Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions & Answers

About Tania Hodder & Touch of Aloha

Who is Touch of Aloha?
What are your qualifications and experience?
What is your spiritual philosophy?
What is your teaching style like?

About The Lomi Lomi Foundation Course

Can beginners do the course?
How long is the course?
Where do you hold the course?
How many students do you have on each course?
What kind of accommodation do you provide?
Will meals be provided?
What will I learn?
Are you a Registered Trainer?
Is this course recognized?
How much is the Lomi Lomi Foundation Course?
Will I get a certificate?
How much can I charge for a Lomi Lomi after completing this course?
Are Lomi Lomi therapists in high demand?
Will I be able to get insurance to cover me for Lomi Lomi?
What support will I have after completing the course?
Do you have an advanced Lomi Lomi training course?
Do you run any courses interstate or overseas?

About the Hot Stone Massage Training

Can beginners do the training?
What does the training consist of?
How many students do you have on each course?
How long is the course and where do you hold it?
What will I learn on stage I?
What will I learn on stage II?
How much is the course and what does it include?
What kind of accommodation do you provide for this course?
How will I remember what I have learned once the course is finished?
Will I get a certificate?
Do you sell Hot Stone sets?

About Tania Hodder & Touch of Aloha

Who is Touch of Aloha

From it's humble beginnings as a small massage business in Broadbeach on the Gold Coast, Touch of Aloha has evolved into both a business that contracts out it's services as therapists and consultants to the top spas and resorts on the Gold Coast as well as a Training organisation that specializes in teaching alternative healing modalities, such as Hawaiian Lomi Lomi and Hot Stone Massage.

Touch of Aloha is the creation of experienced massage therapists and trainers, Tania Hodder and James Thomas who have been working together in the Health and Wellness industry since 1996.

What are your qualifications and experience?

Tania Hodder started her career as a massage therapist in early 1994.

Since that time she has completed levels 1-6 of Mette Sorensen's Ka Huna Bodywork intensives.

A strong desire to teach this amazing bodywork lead her to complete Mette's Heartworks Lomi Lomi Facilitator Training course in 2002.

Later that year she was invited to train with Susan Pa'iniu Floyd and Serge Kahili King in Hawaii, where she completed her teacher training certificate in Ancient Temple Style Lomi Lomi and Kino Mana.

Tania has also had the priviledge to train personally with Hawaiian Kahuna Kai Po Kaneakua and has facilitated several Lomi Lomi training courses, teaching both here in Australia, Japan, the U.S and more recently New Zealand.

Tania has built up a solid reputation as being a highly skilled massage therapist and trainer and is a respected consultant to the spa industry within Australia.

What is your spiritual philosophy?

The more people there are who are giving and receiving these amazing, soul nurturing treatments as well as sharing the beautiful and effective spiritual philosophy of Huna, the more peaceful, tolerant and aware the world will become. Equally important is the fact that more and more people will be keeping the culture of an ancient and beautiful people from whom we have been so privileged to learn, the Hawaiians, alive and well in the spirit of Aloha!

What is your teaching style like?

Tania genuinely cares about her students and strives to foster an environment where each and every student feels safe, supported and respected on all of her courses. Her teaching style is fun though 'focused' and she has a great ability to demonstrate and explain what she is teaching so that it is easy to understand and follow. She is empowering and warm and strives to give each student as much personal attention and support as possible.

Back to top

About The Lomi Lomi Foundation Course

Can beginners do the course?

Absolutely! Lomi Lomi is different from traditional forms of massage so unless you have done some form of Lomi Lomi training before, you will actually be a beginner, regardless of how much experience you may have in other forms of massage.

How long is the course?

The Temple Style Lomi Lomi Foundation Course is a 'live-in' retreat held over 6 days and 6 nights.

Where do you hold the course?

Currently we are holding our courses at our beautiful mountain retreat in the Gold Coast hinterland. It has a gorgeous view overlooking a lake and the surrounding mountains and we have just put in a brand new spa out on the deck for your enjoyment. Very nice!

How many students do you have on each course?

In order to give you as much personal attention as possible we tend to keep our courses small, in fact we are now taking a maximum of 6 students. We want you to gain as much as you can while with us!

