Healing energy practices promote connectedness
Beebe Medical Center supplements medical treatments with laulima
By KELLY BOTHUM
The News Journal
• June 22, 2010
When
Linda Sapienza was in nursing school 15 years ago, students were taught
how to give back rubs as part of standard patient care. These days,
with hospital nurses juggling myriad responsibilities, including more
patients with pressing chronic health problems, back rubs have gone the
way of doctor house calls.
But she still sees value in simple human contact.
"In
our world of medicine, we give all kinds of medications, we do invasive
procedures," said Sapienza, a registered nurse and quality outcomes
analyst at Beebe Medical Center in Lewes. "But there also has been
study in the power of touch. There is a great deal of healing in touch."
Patients
and staff at Beebe will be able to experience the power of this
connectedness for themselves, thanks to the addition of a traditional
Hawaiian healing practice through the hospital's integrative medicine
department.
Laulima
is a nonreligious, nondenominational laying of hands performed with the
intention of allowing positive energy to flow to those in need, said
Cheyenne Luzader, who directs the integrative medicine department at
Beebe. About 15 staff members from the hospital have been trained in
this complementary health practice, which often elicits comparisons
with reiki, another energy-based practice that originated in Japan and
has been used for relaxation, stress reduction and pain relief. Beebe
has offered Reiki and therapeutic touch -- another type of energy-based
therapy -- for 10 years.
While
laulima can be commonly found in Hawaiian hospitals, it's relatively
unheard of in hospitals on the mainland, said Harry Uhane Jim, a native
Hawaiian who leads energy and body work seminars across the country and
also conducted the laulima training at Beebe. Among Hawaiians, the
healing practice is considered a family tradition, passed down from
elders to younger members as part of their vibrant culture.
Laulima,
which translates as "many hands," doesn't require any special
equipment. The technique can be performed one-on-one, though most
people practice it as part of a group of four to eight people.
Participants lightly lay their hands on the person in need of healing,
touching them for about 10 minutes while they focus on positive
feelings.(2 of 2)
The
practice creates a space where healing energy can travel to the person
in need, helping them relax, decrease their pain and feel better
overall.
"There's
the benefit of having an emotional safety net. That's quite an amazing
experience," said Jim, the author of "Wise Secrets of Aloha."
Other
cultures have a long tradition of laying on hands to promote healing,
said Dr. Seth Torregiani, an integrative medicine physician who
practices in Stanton. In addition to reiki, there's also qigong, which
is practiced in the Chinese culture. Typically, the practices rely on
the idea that there is energy in and around the body, and when it is
impeded, misaligned or blocked, health can suffer as a result.
While
no studies have yet been able to identify this so-called bio-energy,
some research on reiki and therapeutic touch suggest increased
relaxation and a reduced need for pain medication following surgery
among those people who used it, Torregiani said.
"It's something that happens between the practitioner and the patient that seems to be therapeutic," he said.
So
far, laulima has been practiced only on three patients at Beebe,
Luzader said. Several staff members, including those who have been
trained, also have had laulima practiced on them.
Luzader
said the response from staff, who volunteer their lunch and break times
to practice laulima, has been overwhelmingly positive. For some, it's a
reminder of what it was like years ago when nurses had more individual
time to spend with their patients.
"We
still make an effort to do that, but we've become little more
technical," she said. "This is a way to bring back that art of healing
and mix it with the science of medicine."
Sapienza,
who said she has felt a surge of heat and cold, and also seen colors
while practicing laulima, appreciates the opportunity to make a
difference for patients but also to share a moment of stillness with
her co-workers.
"It's not often you can stop everything and just be still," she said.
OTHER ENERGY PRACTICES
Laulima
is one of several energy practices that use laying on hands to promote
relaxation and healing. Here's a look at some practices in other
cultures:
•Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction
and relaxation. It is based on the idea that an unseen "life force
energy" flows through the body. Practitioners place their hands lightly
on another person or just above the body to release energy blockages
and promote stress reduction.
•Therapeutic touch also uses
hands to direct human energy for healing purposes. Those who practice
it believe it may be useful in reducing anxiety and increasing the
sense of well-being in some people.
•Qigong can be used to
train the mind to direct the body's energy, or chi, to any part of the
body. Some believe that, when moved correctly, chi can bring the body
to a natural state of balance.
Sources: American Cancer Society, National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, WebMD
Massage Magazine
Article Written By: Gloria Coppola L.M.B.T.
