Masseuse Leslee "Manima" Dancosse from Mana Massage with Turtle the cat. Photo / Babiche Martens.
Masseuse Leslee "Manima" Dancosse from Mana Massage with Turtle the cat. Photo / Babiche Martens.
Feelgood sensations in the balmy Hawaiian isles untangle Babiche Martens’ jangled nerve endings.
Hawaii, I love you. I have been fortunate enough to have been a visitor to your pearlescent shores several times, and I will never tire of your beauty. You are the perfect place to rest and relax my highly strung mind and body.
I am visiting Kauai, the farthest of the Hawaiian Islands and a 30-minute flight from Honolulu. It is nicknamed the Garden Island and has delicious 26C temperatures, clear skies and warm ocean currents. I feel like I'm home.
At the supermarket, I'm reminded of one of the best things about Hawaii: the people. I guess tropical island life will do that to you, relax you untold.
I want some of that to rub off on me, so my first visit is to Leslee "Manima" Dancosse, a skilled masseuse at Mana Massage and, in true Hawaiian spirit, lovely.
On an unbeatable hilltop setting, where perfectly manicured lawns overlook the sacred Wailua River Valley in Kapaa, a massage table stands in the shade of a false kamani tree. Heliconia flowers surround it. Manima's intent and touch is gentle and caring. She specialises in bodywork techniques to aid her clients' diverse needs, whether they are muscular, emotional, breathing related or craniosacral.
She begins with an oil-free myofascial release technique, before moving into deeper tissue, traditional Lomi Lomi Hawaiian massage using personally blended aromatherapy oils and focusing on trigger points where I experience pain. The roosters and birds coo in the valley below while I slip off into sublime bliss.
"She's revolutionising the yoga world."
Michaelle Edwards of YogAlign in her studio. Photo / Babiche Martens.
A bold statement from a long-time Kauai resident encourages me to meet
creator Michaelle Edwards. Her 2ha property on Kauai's North Shore is flanked with organic vegetable gardens, giant avocado trees and cheeky pineapples sprouting from their flax-like nests.
In her yoga studio, Michaelle talks me through her revelations. Her main focus is on teaching people how to "reclaim their inner space" through specific breathing techniques and poses.
Sound kind of like yoga? She believes people are "collapsed", typically through sitting in chairs all day, causing certain muscles to be "stretched out" and thus feel tense. Using yoga to pull and stretch these areas, Michaelle believes, is incorrect, as the already stretched muscles are being pulled further, eventually breaking them down.
She believes it is important to support the connective tissue that surrounds muscles - the fascia - running from the top of your body to the bottom, and determine how you move.
Stating that some yoga poses have nothing to do with real life functionality, she does encourage stretching but with a gentler, more aware approach.
Michaelle began creating the YogAlign poses about 23 years ago after a yoga injury. Through 40 years of experience in yoga and knowledge of the body through massage she has developed this original practice.
I'm keen to give it a go, and the poses make sense.
They feel good, especially the seated chair one, ironically. They reflect yoga moves, but with slight adjustments, such as positioning feet differently, or placing hands in a different position - more natural and comfortable. And there's the breathing on top of that. It's a lot to remember for a newbie like me.
There is also an interesting combination of massage whilst the muscles are "on" i.e, activated, which supports the fascia. I walk away feeling better and "YogAligned" with a new, almost ballerina-like, posture. It feels good, but I definitely need more work.
Nestled further north, in a small town called Ha'ena, I visit Hanalei Day Spa, a boutique healing centre and spa, which shares its grounds with the Hanalei Colony Resort. Both establishments promote health and wellbeing, with the spa recognised as the Ayurvedic centre of Hawaii, and the resort encourages "illumination", retreat and relaxation.
It sounds like my kind of place, somewhere to unwind and, as Americans say, "unplug".
I meet the owner, Darci Frankel, who has been an Ayurvedic practitioner for 20 years. She studied directly under Dr Vasant Lad, who took the Ayurvedic practice to the US.
Darci tells me about the Pancha Karma retreats that the spa offers: three, five, seven or 11 days in which to rejuvenate and cleanse in a beautiful beachside environment.
Specific food is provided and prepared, plus daily consultations and customised Ayurvedic massage and steams are provided.
Another treatment popular with clients is the couple's massage. The best place to enjoy this is in the beachside couples' room. It's a custom-built, open-air, thatched roof bungalow right beside the ocean. It looks like absolute bliss, but being on my own, today I've opted for the Shirodhara treatment.
A continuous stream of warm oil is poured on my third eye (forehead) to relax and calm my nervous system. I love to indulge in this treatment after periods of intense stress; it definitely helps to loosen the tight spring I tend to wind myself up into.
My eyes are covered with a towel and my ears are closed with earplugs. The warm oil to the third eye begins in a warm, comforting stream. Through the muffle of the earplugs I can hear Darci speaking softly, a Hanuman Chalisa hymn that she thinks I cannot hear.
I slip off into unconscious bliss, only to be stirred by the occasional snore building in the back of my throat and exploding through my nose. These embarrass me, as I have no idea how loud they are because of my earplugs; Darci later assures me that the snores are a compliment.
Thank goodness I have the bed all to myself that night, as I have the most intense, deep sleep I have had in a long time - and I'd say there would definitely have been a few explosive snores.
Where to stay and dine in Kauai, Hawaii? Take a look here.
• Viva photographer Babiche Martens was a guest of Hawaii Tourism. She flew with Hawaiian Airlines, which flies from Auckland to Honolulu three times a week, and connects to six islands (Oahu, Maui, Kauai, Hawai'i Island, Moloka'i and Lana'I) and 11 destinations on mainland USA. With Hawaiian Airlines you can take 2 x 32kg in baggage allowance (for all that extra shopping). For more information and to book flights, visit hawaiianairlines.co.nz or ph (09) 977 2227.
