The Spirit of Lomi Lomi: Interview with Dawn Charlton

“Lomi Lomi is more than just a relaxation massage; it is a sacred encounter with Spirit. “

Dawn Charlton is a traditional Lomi Lomi massage therapist. Unlike other practitioners, Dawn received her teaching in Hawaii and was chosen as the next in line to receive the ritual lineage teachings of this ancient, cultural tradition. She is also the first lineage holder who is non-native, an honour that she holds with the most profound respect and gratitude. ‘Lomi Lomi’ is a sacred practice that has been kept true to its original teachings, passed down by one lineage holder to the next, through ritual. The guardians of Lomi Lomi have upheld the ancient practices of this traditional massage in guarded secrecy and reverence for hundreds of years. Dawn’s own teacher had been searching for an apprentice for 20 years. Now, having been a Lomi Lomi massager for more than 20 years herself, Dawn shares with us her experiences.

Lomi Lomi is more than just a relaxation massage; it is a sacred encounter with Spirit. It covers you with deep, flowing strokes from head to foot and involves trigger-point therapy, lymphatic drainage, and stretches. The long, gliding strokes help the body release old energies, patterns, and behaviours, helping alleviate muscle tension and strain. Lomi Lomi massage has many benefits, including emotional healing, detoxifying the body, relieving stress and tension, lymphatic drainage and cleansing, improved circulation, reduced pain, and many others.

“Lomi Lomi is not only about physical touch, but it is also about suppressed emotions that are stored in the body. Any ailment that’s in the body is always an old belief system that sits in the body. With Lomi, you read the body.”

Through lineage, techniques of this tradition are passed down from master to master, where the energy of the ancestors joins with the energy of all true lineageholders. Lomi Lomi is about being a vessel that can be open to and receive masculine and feminine energies. In practice, Dawn calls on the ancestors to protect her and those she is working with.

“When I’m massaging, I always see the massage table as an altar. When you are on my table, you are scared because it takes a lot of trust to have me work on your body, and I am aware of that and honoured. It’s very sacred”. Dawn is the next lineage-holder because of her deep connection with Spirit and a demonstrated ability to carry the torch of the lineage with honour, kindness, and respect. Dawn spent four years learning and ultimately building the trust of her master. Dawn recalls that he was exhausted from carrying the weight of his responsibility but hadn’t yet felt he had met the right person to whom he could pass his knowledge. There is an immense difference between learning the practice of Lomi Lomi and being apprenticed. By becoming an apprentice, you are entrusted with all the secrets of what Lomi Lomi is. When there is a lineage, you are not only learning technique; you are learning the context of everything around it.

“I carry the torch and lead people. I keep it alive so that it’s traditional and unchanged.”

^{Dawn with her teacher KAHU SHERMAN DUDOIT (RAMAN DAS)}

Dawn experienced a pivotal moment during her apprenticeship, one amazing morning in Hawaii. Every morning she would meditate with her teacher on the beach, and afterwards, they would both swim in the ocean. On this particular morning, her teacher did not accompany her out into the waves, which was unusual, so Dawn went out alone. There, in the water, she encountered a baby whale and its mother. As she floated in the water above these immense creatures, the mother whale watched her. As petrified as Dawn was of this very personal encounter with such a big and graceful animal, she radiated love and kindness in its presence. When she saw her teacher standing on the shore, he had tears in his eyes and told her that the whale was a token animal of his ancestors and that this was a sign that she was the chosen one.

“It was a sign for myself and him, and from that day on, I took on the lineage and decided that I was going to take this responsibility seriously and be devoted to it.”

Not all Lomi Lomi practitioners carry a lineage. Dawn is the only practitioner in Australia who is a lineage-holder. She has been given permission to teach and has done so all around the world. Many modalities get lost in translation as they enter Western practice, but Dawn’s practices align with authentic cultural traditions. To teach Lomi Lomi massage, you must want to care for and help people. Dawn doesn’t see herself as a teacher but rather someone sharing with others because she believes herself always learning and growing.

“I receive at the same time as giving during a massage. That’s what I love so much.”

Dawn hosts 3-day retreats over the weekend. They also cater to day guests. They are setting up to do their first 7-day level 4 retreat in Australia. Ordinarily, this retreat would take place once a year in Hawaii. Classes are intimate, with only 8-12 people offering a one-on-one experience. The retreat is a fully immersive experience with fresh organic meals, magnesium pools, and a Swedish sweat room. Level 4 provides the most intense and comprehensive teaching of Lomi Lomi techniques. The skills you learn can be standalone skills, such as trigger therapy, or you can use them in conjunction with other therapies.

“People feel like they are being nurtured and loved unconditionally. That’s where healing happens, where there is unconditional love, and when you can hold that space, it’s amazing what shifts in the body”.