Lomi lomi has often been described as a Hawaiian healing
massage that provides nurturing and loving touch.Some people
learn about more contemporary styles of lomi lomi by viewing video
tapes, which do not provide the full essence and depth of lomi lomi
healing. They have expressed being attracted to the long, flowing
strokes and the dance that appears so graceful through one of the styles
being taught, often described as temple lomi.
Lomi lomi means
massage or “to shift,” which may be translated by many into a variety of
styles and techniques. Hawaiian healing is a tradition that is handed
down for generations to family (‘ohana) and varies among islands and
families, many of which are still secret. This is what differentiates
the traditional form from the contemporary styles and other styles of
massage, the essence of a culture of healing vs. a technique.
Kumu
Harry Uhane Jim states one of the first cultural differences he brings
to the table is, “Be quiet and listen.” He continues to say the method
is simple: You do the work, and the wisdom will come.
Contemporary,
or integrative, lomi lomi trainings are taught across the world and
often don’t require the intense amount of training that is expected
traditionally, in which a student might spend up to 20 years with a kumu
(teacher). Some classes might only last a few days and merely touch
upon this ancient healing method. While the forearm technique is
attractive to many, continued studies will teach that a variety of
techniques have been handed down through the ages. This may include
spiritual wisdom, for instance, ho’oponopono (a system for forgiveness
that creates harmony and balance through expressing truth) as well as
creating and utilizing mana (creative or life force energy).
One
might find methods that are similar to oriental techniques like Thai
massage or qigong that balance energy and create flow. Others might
describe abdominal techniques similar to the Mayan methods or chi
massage very beneficial in aiding digestion and other health issues.
Hawaiian healing methods use warm baths for aches, salts, steams and
clays for detoxification or mineral rebalancing, similar to what we may
experience nowadays in a spa treatment without the ceremonial and sacred
aspect of “holding a space” for these healing methods.
Huge
stones were also heated by the sun and rolled on the body, employing
methods of friction or compression. Today, we see massage therapists
utilize hot stones in their treatments; however, what we typically do
not see is wrapping noni leaves or other medicinal herbs around the
stones, which is practiced traditionally.
Lomi lomi is more than technique. Handed down
through the ages from family to family, it was and is a lifestyle of
health and wellness, physically and spiritually. A few well-known
Hawaiian healers are Auntie Margaret and Kahu Abraham who have since
passed on. They chose to start sharing some of the methods and secrets
of the Hawaiian healers. Today, Kumu Harry Uhane Jim, Kumu Dane Silva
and Kumu Brenda Ignacio continue to teach and share the ancient wisdom
that has been passed on from their elders.
Lomi lomi requires a
commitment to healing oneself, too. Student will learn more about
themselves and what their purpose in life might be. They will learn how
to honor and respect the earth and how to bring harmony and unity to
community (lokahi). The elders acknowledged and worked with the forces,
God, nature and humans to create this harmony.
Some training may
include martial arts techniques, yoga, qigong, breath work, learning
about nature and herbs and much more. Unlike typical massage trainings
that focus on anatomy and technique, lomi lomi brings the practitioner
to a deeper or more connected level to a spiritual side of healing work.
Kumu Harry Uhane Jim says “As soon as your soul knows connection with
yourself, you can offer bodywork as opposed to massage.”
Another
aspect of lomi lomi was offered by the Kahuna (healer), who might also
include complete cleansing regimens for a client. This included purging,
use of enemas, joint adjustments, medicinal herbs and salts—all to help
one regain health, similar to what a naturopath in our Western culture
might employ.
As you can see, lomi lomi may encompass many things
depending on the training of the practitioner, and it is not limited to
massage techniques.
Where does lomi lomi originate?
There
seems to be some ideas and concepts that some practitioners or styles
have passed on techniques that are not traditional lomi lomi, as
described to me by some of the Hawaiian healers. No one seems to quite
understand where and how it really came about when I listen
to
the stories. Maybe some more contemporary practitioners may have created
this style without fully understanding the more traditional Hawaiian
healing lineage? Makana Risser Chai did extensive research at the
Bishop Museum on Oahu and with many Hawaiian practitioners, hoped to
find the routines and remedies of lomi lomi. She found very little
information in English about lomi lomi and only a few current articles
or books. Her book, Na Mo’olelo Lomilomi, is a compilation of the
information she was able to locate, mostly discussing plant remedies.
