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Pohaku Wela Lomi

Hawaiian Hot Stone Massage

The therapeutic use of stones and rocks has been around for thousands of years in different forms throughout the World. Pohaku Wela Lomi is an ancient Hawaiian method of healing using smooth heated basalt lava stones. Once “kapu” (forbidden) to share, this knowledge and the ways of the Kahuna (Hawaiian traditional healers, literally means “keeper of the secret”) are making their way off the Islands of Hawaii and reaching other shores.

Pohaku Wela Lomi is a beautiful fusion of many ancient Hawaiian healing practices, combining the healing power of the pohaku wela (hot stones) and lomilomi (traditional Hawaiian massage), along with aromatic healing oils. This beautiful and ancient healing practice dates back over a thousand years, pre-dating the techniques used by the Native American Plains People on which the similar, though unrelated, LaStone Therapy is based.  

Native Hawaiian people have been using basalt lava stones since antiquity for physical and spiritual healing and this treatment has evolved to honour and echo the practices of the Hawaiian people. The stones are placed over energy centres of the body, are tucked in and around the body, as well as being laid out underneath as appropriate. Muscle tension melts away with the heat and weight of the stones, while emotional and mental comfort is achieved through their “mana” or life-force energy which is deeply nurturing and grounding, encouraging a powerful reconnection to Mother Earth.