History of Ka Huna Massage

Ancient wisdom for modern healing

Ka Huna Massage, also known as Ancient Hawaiian Temple Bodywork, traces its roots back to the traditional healing practices of the Hawaiian people. It evolved within the sacred walls of the heiau (temples), where kahuna lapa‘au (master healers) worked to restore harmony within body, mind, and spirit.

More than a physical treatment, this form of bodywork was a spiritual ceremony, a moving meditation designed to clear emotional blockages, awaken life force (mana), and realign one’s energy with the natural rhythms of life. These sessions were often accompanied by breath, chant (oli), and movement, helping both the giver and receiver enter a state of deep connection and flow.

In ancient times, Lomi Lomi was not taught in classrooms but passed through lineage and experience. Apprentices learned through observation, practice, and personal transformation, guided by elders who embodied the principles of Aloha (Love) and Pono (Effectivness).

The movement of Ka Huna Bodywork is often compared to the ocean, continuous, powerful, and deeply cleansing. Practitioners used the forearms and hands in rhythmic, wave-like motions that invited surrender and renewal. Every touch was an act of prayer, an offering of presence, and a celebration of the sacred in all things.

The Temple Arts of Hawaii

The Reawakening of Ka Huna

By the early 20th century, many native Hawaiian traditions were suppressed through colonisation and cultural loss. Yet the wisdom of their healing practices endured, they were kept alive quietly by families and teachers who refused to let it fade.

In the 1970s and 80s, Ka Huna Bodywork began to emerge through the teachings of Abraham Kawai‘i, a respected Hawaiian kahuna who shared this ancient art with students from around the world. His approach to bodywork was both physical and spiritual, blending movement, breath, and intention into a living practice of transformation.

Through teachers like Mette Sørensen and others, this lineage spread to Australia and beyond, where it continues to inspire a new generation of practitioners dedicated to healing through presence, rhythm, and Aloha.

The Spirit of Aloha

At its heart, Ka Huna Bodywork is the embodiment of Aloha, love, respect, and connection with all life. It reminds us that healing is not something done to us, but something awakened within us when we feel seen, supported, and loved.

To touch with Aloha is to remember that we are part of something greater, a rhythm that breathes through all things.

Ka Huna Bodywork today is both ancient and evolving. While modern practitioners may adapt techniques to suit the times, the essence remains the same, a sacred dance between giver and receiver, guided by breath, energy, and intention.

It is this dance that continues at Mind Body Synergy Project, a living expression of the story and touch of this ancient bodywork, carried forward with humility, gratitude, and love.

In this rare footage, Hawaiian Kahuna Abraham Kawai‘i shares the principle of ‘Ohana — Family — a core element of Hawaiian life and healing. For Kawaii, family extends beyond blood to include all beings and the living Earth. His demonstration of Kahuna Bodywork reveals movement as prayer, touch as language, and connection as medicine.

"When you touch one, you touch all.” — Abraham Kawaii