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I recently returned from a vacation to Kauai. I will admit, reader, that the natural beauty of that place was otherworldly. I woke up each morning facing the soaring green mountains and pristine turquoise waters of the Na Pali Coast. Chickens and roosters roaming the grass were as common as squirrels in Ohio, and the rooster’s crow alerted the breaking of the dawn each day. Geckos, some in beautiful shades of emerald, scurried up trees or darted across pavement. The warm breezes rustled palm trees, lemon trees, and tropical almond trees. Rain showers – and rainbows – were regular occurrences.
I stood in awe of creation, of the Love that forged this place. I felt reverent, grateful, and humbled. We are creation and it is us, my mind echoed. Caring for creation is caring for ourselves.
A beach view from the cliffs of Ha’ena State Park.
But there was more. A feeling about the place, a way of living that seemed to be intrinsic, baked into the fabric of being of the island’s inhabitants and the island itself. It is the spirit of aloha. True, “aloha” is most often used as a greeting like hello and goodbye, but in my short time on the island, I found it to be much more. The late Haleaka Iolani Pule, a teacher of Hawaiian spirituality, describes aloha as, “our innate sense to love things unconditionally…” The literal meaning of aloha is “the presence of breath” or “the breath of life.” It comes from “alo,” meaning presence, front and face; and “ha,” meaning breath. Aloha is a way of living and treating each other with love and respect. Aloha begins with learning to love ourselves first and then spreading that love to others. It is a spirit that you can feel.
The lush hills and turquoise waters of the Na Pali Coast.
While aloha may be native to The Aloha State, the aloha spirit can be replicated anywhere. Here are 5 ways to live aloha, no matter where you are:
1. Value and spend time in nature
2. Live in the present moment and appreciate it.
3. Cultivate meaningful connections.
4. Choose to see the good.
5. Love always.
My balcony view from our accommodations in Princeville.
I realize that my experience of Kauai, and even of aloha, is just one experience. I have a limited, Western, vacation-eyed view of this beautiful place. Still, I share my experience with you so that you, too, might carry the aloha spirit into your day, your life; and also that you might see the natural world as an extension of yourself and Something Greater, whatever that might be to you. A gift. Aloha.
For more about the sprit of aloha, check out this video (made during the Covid pandemic, and still relevant):
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