There really is no better way to start a cold and rainy November morning (or any morning for that matter) than with a warm and relaxing massage. Most people are familiar with the traditional Swedish massage, but today we want to tell you about a different kind of massage...the gold standard, the best of the best, the ultimate massage if we are being honest. It’s called Sacred Lomi and it’s from Hawaii, and if you can’t actually be in Hawaii, this is the next best thing! Linda Jurca, a therapeutic massage therapist and reiki master, is one of the few therapists who offer the Sacred Lomi modality here in Seattle. She has her practice in West Seattle at Sol Bodywork, and Sarah was lucky enough to get to experience this one-of-a-kind treatment. Read on to learn all about Sarah’s Sacred Lomi experience and to hear from Linda herself.
A little background
Sacred Lomi massage was practiced by native healers from Hawaii for both medicinal and restorative purposes and is deeply connected with “living aloha,” which translates to living your life with love, compassion, kindness, and grace. It combines all over body massage in addition to energy healing and shamanic principles. The way I understand it is, in addition to being extremely relaxing and healing, it also connects the mind, body, and spirit and helps you to find harmony with each.
The 7 Hawaiian Shamanic Principles of Sacred Lomi
What to expect
Linda will start with having you pull an intention card from a deck that was custom made by her Sacred Lomi mentor, which you’ll read before the massage begins. You’ll start face down on the table, and Linda will massage the top of your back down to your toes. It’s hard to explain, but it feels slightly different than a typical massage. The strokes are circles and figure eights and it is almost like waves are moving over your body. It feels amazing and it definitely helps that Linda has perfect pressure…not too hard or soft. You’ll eventually flip over and she’ll start the same experience on your front half. One of my favorite parts of the front massage was when Linda applied pressure to points in the abdomen, which is a place where a lot of people can hold long standing ancestral and emotional tension. By pressing these points, it can help to improve the energy of the organs and assist with release. Linda will finally move on to a head and face massage using a jade Gua Sha stone. All of the massage work I mentioned is broken up by energy work, with reiki incorporated throughout. As you transition through the massage phases, Linda places her hands slightly on parts of your body, and you can actually feel the vibrations from the energy in her hands deep inside you. There are also healing stones that are placed down your core as part of the energy work to support energy circulation and grounding. The whole experience is so dreamy and feels so lovely that I found myself entering an almost trance-like state. Traditional Hawaiian music and sounds of drums play in the background that perfectly ebb and flow with the whole experience…sometimes quiet and slow and other times loud and fast. When the massage ended, I got up feeling an intense amount of pulsing and vibrations through my body. It actually made me feel weak in the knees, but in the best way possible! I was relaxed and light, happy and clear. In a word, the experience was magical.
In order to fully understand the Sacred Lomi experience, I sat down with Linda and asked her to explain the modality further and to learn a little bit about her journey. You can also read more about the modality here.
Linda Jurca, massage therapist and reiki master
How would you describe Sacred Lomi massage in your own words?
Simply put it’s been described as the feeling of swimming in the ocean. Sacred Lomi is a traditional and spiritual based massage weaving together powerful teachings like the seven shamanic principles of huna (a Hawaiian philosophy centered on achieving harmony) into a complete system of hands on bodywork embracing the whole being: physical, emotional and energetic. The touch is nurturing, revitalizing, sensitive and deep. The full body strokes replicate the wind, ocean, figure eights and circles. They cross the body in ways which light up the left and right hemispheres known to support the release of detrimental deep-seated memories and emotions. Try as you may to keep track of the strokes, but eventually you lose and are released from the mind into the receiving space of the heart. In an unconditional Aloha filled environment with nurturing and intentional movements, the body and soul are supported to release, transform and allow.
What made you interested in studying Sacred Lomi in the first place?
The first time I experienced Lomilomi, was from an extended program I took in massage school and it sparked such joy, it felt like a calling. Not only did I appreciate the healing affects, but the practice itself put me in a flow state akin to what an artist enters when creating. Once I learned it was more than a massage, but a practice of ‘living Aloha,’ I was hooked! There are two primary styles of Lomilomi: ‘Temple Style’ or Kahuna bodywork and ‘Auntie Margaret’s Style’ or Big Island Massage. Sacred Lomi derives from Temple Style, which is more shamanic focused and the one which most spoke to me.
I am and always have been interested in human culture, energy healing, and anything tropical. Having escaped from Prague, Czech Republic as a young girl in 1985 with my immediate family during communism; I had the advantage of growing up with two cultures. This gave me the gift of shapeshifting into whatever culture I was currently in and deciding which part of the culture I wanted to adopt or let go. I also realized a major similarity of any culture is being in a constant state of evolution. What then drew me to Sacred Lomi is the Hawaiian culture of Aloha deeply rooted in the harmony of a tribe and to mother Earth. This is a combo our precariously unfolding world needs and my joy to spread!
