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SPA ARTICLES |
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Kukui Nut Oil: The Secret Ingredient in Many Spa Treatments
The kukui nut, also known as the candlenut, has always been valued for its oil. In ancient times, the oil of the white kernels was extracted and used to light stone lamps and ti leaf torches. The bark, flowers and nuts were all used as medicine. The small, five-petaled white flowers and the sap of the green nut were used to heal chapped lips, cold sores and mild sunburn. The mashed nut was used for constipation and skin irritations.
Today, the rich oil is known to be one of the best natural sources of linoleic and linolenic fatty acids that are essential to vibrant, healthy skin and hair and is used in body oil, shampoos and conditioners. Because it is very emollient, it is a favorite massage oil for lomilomi.
But this precious oil has many more uses. Body scrubs are usually made with a base of kukui nut oil mixed with course sugar or sea salt. Hair treatments use kukui nut oil for deep conditioning to add elasticity, moisture and luster. And lastly, it is used as an all-over body moisturizer to nourish and soften skin.
Lomilomi: The Massage With Heart
Lomilomi means "massage" in Hawaiian and it is the most popular spa treatment featured on every resort spa menu in Hawaii. Experiencing lomilomi is an easy way for clients to get an authentic taste of the indigenous, exotic Hawaiian culture.
A traditional healing ritual, lomilomi featured long, rhythmic, flowing strokes using forearms and elbows to help integrate the body and spirit. The up-and-down movements of this ancient method of massage mimic the ocean's rolling, surging waves and relax the body while they stimulate lymphatic circulation. Clients can expect the additional health benefits of relaxation, relief from muscle spasms and increasing flexibility.
What makes lomilomi different from most forms of massage is that it is an integral part of Hawaii's cultural heritage, unlike other forms of massage that have been developed or adapted in modern times.
More than a massage, lomilomi was an important and sacred part of ancient Hawaiian culture and was always accompanied by the chanting of a pule (prayer) asking for guidance, protection and permission. Hawaiian royalty considered the massage a powerful healing treatment and often received lomilomi before making important decisions.
Ancient healers believed an illness begins with the head. Lomilomi begins with a prayer with the therapist's hands over the head and continues to the feet. Then on the other side of the body, the massage starts at the feet so the massage ends with the head.
Lomilomi is an intuitive art that has been passed down for generations, but only taught in massage schools in recent years. Many credit "Auntie" Margaret Machado and her school on the Big Island for sharing the secret.
Styles and practitioners may differ, but what makes lomilomi so powerful is that it always begins with a pule for gratitude and guidance - often silent - and requires an open heart and loving hands. |