It
has been said the elders kept many things secret and, therefore, much
of the indigenous healing methods may have been lost.
When I spoke
with Makana Risser Chai, she shared how she noticed each lomi lomi
practitioner is different. She once asked Kumu Kaipo Kaneakua how many
different styles of lomi lomi were out there and he replied “How many
‘ohana are there? Some have the person fully clothed; some half and some
remove all the clothing. Some use lots of oil, others none. Some
practitioners do lots of joint manipulation, others don’t. Others use
forearm techniques, some hands, some only feet.”
The atmosphere created by the practitioner, says Makana
Risser Chai, is also different. She describes how some might have a
serene and quiet room while others have people coming and going,
laughing and joking. She said some sessions may be two hours or more,
while others are 20 minutes—and yet, all lomi lomi is done with love
(aloha) and prayer (pule). Traditional lomi lomi was done in the open,
often in nature. It was a part of everyday life, and while they shared
stories, they might also share lomi lomi. This is what makes lomi lomi
unique.
Through my research and studies, I have found a common
denominator with lomi lomi: compassion. It is a heart-centered healing
modality that provides for a deep healing space, some of which is beyond
explanation in words. One must experience it to truly understand its
power.
What do lomi lomi practitioners or instructors have to
say?
In a personal interview with Lomi Kumu Dane Silva from
the Big Island, he stated, “Traditional lomi respects you for who you
are and is a relationship with ‘ohana and nature.” He refers to
contemporary lomi lomi as an integrative healing arts practice. He
continues to state that “intention with movement and breath prepares a
lomi practitioner to perform successfully, so that waves of energy will
flow.”
Beautifully described by lomi lomi practitioner and
instructor Karen Reifinger from Pennsylvania, “We can only hope to
foster the one common thread at the core of Hawaiian healing:
unconditional love and aloha, based upon the philosophy that all things
seek harmony and love. Clients are empowered with self-responsibility to
heal and change the many aspects that define the nature of our human
existence. These old concepts are timeless, even in this new world.”
Penny
Prior, one of my mentors who lives on Kauai, says lomi lomi to her is a
lifestyle. She believes one must live the principles of what they
teach. The most important thing to her is integrity for any practitioner
or instructor. There is not power over someone, she states, and
teachers and practitioners need to be very conscious. Lomi lomi
encompasses everything, even the food you eat, intention, prayer (pule)
and how you express your thoughts.
Nana Veary states in her book, Change
We Must, that Hawaiians called upon their inner wisdom to make the
most of nature’s offerings. The elders chanted and prayed, “Let that
which is unknown become known.” Lomi lomi students might learn similar
chants to use before they start a session.
Kahuna Harry Uhane Jim
brought joy and laughter upon our meeting. In his book, Wise Secrets
of Aloha, he shares, “Now is the time to share aloha with humanity.
Aloha means the Breath of God is in our presence. It is time to reveal
the profound lomilomi secrets of the kahunas for personal and planetary
peace.”
After conversations with several of these contributors, it
seems we had a mutual vision to see the lomi lomi practitioners and
teachers in the world come to honor our differences and similarities and
respect the Hawaiian culture and traditions of lomi lomi. Whether we
practice traditional or contemporary integrated styles, remember to
share aloha.
Gloria Coppola, L.M.B.T., is a lomi
lomi practitioner and continues to study this Hawaiian healing style.
She has been a massage instructor for more than 22 years. Currently she
is the director at Privai Academy in North Carolina. She also offers
“The Rhythm of the Heart ™” an integrative lomi training, approved
through the NCBTMB.
Visit her website, <I>www.lomilomimassagece.com</I>,
for more details.
Ho’oponopono ~ Freedom
for the Soul
Written for Harry
Uhane Jim
by Wayne Kealohi Powell
May 29, 2010
In speaking with native Hawaiian
kahuna Harry Uhane Jim yesterday, I was given some profound things to
consider about forgiveness and the metaphysics of how it actually takes
place. He shared with me that the foundation of all healing is born
of forgiveness. He said that no healing can actually take place without
letting go of limiting concepts and mind structures that release one
from the bondage of resentment and judgment. Harry said that “As
you expand your perspective, you generate humility.”
In the kahuna tradition, words are
intended to rearrange energy. Uncle Harry has this profound ability
to speak to us in such a way that the heart is awakened while the mind
is entertained. Here are a few examples of some very healing ideas or
concepts that he gave me to share with you.
