The Body Remembers: How Lomi Lomi Massage Supports Healing Where Words Cannot Reach

In recent years, the idea that trauma is stored not just in the mind but also in the body, has gained widespread recognition. This understanding, once considered intuitive or anecdotal, is now supported by decades of research, clinician observation, and personal accounts. Dr. Bessel van der Kolk’s groundbreaking book, The Body Keeps the Score, explores how our nervous system, muscles, and even posture can carry the imprint of past experiences long after the events themselves have passed.

JuneAura honours this understanding in every practice offered, and massage therapy, particularly the ancient Hawaiian practice of Lomi Lomi, plays a unique and powerful role in that philosophy.

What Makes Lomi Lomi Different?

Lomi Lomi, often referred to as “loving hands” massage, is more than a physical treatment. It is a holistic ritual that integrates flowing, rhythmic touch, intentional breath, and often a whispered prayer or chant known as pule. The purpose is to restore harmony not only within the body, but between body, mind, and spirit.

What makes this method particularly resonant in trauma-informed care is its focus on areas where emotional memory and stress are often held: the shoulders, lower back, hips, and abdomen. These regions, in many therapeutic models, are considered primary storage spaces for emotional pain, grief, and suppressed energy. By gently, lovingly working through these areas with intention and presence, Lomi Lomi creates the space for release and renewal.

The Intersection of Body, Memory, and Ritual

In many Indigenous and traditional healing systems, there is no distinction between the physical and emotional self. Lomi Lomi draws from this wisdom, believing that when a practitioner touches the body, they are touching the entirety of the person’s experience.

The inclusion of prayer or mantra in a Lomi Lomi session isn’t a religious act, but rather an offering, a way of setting healing intentions and acknowledging the unseen emotional weight a person might carry. This small, almost whispered element can have profound effects, helping clients feel safe, seen, and supported.

A Complement to Modern Therapies

While Lomi Lomi does not replace medical or psychological treatment, many who receive it describe it as a deeply complementary practice. It offers an alternative way to process and release emotional tension, especially when words feel too small or too far away. At JuneAura, the Lomi Lomi sessions are grounded in care, consent, and trauma awareness, tailored to honour the pace and comfort of each individual.

Healing doesn’t always start with language. Sometimes, it begins with breath. With a gentle rhythm. With a quiet intention murmured in the background as skilled hands move with empathy and purpose.

In a world where stress is often carried silently, Lomi Lomi massage becomes a language of touch and spirit, a conversation between the body and the heart that invites soft release and graceful re-connection.