is to hold hands with someone we trust. It varies from person to person, but a large portion of women will instantly grab their partner’s hand. That’s the intuitive way to fight off nerves.

6. Holding hands provides a sense of security
Simple hand holding is a source of safety and comfort for young children. Remember when your parents taught you to how to cross the street or walked you down a crowded sidewalk? Or when you were learning to ride a bicycle? Insecurity disappears when we have a hand to hold and allows us to more easily conquer obstacles. The security that parents provide their children by holding hands shapes their children’s behavior and their way of thinking.

Additionally, the sensation of safety goes both ways; parents also feel safer when their children are within their grasp.

7. Holding hands is just plain comfortable
Everybody loves comfort. The sensation of holding  hands often provides a comfy feeling while talking a walk.  One example is placing your hands inside a jacket pocket to warm them up on those cold December nights when you decide to take a stroll.  Even with gloves, we love to hold hands. It bonds us; it provides lovely sensations and gives us quality time with people we care about.


Holding hands comforts, soothes, is a source of security, and an aid for stress.   
​Do you enjoy the comforting sensation of holding hands?


How often do you hold hands ? Why or why not?

~ with Aloha

This article was excerpted and created in large measure from an article written for LifeHack by Dejan Kvrgic

What is a CBD Massage?  Does it provide pain relief?  Can I get High? Is it legal?
These are all very good questions.  There is much hype surrounding the topical use of CBD in massage treatments.  While the science is still somewhat unclear, the anecdotal evidence is mounting that CBD infused oils or lotions  provides pain relief and can help with stress and relaxation.

CBD Massages have are becoming more popular. A massage using CBD provides an unconventional path to get from muscle soreness, chronic pain, tension and stress. Topical cannabinoids are, according to doctors, antioxidants and anti-inflammatories with healing properties.

The benefits of both massage therapy and CBD individually are well known. The theory holds that by combining the two, achieved results can be more intense.  CBD will bind and act on the CB2 receptors which can be found near the skin. This will activate the endocannabinoid system to deliver relief.

Cannabis has two essential components of interest, THC tetrahydrocannabinol & CBD cannabidiol.  THC is the psychoactive component of marijuana; it's the molecule that makes you feel "stoned."  CBD on the other hand is the one of interest to massage.  It has wonderful therapeutic properties, helps relieve pain, acts as an anti inflammatory, and when used as a topical massage cream, does not enter your blood stream. It will not get you high - but it may make you feel wonderful.

Since CBD is non-psychoactive (as opposed to THC which is what allows you to feel "high") so you do not have to worry about getting a high feeling from the CBD massage. If you were to get a massage that incorporated both THC and CBD topical products, you still likely wouldn’t feel a high as THC absorbed through the skin is not a sufficient means to allow it to be absorbed into the bloodstream and delivered to the brain - sorry folks.

Where Do I Get a CBD Massage? In many states where medical marijuana is legal, therapists are already offering infused products; both THC and CBD.  Some advertise this fact some do not.  It is always a good idea to simply ask your therapist if he or she can and is able to work with these products.

I am very excited to be now sharing some of my teachings within Lomi with students, to share with their eventual clients,  I look forward to sharing the art, history, theory and practice of Lomi Lomi and invite you to join me in my efforts to bring this ancient healing practice, and indeed way of life to people who are interested and ready to receive.

Healing Hands rainings are for anyone who wants to learn to access their own healing legacy and learn to live in the spirit of Aloha.  For those who seek to really connect, human to human, soul to soul - to foster limitless transformation of the mind body spirit..

This is unlike most massage training. It can be deeply emotional, personal work.  Lomi Lomi involves the Physical, Mental, Emotional, Spiritual and Perceptive .  It is both learning and unlearning and can set you on a path that influences all your future work. 

Lomi Lomi is my passion. It is so much more than a technique, for me it is a way of life.  Living Lomi.

I’ve been devoted to learning and now teaching this sacred work for many years.  I would be delighted to introduce you to this wonderful world of healing touch to share with your family, your community, the world.

Would you like to learn Lomi Lomi? 
​
Are you looking to find Authentic Ancient Hawaiian Lomi Lomi Massage training?  Are you having difficulty choosing where to learn and whom to select for your study? It is very important in Lomi Lomi to choose the right fit for you.

After several years of training in Lomi, I am only myself at the beginning, but now feel that I called to pass what I have learned along to you.   

