UA OLA LOKO I KE ALOHA
Love Gives Life Within
Ancient Hawaiians revered a pantheon of gods, which they believed could assume multiple forms and possessed great mana (spiritual energy). Nature was considered not only conscious, but sacred. Mountains could be inhabited by the god Ku, clouds by Lono, the sea by Kanaloa. Spirits dwelt in the creatures in the ocean, in the animals on land, even in trees, plants and stones. Accordingly, plants were given an explanation when they were picked and stones would be asked for permission before they were moved to be part of a house foundation or a heiau (sacred site of worship). The famous concept of aloha `aina (love of the land) illustrated a belief in the reciprocal aspect of the Hawaiians' interaction with the natural world: Because they were nurtured and fed by the land, it was their responsibility to protect and preserve it for future generations.
The concept of ho`oponopono, which literally translates "to make right," is central to Hawaiian healing traditions. Ho`oponopono is a therapy that seeks spiritual intervention to restore harmony. To practice ho`oponopono, members of a family prayed to ancient guardian spirits - or later, to a Christian god - searching their hearts for hard feelings or grudges that brought discord to the `ohana (family group). Sessions were conducted by a kahuna (a healing priest), who knew the family and was expert at channeling disruptive emotions that might arise. These family conferences, in which absolute sincerity and plans for immediate restitution were required, might last an entire day and were often punctuated by prayers and long periods of silence. Recently, psychiatrists, social workers and psychologists have become interested in this ancient Hawaiian therapy for restoring harmony.
In fact, modern medicine is finally beginning to recognize and appreciate the effectiveness of many of the ancient Hawaiian healing arts. Through trial and error, the kahuna devised herbal formulas to treat a wide variety of diseases and then passed these cures down through succeeding generations. Like modern medicine, the ancient healing art of the kahuna was highly specialized. The kahuna ho`ohanau keiki delivered babies, the kahuna haha diagnosed by palpation, the kahuna la`au lapa`au prescribed medicinal herbs, and the kahuna lomi lomi practiced massage therapy.
Lomi lomi massage is another traditional Hawaiian healing practice. Lomi lomi requires rigorous training involving not only physical skills and techniques but the ability to create a bond of trust between patient and therapist. Again, the spiritual element in healing is all important. Today, on the Big Island, Auntie Margaret Machado instructs students from around the world in the practice of lomi lomi massage. Auntie Margaret teaches that the essential element of lomi lomi is aloha: "alo" meaning the presence of "ha," the breath of life. "Hawaiian lomi lomi is a loving touch," she tells her students. "Love that body as if it were your own." Graduates from Auntie Margaret's school now practice lomi lomi massage in many parts of the world.
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