I began my journey to the healing practice of Ocean Wave Massage (Pe'ahi Lomilomi) fifteen years ago.
My first foray into health work was into simple exercise - weight training, Pilates, figure skating. They all helped me feel better, but not enough. After a few years, I went a step further, and after courses and testing, became a WITS Certified Personal Trainer.
When the opportunity arose in 2009, I moved to Hawai'i, to the beautiful island of O'ahu, to train in the traditional Hawai'ian bodywork known as Lomilomi. I spent three years learning from Kumu Denise, a practitioner who in her own learning time had spent ten years with Kumu Alva of Waimanalo. Kumu Alva practised Pa'ola Lomilomi, or "Quick Healing" Massage. He was a Lomi Kumu and Lua Master of many years.
All Lomilomi practitioners learn from a master, or Kumu, then take that learning into themselves and use their own life experiences to form their own individual style. Lomilomi differs from island to island, area to area, practitioner to practitioner.
I call my style Pe'ahi, Ocean Wave Massage.
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In September of 2013, I was invited to Caversham,
I have now moved to Bristol, England, and have brought the knowledge I gained with me.
On Wednesday, 21st October 2015, I was a guest on the Paul Ross Afternoon Show on Radio Berkshire, discussing Ocean Wave Massage with him.
The link to the interview is at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0341n53
My segment starts at approximately 1:38.
My Training
I took my Personal Trainer courses at San Antonio College in Texas, and then received my certification from the World Instructor Training Schools (WITS). I was certified as a Personal Trainer for five years.
Upon moving to Hawai'i in 2009, I received my Anatomy / Physiology and Kinesiology instruction from Heisei Institute in Honolulu, along with my Swedish Massage and Sports Massage training.
From there, I transferred into an apprenticeship program at Mahina Massage in Kaneohe, where for three years I took basic and advanced Lomilomi training from Kumu Denise Stolberg.
The basis of my Ocean Wave Massage is the non-chiropractic form (for non-native practitioners) of Pa’ola Lomilomi. Pa'ola is a traditional Hawai’ian energy-based massage method from windward O'ahu that was performed by Lua Master and Lomi Kumu Alva Andrews.
Kumu Alva's Lua and Lomilomi lineage traced back through his Lua Master teacher Olohe Mitchell Eli, his teacher Olohe Charles Kenn and thence to Olohe St. Chad Piianaia at the court of King David Kalakaua in the 1880s.
The advanced Lomilomi training I received from Kumu Denise included specific techniques to ease the symptoms of fibromyalgia, to treat the condition of carpal tunnel syndrome and the sciatic pain of pseudo-sciatica and piriformis syndrome.
While at Mahina Massage, I also undertook additional training in Barefoot Shiatsu and Polarity Therapy from Josh Jensen and Jeffrei Wilson, respectively.
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In January of 2013, I completed David Morin’s five Medical Massage Therapy courses and received my Certification. These courses included systematic treatment protocols for most major soft tissue conditions, including orthopaedic assessment skills, trigger point techniques to eliminate referred pain and myofascial techniques to effectively treat many conditions.
MMT I: Cervical Spine Pain & Dysfunction
Headaches, Temporomandibular Pain, Whiplash, Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, Myofascial Pain Syndrome, Facet Joint Syndrome
MMT II: Upper Extremity Pain & Dysfunction
Rotator Cuff Syndrome, Wartenberg’s Syndrome, Lateral & Medial Epicondylitis, Cubital Tunnel Syndrome, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Guyon’s Canal Syndrome
MMT III: Thoracic Spine & Torso Pain & Dysfunction
Scoliosis, Kyphosis, Facet Joint Syndrome, Intercostal Neuralgia, Hiatal Hernia, Myofascial Chest Wall Syndromes, Costosternal Syndrome, Sternalis Syndrome, Xiphoidalgia, Lower Rib Syndromes, Nerve Root Irritation & Compression, Restricted Breathing
MMT IV: Lumbar Spine & Hip Pain & Dysfunction
Sciatica, Nerve Root Irritation, Meralgia Paresthetica, Trochanteric Bursitis, Pseudo-Sciatica Syndrome, Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction, Lumbar Disc Pathology/Herniated Nucleus Pulposus, Mechanical Low Back Pain, Piriformis Syndrome, Bursitis - Ischial and Trochanteric, Spondylolisthesis, Lumbar Spinal Stenosis, Coccalgia
MMT V: Lower Extremity Pain & Dysfunction
Iliotibial Band Syndrome, Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome, Plantar Fasciitis, Shin Splint Syndrome, Patellofemoral Stress Syndrome, Compartment Syndrome
Upon completion of those courses, I incorporated that knowledge into my Lomilomi technique.