I have created, with the blessings of my Kumu, Robert Gantke, a series of Lomi Lomi massage courses. They are available to all who show a sincere and unique desire to learn.  The Lomi massage training is divided into 2 parts; 2 basic courses and then 2 advanced courses.  Students become part of our ohana (family) and will be able to further their training even more  through intensive workshops and retreats.  These are among the most wonderful experiences we share.

Do you want to discover a way of working that ignites passion?
Do you bring a more spiritual connection to your work?

Do you want to create and deliver an elevated experience to your clients

Healing Hands Lomi Trainings are for anyone who wants to learn to access their own healing legacy, and to learn to live in the spirit of Aloha.
For those who seek to really connect, human to human, soul to soul - to foster limitless transformation of the mind body spirit.

I’ve been devoted to learning, and now teaching this sacred work for the past many years. I would be delighted to introduce you to this wonderful world of healing touch to share with your family, your community, the world !

​You may find a link to the courses here

I am also available to bring this teaching to you, worldwide.  If you would like to organize a facility and a small group of students in your area, or at a retreat site, simply email me and I would be happy to talk with you about bring the training to you.

​I welcome you !

Aloha

TOUCH
Why do we close our eyes when we dream? when we kiss ? When we cry? Because some of the most beautiful things in life are felt, not seen.

Befriend your body and awaken to your sense of touch
Aloha. #touch #humanbody #healing #massage #healinghandsbodywork #zen #mindfulness #yoga #boston #marthasvineyard

When we touch another person we exchange energy. There is no way to avoid the fact that a kind of energetic communion takes place, even in such seemingly innocuous acts as shaking hands or touching another on the shoulder. Touch itself, communicates a great deal energetically, and actually influences our own energy field. This is something we all know intuitively


- Aloha

Does your yoga or wellness retreat need a competitive edge?

Why not incorporate something really special and unique?

You put so much thought and effort into the details of your retreat -  why stop at massage? Let your retreat shine with an added dimension of offering a mind/body experience that will leave your clients fully and more completely satisfied.

Edward is available to retreat organizers and retreat centers, making this life-changing work available to people all over the world. Partnering with Edward on your retreat with these specialized offerings can really elevate the retreat experience for your guests. Too often, experiences like massage are offered as a commodity "add-on".

In addition to his private practice Edward has led couples workshops and touch workshops in Boston and on Martha's Vineyard. He has brought his healing touch to such faraway destinations as Hawaii, the Caribbean, Germany and Iceland.

Specializing in the ancient art of Lomi Lomi and all forms of relaxation bodywork with an emphasis on touch healing and the mind/body connection he would be happy to discuss participating and collaboration with you to help realize your goals. Edward continues to offer Workshops, Trainings, Retreats and Private Sessions.

If you would like to inquire simply click here

Aloha Friends: I am just back from some beautiful and lovely days in Hawaii and am so inspired and revitalized.  It is here that I decided to create 2 wonderful new offerings/treatments.  This first, Ancient Lomi Journey represents the culmination o all of me Healing Lomi work to date.  It is how Lomi should be expereienced, unrushed, unplanned with ample time before and after to "talk story" and help process and embed the experience.  I have allotted 2.5 to 3 hours as an estimate. It is not all table time but it is ll part of the experience. I hope you consider to undertake this Ke Ala Hoku (Pathway to the Stars) with me  

Ancient Lomi Lomi Journey
This healing work, from Hawai'i is the embodiment of self care and the love of Aloha.  Ancient Lomi Lomi is a flowing, magical  treatment which facilitates a lifting and release of emotional and conceptual reality layers, allowing a deeper inner awareness to arise.  Limiting beliefs, thoughts and emotions - manifested in patterns of physical holding - are shaken loose by the deeper movement of wholeness emerging.  These impactful energies are released in to the sphere of acceptance allowing one to feel and begin to respond to life from a place of more freedom and balance.  We are reconnected to our own essence and thereby awakened to the positive energy of all that surrounds us.  Every Lomi journey is different; how it unfolds is unique to each person, and different each time it is experienced.  The ancient lineage, energetic  touch, breath, movement, music and the core intention of Aloha combine to deliver a fluid and truly unforgettable body, or "out of body" experience of profound relaxation, calm, inner peace and joy, resulting in a renewed mind-body balance. 

Sessions are 2.5 to 3 hours in length and include time to discuss your goals and objectives prior, ritual pi kai, pule, and time to "talk story" or process and discuss your experience after.












