Aloha and Happy Earth Day 2009!

If any of you are in California right now, you can definitely feel the effects of Global Warming!  In San Francisco we had record temperatures in the 90s for the last week.  While I love the sun and warm weather allows the chance for all of us to enjoy the world around us, it does cause me a little concern when San Francisco feels like Miami.

I am appreciative that we have this day called "Earth Day" because I think it cause most of us to examine our lives and the impact they have on the world we live in.  I hope that it causes all of us to make some changes in our lives that really affect the way we live, work and play.

I recently became a member of the Hawaiian Recording Academy after I released my recent meditation cd.  As a member, I vote on all the other cds that are up for a Hawaiian grammy.  As I was reviewing the cds that were sent to me, I noticed that I had a system, I loaded them onto my computer, converted them to digital files and then ended up with a stack of plastic that I will never use again.  As I started to think about everyone else who does this same thing, it started to boggle my mind.  There has got to be a better way.

I spoke to the other people involved with our company and we started to look.  We discovered that we can print our album info on credit card sized cards that are made from 100% recycled paper.  The front of the card features artwork from the album and on the back is a code with instructions on how to enter the code at our web site and download the entire album. Of course, once the code is entered, you can recycle the card and enjoy your music!  What a great way to cut down on the wasted that is created by buying media. 

We are currently in production on these cards and they go out to all of our buyers.  Beginning in June, we are also going to offer stores the opportunity to buy these cards at wholesale so that they can retail them to their customers.

It might be just a small thing, but if we all did just small things, it would make a world of difference!  I hope that all of you have a blessed Earth Day and encourage you to find a way, no matter how small, that you can make a difference!

Ke aloha wale, ka mahalo wale

Alika

At my core, I believe that you need to learn from many different sources and then apply that knowledge to your life as it best fits.  I was raised by my family instructing me in the spiritual practices of my Hawaiian ancestors.  As I got older, I started noticing that people came from all over the world to practice yoga and meditate in Hawai'i.  I decided to investigate some of these groups and I discovered that so much of what is taught in the different disciplines of yoga is very similar to the lessons that I had learned through the studies of Hawaiian movement.

As I was learning more and more about other cultures, I noticed throughout all the practices of yoga I ever attended was the word "om" or "aum" that people chanted.  I was fascinated by this.  As a kid growing up on my little island, I had never heard this word before.

When I was in my early 20s, I got a job working for a traditional Hawaiian luau.  Before I went on stage, I used to sit and meditate to calm my nerves.  One day, as I sat in deep meditation, I suddenly became conscious of a noise vibrating me to my core.  It was the deep, resounding sound that could only be described as "Ommmm".

I have to admit it brought me out of meditation.  This was that sound, that amazing word that people chanted all over the world! 

This magical sound announced the beginning of the luau with the blowing of the "pu" or conch shell.  Every Hawaiian ceremony begins this way as a devotion of spirit.  This sound, like chanting the sound "om" moves your soul. 

I knew then why we didn't have this word - we had been blessed with this sound in nature all around us, a way to connect our inner selves with our outer world.

Aloha e everyone!

 The last week has been pretty amazing!  My film, Aloha Life, received the Golden Kahuna for Best Hawaiian Film at the Honolulu International Film Festival.  Many of us who worked on the film joined filmmakers from all over the world to celebrate the power and beauty of film.  I was struck by how so many people use this medium in so many varied ways to translate their messages, their stories, and their passions.

I will be honest, I never dreamed of being able to share the Aloha Life on film.  When the Brian Rusch, the director, first told me he wanted to make a film, I had no idea how we could accomplish it.. I mean A MOVIE!

After I meditated on it, I felt it was a way that I would be able to reach people throughout the world that I may never be able to otherwise.  I sat down with Brian and we reviewed my writings and seminars.  His goal was to make Aloha Life into a Docu-seminar.  Bring in the beauty and power of Hawaii while also conveying the message of my ancestors.

When we started actual filming, I was amazed at the process.  I am grateful to Brian for assembling such a hard working and knowledgeable crew.  From our initial meetings to when I watched the first screening -- every person did their part to bring this project to the world.  I know now to have faith in others.  As we say in Hawai'i, `A`ohe hana nui ke alu `ia or No work is to large when done by all.  I am eternally grateful to Anthony, Gabriela, Matt, Zack, Jason, Mariah, Bianca and most especially Brian for helping to make this dream come true.

