What Is Hawaiian Ka Huna Massage?

Hawaiian Ka Huna Massage Therapy is a very special massage experience. The term Ka Huna can be broken down into two words: "Ka" meaning "the light" and "Huna" meaning "secrets". Secrets, in the sense intended here, means something sacred and special.

The Hawaiian people view all aspects of the body as one, believing that the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual are all part of the 'whole self'. What gives Ka Huna massage such a very special style is its combination of movement, dance, rhythm, breathing, energy and massage.

Hawaiian Ka Huna massage employs flowing strokes using forearms and elbows as well as hands, combining body draining, soft and deep tissue massage, under body massage, and energy balancing to form a dynamic and transformational bodywork. The practitioner constantly moves around the massage table, following specific patterns of foot placement and body posture. The arms sweep over the body in long, flowing movements to the pulse of music, creating a uniquely fluid and rhythmical massage.

Origins and History of Ka Huna

Born in the Polynesian Islands of the South Pacific, Ka Huna massage therapy flourished for thousands of years as a spiritual discipline and as a system of healing and personal development. In 1820, after the missionaries arrived in Hawaii, Ka Huna massage therapy was deemed to be illegal and the Hawaiian people became accustomed to keeping the practice underground.

Kahuna (as opposed to Ka Huna) refers to specific groups of people who were experts in all matters pertaining to life and spirituality in the pre-missionary days. These experts specialized in certain occupations or practices designed according to their individual arts. They ranged from expert builders to medical physicians to massage therapists, amongst others. Many of the customs and teachings of the Kahuna healers actually remained underground until the late 1980's. Happily however, in more recent years, there has been a renewed interest from around the world in Ka Huna healing, unearthing the richness of its wisdom and the beauty of its practices.

As the massage has been traditionally handed down through families for generations, each area of the Polynesian Islands has developed its own particular style of the massage. Malamalama Ka Huna massage follows the Temple style.