What kind of accommodation do you provide?

Throughout the duration of the course we live as a family, (O'hana in Hawaiian) in very nice, shared accommodation. Our current venue is spacious and beautiful with stunning views and a brand new spa.

Will meals be provided?

Yes, all meals are provided. Throughout the week we serve a variety of delicious, organic vegetarian meals, fresh juices and snacks throughout the day. There will always be plenty of food. Should you have any specific dietary requirements (allergies / intolerances) please contact us.

What will I learn?

In the Temple Style Lomi Lomi Foundation Course you will learn how to give a full body (front and back) lomi lomi and learn about the culture of hawaii and the 7 principles of Huna (hawaiian philosophy). You will also be introduced to the ancient arts of Hula, Chanting (voice work) and Kahi Loa - a healing method passed down by Serge Kahili King and is Hawaiian family. We also cover body reading, self massage, meditation and 'flying', which is the core dance needed to perform the Lomi Lomi. It will be a 'full' week and students often comment on how surprised they were that they learnt so much in a short time.

Are you a registered trainer?

Yes, Tania Hodder has completed Certificate IV in Assessment and Workplace Training.

Is this course recognized?

Yes. Our training courses are recognized by the Massage Association of Australia (MAA) and upon completing any of our training courses, you will be eligible to join as a member.

Will I get a certificate?

Yes, all students who complete the course will be issued with a certificate of completion.

How much is the Lomi Lomi Foundation Course?

The full cost/ investment for the course is $1495. This includes all your accomodation in a beautiful venue for 6 days and 6 nights, an abundance of delicious, organic vegetarian meals, fresh juices and snacks, all course materials, personalised instruction and course certificate.

How much can I charge for a Lomi Lomi after completing the Foundation Course?

This is entirely up to you and your level of skill, massage experience and confidence in performing the Lomi Lomi. Generally you should be looking at charging between $50 and $80 per hour if working from home or a private clinic. Some first class spas/establishments are even charging between $100 and $120 for a 1 hour treatment.

Will I be able to get insurance to cover me for the Lomi Lomi?

Yes, if you are already an insured massage therapist you can simply add this to your list of approved modalities. If you are a beginner to massage, then you will be able to apply for what is called 'Combined Malpractice, Public & Products Liability Insurance for Para Medical Health Practitioners' once you have completed 100 hours of training. This may include massage training and related subjects such as first aid and anatomy and physiology etc.

We purchase our insurance through an insurance broker called Aon Insurance. You can contact them on 1800 805 191. Currently if you are a member of the Australian Association of Massage Therapists (AAMT), you can recieve a discount when purchasing your insurance through Aon.

Are Lomi Lomi therapists in high demand?

Yes. Lomi Lomi is considered as the 'Rolls Royce' of massage and is growing rapidly in popularity not only in Australia but all around the world. It is now being offered in the top spas and hotels, cruise ships and retreats throughout the world and some spas such as the Golden Door here in Australia have adopted Lomi Lomi as their signature treatment. This increased popularity has lead to a high demand for skilled Lomi Lomi therapists.

What support will I have after completing the course?

At the end of each course we put together a contact list of all the participants (with each person's permission of course) so that you can keep in touch and support each other, do massage swaps and share your experiences.

We also run 'refresher' days every few months that all our past students are welcome to attend. There will be demonstrations, supervised massage swaps so that your technique can be corrected (if needed) as well as time for sharing your experiences and getting feedback / suggestions.

Also, any time you need specific advice, for example suggestions about how to handle a client or situation etc, or anything you may be concerned with, all graduates are invited to participate in our private online forum.

Alternatively, you are always welcome to contact us directly by phone and we will be happy to help you.

Do you have an advanced Lomi Lomi training course?

Yes. We run the Advanced Temple Style Lomi Lomi Course throughout the year where we teach advanced techniques such as 'underbody massage', deep tissue work, advanced body reading, voice work and deeper insights into Huna philosophy.

Do you run any courses interstate or overseas?

Yes. This is an option that we offer to private groups on a sponsorship basis. If this is something you might be interested in please contact Tania directly on 61 (07) 5531 0178.