Tomorrow, Valentine's Day, I am hosting a massage workshop for couples in the Bay Area.  I teach many, many different types of classes and workshops but the couple's massage workshop is one of my favorites to do.

Touching another person indicates a level of intimacy that is true and deep.  When we touch another, we are moving into their personal space, physically connecting to that person.

In Hawai'i, we touch to heal, to share, and to connect.  Touch does not always need to be stimulating, it is an important way to become closer to those that we love.  When I moved to the mainland, I was shocked at how many people I encountered seemed almost afraid of intimate touch.  Human touch gives life.  All of our ancestors, since the beginning of time, have received comfort, warmth, and compassion through touch.

I love to teach massage to couples to see them connect and reach new levels of intimacy.  But even if you don't know how to give a full massage, I encourage you to touch those that you love.  Hold the hand of your children, rub the shoulders of a sibling or friend, share sensual touching with your partner.  When you touch those you love, you feel closer to those people.

Make an effort, connect to those around you.  Touching those you love in builds intimacy and strengthens your relationships.

One of the most well-known traditions in Hawai'i is that of being presented with a lei.  While presenting someone with a lei is an age-old custom throughout the world, there is something about that garland in Hawai'i which evokes a sensuality and meaning that one can truly feel as being inherently "hawaiian".

I think that the reason the lei is so meaningful to us in Hawai'i is that for centuries, we were isolated from other cultures so the tradition took on a deeper significance than in other places.  We have leis to mark milestones in our lives - leis of love, of welcoming, of sadness, of honor.  We use them to mark those times in our lives that mark the passing of ages - births, graduations, weddings, deaths.

Hawaiian leis can be created out of various things.  Some of the most spectacular are those that are meant to be lasting.  These are created out of feathers, beads, shells and sometimes teeth.  Historically they have been bestowed upon our ali'i or ruling class. 

Most of us know now of the flower leis and more than likely are most familiar with those made of orchids or plumeria.  These are newer flowers in the creation of leis.  Historically, the meaning of each flower that goes into a lei has as much meaning as the lei itself.  Each island has a flower that it is known for and that has a deep, long history.  For example, the island of Keawe (aka Hawai'i's big island) is most noted for the Lehua flower that grows on the Ohia tree.  Legend has it that the goddess Pele met a handsome warrior named Ohia and she wished to marry him.  Unfortunately Ohia had already pledged his love to Lehua.  Pele was furios that she would be refused so she turned Ohia into a twisted, gnarly tree.  Lehua was devastated but the other gods took pity on her.  They turned her into a blossom that grew on the Ohia tree so that the two lovers could be together for eternity.  Quite a fiery love story, no?

Each of our Hawaiian flowers that goes into the making of our leis has an equally powerful meaning.  My good friend, Ried Kapo Ku recently released a CD of Hawaiian chants and and the song Ka Haku Mele Aloha O Hawai'i explains each flower and its meaning to each Hawai'ian island.

Receiving a lei is an honored tradition.  Leis are for men, women and children of all ages.  In short, it is good to get leid by a Hawaiian!

We are well into 2009 and I look forward to the new year with much excitement and anticipation.  Here in the U.S., we have just inaugurated our new President, Barack Obama.  I have to say, I think he is good for our national image but I also like the attention he has brought to Hawai'i and to the spirit of Aloha.

In August of 2008, then presidential candidate Barack Obama was speaking to a rally in Waikiki and was quoted as saying, "I try to explain to them (the rest of the nation) about the Aloha Spirit.  And it's that spirit that I am absolutely convinced is what America is looking for right now."

I would actually take it a step further, I believe that Aloha is what the whole world needs right now.  In my very first posting on Gaia, I wrote about Aloha and one of our Hawaiian kapuna (elders) Aunty Pilahi Paki.  Aunty was called to speak before a governor's conference in 1970 and during that conference, she spoke of how our Hawaiian ancestors had meant for us to share Aloha, that it should be Hawai'i's gift to the new millenium. She informed the room that the world would turn to Hawai'i for peace because Hawai'i has the key - that key is ALOHA.

Aunty Pilahi Paki developed ALOHA into an anagram that in 1986 was adopted into the Aloha Spirit law by Hawai'i. It helps to coordinate the heart, mind and spirit of a person and to bring good feelings to the universe.

