Living with ‘Aloha’
When I first travelled to Hawai’i in 2020, ‘aloha’ was just a fun word to throw around. Maybe with a shaka too, if I was really feelin’ the Hawaiian spirit.
After spending many months travelling across the Hawaiian Islands, I now know the meaning extends far beyond both hello and goodbye.
Aloha translates to ‘the presence of breath’ or ‘breath of life’. By saying aloha, you are choosing to share your breath (and life force energy) with another upon meeting.
It’s symbolic of giving your whole self to the present moment and interaction with someone. It’s a way of life I am coming to understand and crave in my own life.
Visiting the small island of Moloka’i, I saw the spirit of aloha in action.
© Paige Deasley 2024
At the eastern end of this small island, home to only about 7500 people, you’ll find a valley where the full essence of the Hawaiian culture is still being practiced to this day.
The Hālawa Valley used to be a fully operational community with many homes, a school, church, taro fields, and even a post office – until the valley was flooded by a tsunami in 1946 and again in 1957. Today, one family who was born and raised in the valley continues to live off-grid there.
© Paige Deasley 2024
The family is working to share the Hawaiian culture in a way that is true to their ancestors. This is not the experience that you will see depicted along the resort-studded coasts of Hawai’i. The luau parties complete with grass skirts and coconut bras are but a small story illustrated by American-owned hotels.
Gregory Kawaimaka Solatorio, one of Anakala Pilipo’s six children and the only son currently residing in Hālawa Valley, says, “Our culture is sacred, not secret”. Greg believes that when a culture becomes a secret, that is when it dies. Like his father, he too has been chosen to share the Hawaiian culture so it lives on.
When entering the valley, we were greeted not with a handshake but with the ‘honi ihu’, or the touching of noses.
© Paige Deasley 2024
Seeing grown men greet one another by pressing their noses together, along with elders, women, and children, was extremely powerful. Anyone can shake hands, but letting someone into your space speaks to your ability to trust and share your energy with someone new. This greeting allows both individuals to exchange breath, which is the supremely important life force in Hawaiian understanding, share scents, and form a sense of trust in the relationship.
We did the honi greeting with Greg and his sons, along with everyone we travelled to the island with on a small expedition boat earlier that day. Many of these individuals I had hardly spoken to since we had just come aboard the night before. Everyone laughed and rejoiced at the discomfort and beauty of the experience.
It was fascinating noticing how comfortable each person was with sharing the aloha, and this experience gave me a sense of who I would best connect with while living in close quarters for the remainder of the week with UnCruise.
We went on to soak up as much knowledge as we could from Greg and his sons as we were guided through the rainforest to the cascading waterfall at the back of the valley. Seeing the magnificent Mo’oula Falls after talking about the deep meaning of family, learning from Elders, and living in harmony with the land, made it all the more magical.
The whole experience revealed how the sacred energy which created lush jungles, fruits blossoming from the trees, waterfalls, and a sea full of life, is also found within us. Our energy may be the most valuable part of our existence, as it is the same life force energy which created the world around us.
After living and learning from good humans on Moloka’i, Kaui, Maui, and the Big Island, I believe living with aloha is to have the courage to give your full spirit to a world which is so deeply in need of more love and authenticity. It is to show up with love to everything you do. And for the past 6 months, I’ve made sure to do just that.
Thank you, Hawai’i, for sharing the aloha with me. I am eternally grateful.
– With love, Paige