Emotional Maturity
~ becomes the process of each one that takes on becoming awake in this
life. “Aversion is detrimental to your
health”, Harry says. It is through emotional maturity that we
are enabled to actually embrace the new paradigm of agape~unconditional
love~aloha. We tend toward evolving our family lineage by being the
rebel, or the black sheep of the family, to create change, or evolution.
Sobriety of Your Sovereignty
~ Personal sovereignty is the condition of healthy boundaries in all
your relationships while keeping your connection to the one spirit,
the Spirit of Aloha in all. This forms a container for you to ‘operate
in the world, yet not of the world.’ Once we claim sobriety of our
sovereignty, we can move through life with a compassionate disengagement
from the intense drama, bringing light into it.
Anchoring Joy
~ creates the “Technology of Hope” by activating a portal for accessing
infinite resources to come through you and returning you to the frequency
of Heaven. Harry says, “The loudest, cleanest, direct communion
with the Light of God is the joyous laughter of well-being.”
Joy profound, is a by-product of an inner peace born of a knowing that
everything is OK, just the way it is.
Challenge Authority
~ discover who and what you are and who and what you have given your
power to, then call it back! Repeat to your self, over and over,
“I am enough!” Harry says. “You
are enough, because you are an act of God!”
Nothing was held back to be given at a later time. All; is All, all
the time: as in Vertical Time; totality, here and now. Uncle Harry says,
“Grace is the inalienable right of all beings to receive the Light
of God, the inalienable source of all healing. From the power of God
comes this completely unconditional love, which heals and propels support.
Grace is absolutely free. You don’t have to do anything to get it.
Grace is not something that could be taken away from you, in the Hawaiian
point of few.”
Gratitude for Being
~ Harry says, “When you ask Spirit to change you, you have
to give up the list of changes!”
Our Father, who’s heart lives in Heaven, knows exactly what we
need, and is in a perfect way, willing to give it to us. But in order
for us to receive more of what we really want, we must willingly cultivate
the ancient law of “Grace receiving Gratitude,” and becoming
authentically grateful for all that has been given us, and surrendering
to receive more Grace, naturally to return gratitude, etc.
Surender Profound
~ Harry has said, when you understand that “the aimless
arrow, never misses” you receive insight into the concept of failure
as being totally false. Feeling like a failure is because you can’t
keep up the commitment that you made with yourself or with another to
hit a specific target. Just let go, and flow down stream saying,
“I am enough” and revel in this truth. More will always come
when you activate emotional gratitude for the gift of just being alive
and connected to Infinite Love.
Understanding ~
that when you see clearly what your affirmations are, when you see clearly
what your declarations are, when you see clearly what your proclamations
are, then, and only then, will you begin to understand your life experiences,
and become an influence in the lives of others who are looking to empower
themselves through witnessing where you have placed your attention and
intention.
Ho’oponopono
~ Freedom for the Soul is achieved through a revelation of consciousness
that sees everyone as innocent and equally loved, loving, and lovable.
To release all resentments and judgments requires that complete wholeness
return to the being, putting an end to separation and fragmentation.
Harry says, “In this place, this space, the reigning idea is that,
as God sees us, no one is above another. So humans see God in every
form, and in no form there is not God’s presence. Hawaiian secret
of paradise is Aloha: “the breath of God is in our presence.”
These principles of Aloha, love and
acceptance are all encompassing. They embrace the new paradigm of blending
ancient and contemporary wisdom that is emerging in all the human beamings
awakening at this time, through Vertical Time. In Harry Uhane Jim’s
book, “Wise Secrets of Aloha,” he gives back to us the power to
recreate our lives, using simple bodywork techniques and a cutting edge
mystical trance that fills one with the possibilities and potential
of illumination, healing, and the ‘technology of hope.’
Harry is on a mission to trance the
world into Aloha plenty! He conveys through the Uhane lineage, a very
clear intention to lead us back to the Garden of Eden in the most loving
way humanly possible: with humor, honor and respect.
Kahuna Harry Uhane Jim has designed
a new course called “Hawaiian Healing” that Hawaiian Shamanic Bodywork
is presenting at East West Bookshop in Seattle. The motivation behind
his sharing the way of Aloha with us, is to assist us to learn and experience
a very ancient yet practical form of forgiveness called Ho’oponopono.
There are many styles forgiveness, but not many teachers truly know
how to transfer the Infinite Power of Love through their students. This
is Uncle Harry’s speciality.