Dolphin Neurostim & Lomilomi
Two very different tools I bring into a session, one thousands of years old, one a modern microcurrent device, both working with the body's own signals rather than against them.
A traditional Hawaiian healing practice, passed down through families and kumu rather than a textbook.
What it is
Lomi means "to rub" or "knead," and on the surface it looks like massage, long, flowing strokes using the forearms, palms, and fingers. But traditionally it works on more than the physical layer. Different areas of the body are understood to hold different kinds of tension, including emotional and mental weight, not just muscular tightness.
My own training traces back to the Pa Ola technique under Kumu Alva Andrews, a lineage that combines deep tissue lomilomi with oli (chant/prayer), ho'oponopono (a practice of reconciliation), energy work, and posture alignment, built on the belief that the spirit has to be cared for alongside the body for healing to really hold. I've also trained with Liana Uyeda of Aloha Lomilomi, and studied with other kumu along the way.
How it feels
Sessions feel more like a wave than a series of isolated techniques, broad, rhythmic movement that builds and releases, treating your body as connected rather than a set of separate parts. It can be gentle or firm depending on what you need that day.
A handheld device using Microcurrent Point Stimulation, or MPS, to work with specific points on the body.
What it is
The Dolphin Neurostim delivers a brief, very low-level direct-current microcurrent to acupuncture and trigger points. It's often confused with a TENS unit, but the two work differently: TENS uses a stronger alternating current mainly to block pain signals, while this device uses a much gentler current intended to calm the nervous system and encourage the body's own pain-modulating response.
What it's used for
Pain and tension — applied to acupuncture and trigger points to help relax tight muscles and calm an overactive nervous system, which is often where chronic tension gets stuck in the first place.
Scar tissue release — microcurrent applied along either side of a scar, intended to help address the fascial and muscular restriction that can build up around scar tissue over time.
Vagus nerve support — specific points and attachments used to stimulate the vagus nerve, supporting your parasympathetic, rest-and-digest nervous system.
How it feels
Most people feel a light tapping or pulsing at each point. Treatment at any one point is brief, well under a minute, and it's entirely non-invasive, no needles involved.