My 2 cents on the Upcoming Class...

The upcoming Mana Lomi Level 1 class with Dr. Maka'ala Yates will be the first of it's kind in CT. I did not get a chance to study with Maka'ala until I took my Lomi 3 class. My introduction to lomilomi came from his student, Jackie Kapua Tyler. I will talk about my teachers but first, as always, I want to share my quick take on why it is of such great importance that any massage therapist, chiropractor, nurse practitioner, doctor, caretaker, any loving person connect to this school and this work.
1) It provides a sustainable, simple means to give of your whole self to those in need in a lasting, safe way.
2) It is work that can be given in any setting.
3) The underlying philosophies of the Hawaiian culture are crucial in realigning ourselves with the goodness of life many of us have lost along the way.
4) This work gives as much to you as you give to it.
This work has a way of calling the right people to it so I don't think I needed to say even that much, but I did to help give a bit more info. Now about na kumu, my teachers:
Kapua is an amazing translator of this beautiful and effective art, and a teacher I will always be dedicated to for helping me advance as a person, a therapist, and a healing soul. She is someone who has for years now managed to work 9 hours a day, 6 days a week doing this work. With that said, she is a loving mother, a dedicated wife, and someone who is always positive, upbeat, and balanced in her Hawaiian studies and Lomi teaching. In my life, I can count on one hand the teachers I have had who have the ability to offer true guidance and critique without ever waning in their support and encouragement of my abilities. She may be one of the few living saints I have ever met, although she would never accept that. Also, before I ever worked with her, when I first moved to Hawaii, I bought my first car from her, already 14 years old, 130k miles, at that point, and it ran well with no major repairs for my next 5 years there (and Hawaii roads are no joke)!
Maka'ala is another person who I would lavish acclaim onto, although I think he would shun that. He has always encouraged me to have faith in this this work and let my hands speak for themselves. The stories that I have heard about him are always downplayed by him, even though the pure facts are undeniably astonishing. He journeyed on the original crew of the Hokule'a, a Hawaiian sailing canoe that retraced the passage across the Pacific by the first discoverers of the Hawaiian Islands. With no instruments other than knowledge and faith, this elite crew sailed and paddled from Tahiti to Hawaii, the most isolated island chain in the world, in 1976. What I have seen of him in my studies that has impressed me most, aside from his great sense of humor, is his progressive outlook on the Hawaiian people and the responsibility he takes for keeping the heart of this culture alive and growing in a way that makes his elders proud. No false claims, no hollywood, just real aloha, here and now.
The date is fast approaching (excitement) so sign up now and let everyone know that you think would benefit from this. It is important that we create as much momentum as possible so that people who wish to learn more after this have a better chance at bringing the right teachers this way. Questions, comments, concerns....get in touch and we will figure it out, you being here is what is most important. Aloha.