The second treatment is called Subtle Body Journey. Again, for those who have experienced my work, this is really an extension and variation of my Swedish massage treatment - with more of an intention and a connection to invite you to "discover" your own body through touch.  This work helps to create and strengthen your own mind/body connection.


Subtle Body Journey - Holistic Kauhuna Bodywork Embark on a slow, methodical exploration of the subtle structures of your body.  Get in touch with your diaphragm, belly, jaw, neck, limbs, feet, hands and head through gentle holds, relaxed stretches, slow breathing and gliding touch. This work can be customized to your individual needs, goals and/or chief concerns.



I invite you to come and try both of these wonderful one of a kind touch experiences for yourself.

~ with Aloha
Edward

What Does lomilomi actually mean? What is the direct translation?

As an earnest practitioner of this technique, I became interested in what the term actually means.  I have myself in earlier posts attempted to offer my thoughts but it turns out, after much research, the the reality is less clear.  A search of the internet reveals no shortage of sites offering a "translation".  Many massage therapists who offer or claim to offer lomi massage almost always include a definition of some type.  Many with such authority you would think it could have been found written on stone tablets some 5,000 years ago.

The truth, contrary to much of what is written, is we are not sure.  There is a common understanding that today, in the modern world, (2018 as I write this) LomiLomi has come to mean "Hawaiian Massage" or "Loving Touch".  Lomi Lomi in a very diluted form is offered in spas and hotels and massage practices all over. It is offered in Hawaii and as well in other parts of the world.  As well, there are a number of dedicated practitioners who offer a more pure form of Lomi.  Although I am not Hawaiian, I consider myself to be a part of this group because my interest is pure and genuine and my search for knowledge and learning is ever ongoing.   Separate from a discussion about the work itself, and a history of the work, this post is simply about the term.

Because the Hawaiian language is an oral language, there are no early texts upon which to research.  The Hawaiian language was first codified and written down by English missionaries in the 18th century, thus every aspect of the written language is quite modern; a western interpretation of what these early missionaries heard.

The timeline of Hawaii can be roughly divided into 2 eras, Pre contact and post contact.  In pre-contact Hawaii, all knowledge, language, learning was oral.  Upon arrival of Captain Cook in 1778, we first read Hawaiian words.

Captain James King, who arrived with Captain Cook in 1779 observed LomiLomi in his journal, but did not give it a name. The first documented use of the word "Lomi" was found in the account of surgeon and naturalist Archibald Menzies, who accompanied Captain Vancouver in 1794. Vancouver himself used the Tahitian word RumiRumi (he spelled it roome roome).

Among early native Hawaiian historians, the fist use of the word appears to be by David Malo, writing sometime between 1835 and 1858.  In 1865 it appears in a dictionary by Lorrin Andrews as follows:  LomiLomi: 1. A rubbing, pressing  2. The servant whose business it was to take care of the spittle and excrements of the chief.   

Hardly the stuff of a glorified spa visit!

In contrast, however are numerous early foreign historians who give accounts of Lomi Lomi as a wonderful rubbing or massage and or to the person administering the massage, such as this one by James Jackson Jarves writing in 1843;  "Servants who were especially trained in LomiLomi - a luxurious kneading or shampooing (from the Hindi word Champo for massage), and stretching and cracking of the joints (bonework), exceedingly pleasant withal, and operating as a gentle and refreshing exercise. 

Other terms such as HamoHamo which was described as "to rub oil on the skin, to massage the muscles.  And iwikuamo 'o as "to tread on the back. It is interesting that this word when spoken can sound a bit similar to hamohamo.

Is it possible then that over time, as this beautiful Hawaiian language was growing dim and recorded in various journals that Lomi Lomi was the only term that people remembered? or the term that survived, and that originally it was once a term that described something similar or related but not identical to the work we do today??

There you have it! That combined with research into the ancient arts of Hawaiian healing and martial arts have allowed us to piece together a picture of a comprehensive wellness treatment that was "exceedingly pleasant withal, and operating as a gentle and refreshing exercise.".

The definitive Hawaiian Dictionary, first published only as recently as 1956 but is still in use today defines lomi as massage. and lomilomi as a reduplicate of same.

So it is in this that I leave you - the origins of the term are interesting, yes, but not so special as to obscure the history and the origins of the work itself, which has been done and passed on for generations, morphing I am certain along the way but today being administered by a select group of dedicated practitioners, in the best way that they know how, with the best of intention, and with all the knowledge they posses which has been handed down to them from teacher to teacher, back to to the ancients.

-with Aloha