What is Ka Huna Bodywork?
In short, Ka Huna is a unique style of Bodywork that weaves together elements of dance, ceremony, deep body listening and long, fluid & rhythmic massage strokes, to lull the body into an open and receptive state. We weave a cocoon space around the table, so that whatever needs to surface in someones body is safe and able to do so.
One of the main reasons why I love Ka Huna Bodywork is that is allows a space for the story of someone's body to unfold, be seen, heard & held.
The information held in our bodies is profound and our system is highly intelligent, wise & sophisticated. Ka Huna works with this innate intelligence, by listening and responding to the needs of the body. We listen to what a body is saying and we work with that information to guide the body back into equilibrium, or into it's next evolution.
Ka Huna Bodywork has its roots in Hawaiian & Polynesian cultures and was traditionally used during rites of passage in someone life, - i.e the transition from maiden to mother, from adolescence to adulthood or any major change or life/death transition. In this way the persons body is 'worked' to metabolise, move through or bring to the surface whatever is needed in order to welcome and integrate this next chapter of life.
Ka Huna bodywork is so much more than just a massage. We work with all aspects of a person from the physical, to the emotional, mental & spiritual and are guided by the power & essence of Aloha & our Ancestors or Aumakua.
In terms of the actual style of bodywork used, Ka Huna works with long, flowing and rhythmic strokes, using primarily the forearms and occasionally the elbow. This rhythmic style helps to lull the body into a state of openness and receptivity and also allows the body to be worked as one whole connected organism. For instance, we might flow from the foot, all the way to the shoulder, in one long, loving stroke, which allows the receiver to feel the body as one, connected piece. It helps to expand the sensory self, or 'body-map' of the receiver and allows them to experience their body as a whole organism, instead of a culmination of separate parts.
This is also how we create 'the dance' of Ka Huna, whereby the practitioner is moving fluidly around the table and weaving a sacred cocoon space, so that the receiver can fully let go, arrive and be whatever they need to be on the table.
We pair this with elements of ceremony, music, sound and the sacred underbody techniques that allow someone to feel deeply supported and held on the table.
It's the combination of these element that make Ka Huna such a unique and beautifully nourishing style of bodywork ~ both to give & receive.
Learn to Naviagte the landscape of the body...
The Ka Huna training is MANY things. It’s an immersion into bodywork, it’s a journey of personal growth and it’s a remembering of our innate connection to self, community & spirit.
At the heart of it though, is something else that I spent many of my early bodywork years searching for - a way to effectively listen, feel and respond to the landscape of the body.
Just like we learn to navigate through wild landscapes, by following the paths of those who have come before us, moving through the landscape of the body is much the same.
In nature, it is so valuable to know which track will lead you through the forest with ease, which is the path of least resistance.
Once you’re on the path, you can turn your attention toward what you notice in the landscape and be in silent conversation with all that is unfolding around you - the wind moving through the trees, the change in the rock forms, the birdsong, the life that is unfolding in all directions.
The Ka Huna training will teach you loads of beautiful techniques and bodywork skills. You’ll learn how to effectively move through the landscape of a body with gestures of touch that are therapeutic, flow, fit, and feel OH SO GOOD. Pathways that have been developed by those who came before us, to move with ease.
More importantly though, you’ll walk away with the ability to be present and to notice what is happening in the unique landscape that you’re touching.
By knowing your way, you can soften into presence, return to breath and become wholly available to the conversation that is taking place through touch. You can switch on all of your senses and begin to truely feel, listen and respond to what is being unveiled and spoken by the body in front of you.
When we touch a body, we’re touching a new landscape every time. Even though there are similarities to the form, every body is it’s own unique forest, with its own unique ecosystems - it’s own birdsong, changing rock formations and multitudes of life unfolding in every direction.
Be guided through the pathways of touch, in the ways that I have learnt, so that you can return to presence and be in silent conversation with what is taking place there.
If you'd like to learn more about the art of Ka Huna Bodywork, including the foundations of Hawaiian spirituality, the Huna dances and philosophies embedded in this practice then consider enrolling in the Ka Huna Massage Practitioner Training.
