Taro symbolizes ohana or family, especially the extended family. The taro corm grows as a “mother” corm and from the mother comes the keiki, or children. The comparison of the taro plant and ohana comes as an ancient tradition. Having the same “root of origin” was a concept deeply felt by the Hawaiian people, and a unifying force little understood by malihini or foreigners. Hawaiian Kupuna and scholar, Mary Kawena Pukui explains, “you may be 13th or 14th cousins, as we define relationships today, but in Hawaiian terms, if you are of the same generation, you are all brothers and sisters. You are all ohana. Members of the ohana, like the taro shoots, are all from the same root.”

Using the stone poi pounder, kalo roots and poi board, we honor our cultural traditions and connect to our ancestors.

The process of taking a hard root of kalo (taro; Colocasia esculenta) and thoroughly cooking it, mashing it with the stone pounder (pohaku ku'i 'ai) and softening it with the hands (lomi) provides us with the fundamental paradigm of lomilomi (Hawaiian massage).

This traditional process includes various techniques widely taught and used in lomilomi. 

Note to Sandy... Isn't Lomilomi what you are going to get certified in next?