ALOHA is...

A - Akahai, meaning kindness to be expressed with tenderness.
L - L kahi, meaning unity to be expressed with harmony.
O - 'Olu 'olu, meaning agreeable, to be expressed with pleasantness.
H - Ha 'aha 'a, meaning humility, to be expressed with modesty.
A - Ahonui, meaning patience, to be expressed with perseverance.

When you combine these five steps, they become something extremely powerful.  Our world has become a village and we need to protect that village with the strongest tools we have. There is nothing more powerful than ALOHA and best of all it is available to everyone!

Ke aloha wale, ka mahalo wale

Alika

Aloha.  The power, the love, the magic of this word is eternal.  But aloha is not just in Hawai‘i.   You carry it with you everywhere you go and you can connect to aloha, any time, anywhwere.

Stop whatever you are doing right now and do this exercise with me.  Take a full deep breath in through your nose.  As you do so, think to yourself  “Aaaaalooooo”.  This breath should take about 4-5 seconds on the inhale.  Next breath out through your mouth with an exagerrated “HAAAAAAA”.   Make this sound noisily and it should last about twice as long as the inhale.

So when you head out holiday shopping and the parking lot at the mall is bumper to bumper:  Stop and take that full breath through the nose, exahale through your mouth with a loud “HA”, it will reconnect you to the aloha.

Are your kids bouncing off the roof because winter break is here?  You are trying to figure out when you have time for getting the decorations up, cooking for relatives and still working 40 hours a week?  Inhale deep through your nose, exhale through the mouth with a loud “HA”, connecting you once again to the aloha.

Is it time for end of year reviews, you have to see your boss who seems to be in a bad mood all the time and you are nervous about how he is going to be today:  Inhale through your nose and breathe out through your mouth, “HAAAAAA”.  You will calm as you connect to the aloha.

No matter where you are, no matter what you are doing, you can connect to the aloha that resides within you always.  Breath in through your nose… “aaaaloooo”, breath out through your mouth… “HAAAAAA”.  Wherever you go you can build energy through connecting with the life force of aloha within you.

The Hawaiians named the first white visitors to the islands “Haole” – Ha, meaning “breath” and Ole, meaning “lacking.  Prior to chants or prayer or any statement, Hawaiians breath deeply.  The white visitors did not, thus the name haole.

Don’t be haole.  Stop right now and do the Alo-Ha breath for the next several minutes.  In through the nose, “aaaloooo”, out through the mouth “HAAAA”.  Relax and just let the aloha fill your life energy.  Let yourself be at one with aloha.

Ke aloha wale, ka mahalo wale

Alika

I learned this morning of some fantastic news.  The Governor of Hawai‘i, Linda Lingle, announced that the state of Hawai‘i will be partnering with Better Place to bring car battery exchange stations to the Hawaiian Islands.

This news excited me for many reasons.  Aside from the obvious ecological and economical benefits Hawai‘i will experience from this, it serves as a reminder of something that Hawaiians have long been known for – sustainability.

When Captain Cook and his expedition first arrived in the Hawaiian islands, they were amazed at the agricultural system that existed.  The Hawaiians had created a system of cultivation, agriculture and sustainability that could not be exceeded by any other country in the world.

This system was set up instinctively.  The concept of  “private property” was unknown in Hawai‘i, but they had a complex system of land division known as ahupua‘a.  The ahupua‘a started at the top of the mountain peak and ran all the way into the ocean.  Each pie-shaped segment contained everything a village would need to survive – land for cultivation, fish, salt, fresh water, etc.  Resource rich ahupua‘a were smaller than those with less resources.

Ecological sustainability was enforced through the ancient kapu (taboo) system.  The kapu prevented destroying forests that provided forest products or watershed.  It put restrictions on fishing certain species of fish throughout the year.  The farmers of Hawai‘i did not till the land and practiced soilbuilding.  A cycling of crops and plants breeding allowed the Hawaiians to develop diverse crops resistant to disease.  What the Hawaiian people knew and practiced was that by constantly working within the boundaries of their natural environment, they were able to live a sustainable existence measured by abundance and leisure time.

