Although Haunani Hopkins was trained as a database analyst, she was meant to touch lives in her life’s work rather than a computer keyboard.

"My colleagues at the company I worked for in San Jose used to tell me that massage was my true calling," she said. "I used to massage their tight necks and shoulders while they sat in front of their computers."

In 1992 Hopkins went home to Oahu for a visit. Turning on the television one day, she saw lomilomi practitioner Maka­ala Yates on a morning news show discussing a workshop he was going to pre­sent that weekend. Although she was intrigued, the timing was wrong; she was returning to California the next day.

Back at her job, Hopkins found out Yates would be coming to San Jose to lead a three-day workshop, and she immediately registered for it. "I soaked up information at that workshop like a sponge," she said. "It was like I was unlocking what was already in me."

Hopkins began having dreams of studying with an elderly woman. In those dreams a voice kept telling her that she needed to go to "the source." In 1993 Yates introduced her to his mentor, the late Auntie Margaret Machado.

"I realized Auntie Margaret was ‘the source,’" Hopkins said. "In 1997 I moved to Kona to learn from her, and that totally changed my life. She would always tell us students, ‘Lomi­lomi is prayerful work. If your hands are gentle and loving, your patients will feel the sincerity of your heart, their souls will reach out to yours and God’s healing will flow through you both. But if your heart is full of bitterness, that will hinder the flow of healing to your patient.’"

Today Hopkins is president of the Hawaiian Lomi­lomi Association (see sidebar), which has presented the annual Aha Lomi­lomi (Lomi­lomi Gathering) since 2000. The theme of this year’s conference is Kawe­he­ola, meaning "opening the path to healing."

"We chose that theme because what we are doing is preparing the way for perpetuation of our Hawaiian healing practices," Hopkins said. "In the past, only lomi­lomi practitioners attended the conference, but it is now open to anyone who is interested because we want to share our knowledge; we need to do that so it doesn’t die. Over the years, we have lost many kupuna (elders). Without sharing we can’t perpetuate the healing arts of old."

AS WITH Western medicine, there are many traditional Hawaiian modalities to treat illnesses and injuries. One option is lomi­lomi. According to Hopkins, lomi­lomi provides numerous benefits, including relieving pain, strengthening bones, lowering high blood pressure, rejuvenating the immune system and reducing stress and inflammation. Those benefits are enhanced when used in conjunction with laau lapaau (herbal medicine) and hoo­pono­pono (conflict resolution).

In olden times in Hawaii, even young children practiced lomi­lomi. Masters from different ohana had distinctive lomi­lomi styles.

At Aha Lomilomi, 13 respected lomi­lomi practitioners from Oahu, Kauai, Hawaii island, New Zealand and British Columbia will explain and demonstrate techniques that were passed down through their families. Routines involve everything from kneading, tapping, squeezing and stretching to bending, pushing, pulling and pressing.

Over her 20 years of experience as a lomi­lomi practitioner, Hopkins has seen many miracles. One patient’s fractured bones healed in just three days; another patient was freed from intense chronic pain she had endured all her life.

"Many people ask what the difference is between lomi­lomi and massage," Hopkins said. "The most important difference is lomi­lomi practitioners give credit to God for the healing. We are vessels for God’s work; therefore, we must be healed ourselves before we touch others. We need to practice hoo­pono­pono daily to cleanse our hearts from all unrighteousness so that God’s healing can flow through us to help patients."

This year, Aha Lomi­lomi participants are coming from as far away as Japan, Canada, Switzerland and Australia. "Aloha is shared throughout the conference; everyone comes together as one and feels special and loved," Hopkins said. "One of the key things newcomers learn is that the foundation of healing is aloha. Healing for any affliction begins with love."

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Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi is a Honolulu-based freelance writer whose travel features for the Star-Advertiser have won several Society of American Travel Writers awards.