Why is it important to set an intention before the massage starts?
The benefits of intention setting are immeasurable and the bones of this ancient healing tradition. The very act of speaking or internally announcing an intention invites your entire body and mind to begin supporting your intent. It’s immeasurable in the metaphysical sense, but science is beginning to see how the brain cannot discern the difference between an intent and the physical act of actually achieving it. As an example, if a client comes in with a bit of anxiety from their day, taking a moment to invite an intention can start the process of altering their state into deeper reception. Additionally, when I, as a therapist set my own intention, the energy of the client’s intention is then amplified. It can also be linked to one of the principles of Huna: MAKIA ~ Energy flows where attention goes. Together we set the stage for the possibilities to flow through.
Before the massage begins, you take some time for yourself to do breathwork and movement. How does this help you connect to your client and Sacred Lomi?
I use breath to generate energy within myself while simultaneously calming my nervous system into a receptive and present state. Accessing a deep listening heart space allows the recipient full acceptance and Aloha, so no matter what comes up the client is not alone. The movement dance is called flying and opens up energy channels to align with the ancestor lineage of the healing tradition. It’s also the fundamental platform of all the Sacred Lomi strokes. Breath is used for clearing, infusing into oil, moving chi, and energizing spirit and mana back into your life.
After my massage, I felt a lot of intense waves of energy and vibrations all over my body. Is this normal?
Yes, quite normal and it would also be normal to get up without these sensations. Sacred Lomi is designed to circulate an incredible amount of chi (energy), some of which lay stagnant and can dislodge like a damn. Our sensitivity to the energetic body varies from individual to individual and whether felt outwardly or in the background, this work opens energy centers, awakens the light body and can clear a pathway for brand new perspectives. Hawaiian healing is not just about bodywork, it’s a shamanic experience built to embrace the whole being: physical, emotional and energetic. The effects can linger long after the actual massage.
If someone isn’t quite ready to try Sacred Lomi, are there other massages or therapies they could see you for or that you recommend?
Sacred Lomi is a perfect fusion of both energy and massage. At Ritual we also offer energywork sessions, massage which can be tailored any multitude of ways; whether it be relaxation, structural integration or injury treatment. But if someone isn’t quite ready for Sacred Lomi, I’d recommend choosing energywork as a first step.
And because this is a Seattle blog, we have to ask, what are your favorite wellness spots in the city (food, places, shops etc.) that we should check out? (beside Ritual, of course!)
Its hard to narrow down but here are some of my favorite places, shops and therapists!
Jessica Joy Bodywork – an amazingly gifted intuitive healer, energyworker, meditation guide and holistic life coach. Contact Jessica at https://jessicajoybodywork.com/
Hayley Shannon – (a dance artist in Seattle) channeling dance for healing and empowerment. She offers Dance Healing for people of all movement backgrounds to support our collective journey to wholeness and aliveness. Movers explore elements of dance, meditation and expressive arts while practicing non-judgmental witnessing to unearth inner resources and cultivate collective resiliency. Contact Hayley / learn more at www.hayleyshannon.com.
East West Bookshop - for their vast array of crystals, books and metaphysical goodies! Plus, they offer awesome self-empowerment workshops from Seattle based and well-established world-wide teachers.
Café Flora – creative vegetarian cuisine
Banya 5 - for their amazing scrubs!
Frankie & Jo’s - house-made dairy free ice cream that yields the most luscious and creamy textures with creative flavors. If you visit the Ballard shop a secret succulent garden awaits you while you eat your piece of heaven.
Corson Building – Originally built in the first part of the last century and strives to offer a dining experience unique to the Pacific Northwest, inspired by the natural abundance that surrounds us and the dynamic and vibrant city we live in. Food and beverage menus are wholly inspired by years of building relationships with the farmers, wine makers, importers, foragers and artisans. A must go!
Miro Tea – Tea on a level of art!
Dandelion Botanical Company – for all your essential oil and herbal needs!
Nuflours – gluten free bakery that tastes good!
You can find Linda at Sol Bodywork in West Seattle and you can sign-up easily from her online scheduling tool on her website. A Sacred Lomi massage requires a minimum of 90 minutes, but we think you should do yourself a favor and book the entire 2 hours (you won’t want it to be finished at the 90-minute mark!). You can get yourself easily scheduled by clicking here.