Which brings me back to my excitement from today’s news.  Those of us who have lived or even rented a car in Hawai‘i know that fuel costs in the islands are highest in the U.S.  Much of this cost is attributed to the incredible expense of getting fuel to the islands.  What Better Place and Hawai‘i are doing is taking our natural renewable resources – wind, wave, solar and geothermal – and using them as the blueprint to putting Hawai‘i back on the path to energy sustainability.

It is my hope that all of us can look to the ways of the Hawaiians to serve as a guide and constant reminder of the need to be in harmony with our surroundings.

Ke aloha wale, ka mahalo wale,

Alika

As is common for most of this at this time of year, I have been thinking a lot about my family, my friends and my loved ones.  I was thinking the other day about all the influences on my life and who has been the strongest.  Without a doubt, my Tutu (grandmother) has been one of the major driving forces in making me the person I am today.  She taught me about my people, our culture and how we can heal ourselves and others through both physical and mental work.

I spoke to my grandmother over the weekend as I was writing on the Aloha Life and wanted her advice on how to present certain concepts.  As we talked, suddenly all of these memories and stories started to come rushing back to me.  One I would like to share is the story of Alana.

Alana was a young girl who lived on the island of Kaua'i.  Alana's family had often spoke of a magical place in the middle of the jungle where a fantastic waterfall cascaded down into a pool of the purest water.  Alana dreamt about this place and one day asked her makua (father) how to get there.

Alana’s makua smiled at the girl and pulled out a large machete.  He pointed toward the dense foliage covering the mountain and said, “My dear, that is the way.  Go and enjoy yourself.”

Alana was upset that her makua would not just take her but she set out in the direction he sent her.  She reached the edge of the jungle and realized she could not even see light coming through the trees.  She began swinging the machete and began to cut away at the brush.

For hours Alana swung and hacked at the ferns and vines and as she did, she became tired and dirty.  Makikas (mosquitos) swarmed her and she was bit more than once by the centipedes.  Several times she thought about giving up but she did not.  After nearly six hours of cutting her way through the jungle, she suddenly heard the roar of the water.  She doubled her efforts and was suddenly in the most beautiful clearing where the birds sang, butterflies surrounded her and the waterfall cascading into the pool was even more beautiful than she imagined.  Alana instantly dove into the pool and drank of its cool, fresh water.  Never before had Alana felt a spring that filled her with such complete happiness.

That night, when Alana returned home, her makua asked her if she made it to the pool.  “Yes,” Alana replied, “but why did you not take me?  Why did you make me head out there on my own?”  Her makua smiled and said, “My darling Alana, if I showed you the way, it would have been just another pool to you.  I knew that if you cleared your own path, when you reached your goal, it would exceed every expectation.”

This story was told to me by my tutu the first time she ever told me of our practice of Ho'oponopono.  Like Alana, I learned that I must clear what blocks my own path in order to reach my goals.  Once I was able to remove my negative thoughts, guilt and all my other perceived blockages, a light shone through that allowed me to open my heart and mind to a whole new level of communication.

Ke aloha wale, ka mahalo wale,

Alika

Many of us are facing difficult times lately.  We wonder if our house is worth what we paid, if our 401k's will hold up, if the new administration will make a difference.

I live every day of my life with Aloha.  This is something II learned from my grandmother who learned it from generations of my Hawaiian ancestors - a life philosophy based on an ancient belief system called Ho‘omanamana.

Part of living this life, this Aloha Life, is the realization mana (energy) goes where you guide it.  I found myself watching various cable news stations earlier today and realized that I was putting a lot of energy into conjecture as to what the future holds.  I decided to take some time to think about what I am grateful for -- and what better time to do it!

I write quite a bit on the meaning of the Hawaiian word aloha.  With this special day of thanks upon us, I thought maybe I would examine more closely the other word that is so prevalent in the Hawaiian language -- mahalo.

While we use mahalo to say thanks and express gratitude, the word has a deeper meaning used to acknowledge the divine in everyone.  Mahalo can be divided into three other Hawaiian words:
Ma - By means of
Hā - sacred breath
Alo - in the presence of

To say mahalo to someone is to wish them always in the presence of the Divine breath.  To say mahalo is more than to just express gratitude, it is to wish upon the recipient the Divine Blessing. 

I hope that all of you here in the U.S. have a Happy Thanksgiving and to my loved ones - those I know in person and those I have only met through this online community - Ke aloha wale, ka mahalo wale - Always with aloha, Always with mahalo.

Alika