Back to top

About the Hot Stone Massage Training

Can beginners do the training?

You don't need to have any experience working with hot/warm stones to be able to do the training, however due to the 'intensive' nature of the course and the amount we need to cover, we require that all participants have at least completed a modality in massage (any style is ok) and ideally will be currently practicing massage.

What does the training consist of?

Our Pohaku Hawaiian Stone Therapy training consists of two highly focused stages. Stage I is The Application of Hot Stones in Massage and Stage II is the Pohaku Hawaiian Stone Therapy System. These 2 stages are designed to give you the necessary understanding to give a beautiful and complete Stone Massage treatment both safely and with a degree of confidence. You then will need to go away and practice, practice, practice, just like any other modality.

How many students do you have on each course?

To allow for maximum personal attention and support, we keep our courses very small, with a maximum of 6 students allowed on to each course.

How long is the course and where do you hold it?

We currently hold the Pohaku Hawaiian Stone Therapy as a 3 day 'live-in' course at our beautiful mountain retreat at Tallai in the Gold Coast Hinterland.

What will I learn on stage I?

Stage I covers the history of Stone Therapy, benefits to the therapist and clients, contraindications, types of stones most suitable (what the alternatives are) and what you need to get started. It also covers the all important safety aspects of perfoming the treatment including all the application do's and don'ts. This introductory course has been designed for the existing massage therapist to incorporate the application of hot/warm stones as an extension of their existing massage skills and experience.

What will I learn on stage II?

Stage II follows on where Stage I left off. It will give you much deeper understanding of how to use the hot/warm stones in massage by teaching you our proven and effective Pohaku Hawaiian Stone Therapy system based on years of practical experience. This includes specific layouts and massage techniques that incorporate a beautiful flow (Hawaiian influence) as well as loads of tips and tricks for customizing the treatment.

By the end of the course you will will have the necessary understanding and skills to give a beautiful 90 minute Pohaku Hawaiian Stone Therapy treatment that your clients will simply rave about!

How much is the course and what does it include?

The cost for the course is $695 and includes 3 days of intensive training, 3 days and 2 nights accommodation, all of your meals including breakfast (1st morning not included), morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner, your course materials including 2 comprehensive manuals, Certificate of completion and Academic Transcript, plus you also gain access to our 'graduate's only' online support and resource centre at the completion of the course.

What kind of accommodation do you provide for this course?

Throughout the duration of the course we live as a family, (O'hana in Hawaiian) in comfortable, shared accommodation. Our current venue is located at Tallai in the beautiful Gold Coast Hinterland.

How will I remember what I have learned once the course is finished?

It is definitely true that the Pohaku Hawaiian Stone Therapy course is highly 'focused' as there is a lot to cover and therefore a lot to remember. That is why at the end of each stage, you will take away comprehensive step by step manuals, complete with diagrams and photo illustrations of the massage along with all of the pertinent factual and practical information that we cover throughout each stage. Plus, we are always available to support you after the course (via phone, email and our online support and resource centre) and answer any questions you might have and to offer suggestions / advice.

Will I get a certificate?

Yes. At completion of the course you will be presented with a certificate of completion and a detailed academic transcript outlining the amount of hours of training you have completed and a list of each course component for both stages.

Do you sell Hot Stone sets?

Yes, we supply the highest quality basalt stone (pohaku) sets that we have imported directly from the Hawaiian islands. There is 54 stones in each set and they have been gathered and paired according to size, shape and weight and have been put together with great care so that each set is well balanced, with each stone having a specific use. The stones have been gathered with special permission and have been blessed in accordance with ancient Hawaiian tradition. We are very privileged to be able to offer them to you.

The price for each set is $595, however if you are a student of one of our Pohaku Hawaiian Stone Therapy courses, you receive a $100 discount, making the set a much more affordable $495 (including GST). They are incredibly smooth, hold their heat exceedingly well and are just simply beautiful to work with!

If you have a question that has not been anwered here, please send us an email and we will get back to you as soon as we can or alternatively you can call our office directly on the number below!

We value your questions!

Back to top