By Debra Bokur
The islands of Hawaii embrace the power of health and wellness
The islands that comprise the Hawaiian archipelago have a long tradition of health and healing. Ancient Hawaiians possessed an intricate and highly developed system of health care that recognized the healing properties of more than 300 plants, understood the value of meditation, and embraced the art of massage. This system also shared an essential component with other vibrant aboriginal healing traditions from around the globe: the belief in – and acceptance of – the unified nature of body, mind, and spirit. Traditional Hawaiian healing therapies address the whole person, honoring each of these components.
Cultural Healing
For many years, native traditions were suppressed, which caused a generational culture gap that is only now being mended. In 1896, the Hawaiian language was outlawed, and Hawaiians were fined, beaten, and otherwise punished for using their own language and practicing their own medicine. Even the hula was forbidden, as missionaries viewed this spiritual dance as a pagan practice. Land, considered by native Hawaiians to be sacred, was bought and sold at prices unaffordable by those who called these islands their ancestral home, a situation not addressed until 1995, when former President Bill Clinton signed a bill to restore a portion of these lands to the Hawaiians.
Today, pre-contact Hawaiian traditions are enjoying a renaissance and the culture itself is being healed. Wisdom preserved by generations of Kumus and Kahunas (Hawaiian elders, teachers, and healers) is once again being shared.
By now, most of us are familiar with Lomi Lomi massage. Lomi Lomi massage, which translates to “softening,” has become almost synonymous with Hawaiian healing. Learning the intricacies of this massage involves meticulous training in technique and places a high priority on the practitioner’s ability to form a bond of trust with the patient. Other Hawaiian customs currently experiencing a revival include the meditation practice of Ha Mo’o and the use of steam in ways very similar to the sweat lodge practices of Native Americans. In Hawaii, the Hale Pulo’ulo’u – the house of purification – is a part of many healing ceremonies.
The link between diet and health is also being explored. Modern Hawaiian diets are often high in starches and carbohydrates. Many health practitioners are encouraging a return to a traditional island diet, with an emphasis on fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, and fish. At the Ka’anapali Beach Hotel on Maui, a separate menu focuses on time-honored island fare, with healthy dishes from the island’s bounty, including seaweed, pineapple, and taro.
The Power of Spirit
“In all indigenous concepts of healing, spirit is the most important component to the formula,” explains Kahu Kapi’ioho’okalani Lyons Naone, a native Hawaiian spiritual teacher and healing practitioner. “The spiritual ingredient is what makes healing happen. Without it, the healing process is incomplete.”
Clifford Nae’ole, a Native Hawaiian who serves as the cultural advisor at the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua on Maui, strongly concurs. “Spirit is truly the first step to healing,” he says. “Here in Hawaii, we say that healing starts from the inside out – and that to be balanced, to be righteous, is to be in a state of Pono.”
Achieving Pono may involve a spiritual ceremony known as Ho’oponopono (“to make right”), which invokes the power and intervention of guardian spirits to help facilitate healing. Prayer (pule) and chanting (‘oli) are an important part of this ceremony, during which the facilitator asks family members of the person who is seeking to be healed to release any feelings of ill will or bitterness they may be harboring, in the belief that achieving a positive attitude and maintaining an environment free of hostility and anger are essential to restoring health.
Botanical Traditions
Like other indigenous healers, practitioners of traditional Hawaiian healing teach that the efficacy of an herbal remedy involves more than simple dosage. The way the plant is harvested, the time of year and the location where it was grown, the ceremony that accompanies its administration, and the intention with which it is both taken and given are all part of the mystery and process of healing.
“It is important to recognize all life in an honorable and respectful way,” teaches Naone. “One of the things the kapu system [wisdom from elders]does is help us to recognize and respect the balance of nature and life. It also teaches us to understand our own, human place in the greater world. We must learn to walk lightly, to understand exactly who and what we are – and, perhaps more importantly, what we are not.”
The title of healer is not one that is taken without great consideration and preparation. Although native Hawaiian herbal and Lomi Lomi practitioner Kai Ke-ali’i-ke-a’e-hale O Kaholokai, vice-president of Kai Malino Wellness Center, a non-profit educational corporation on the Big Island, has been gathering indigenous plants on the Big Island for over thirty years, he does not necessarily consider himself a healer. “In Hawaii, a Kahuna La’au Lapa’au, or medicinal practitioner, is a term reserved for our Kapuna, or grandparents,” Kaholokai says. “It is they who have gathered the information and who teach us cultural values and practices.”
There was a time when a Hawaiian healer was also the village’s holy man. Before he could attain the title of Kahuna, he had to break and successfully set the bone of a family member. While bone breaking is no longer required, the personal relationship between healer and plant is still vitally important. This relationship, and the suggestion that the life force of a plant contains an innate power, is still ignored by much of our Western medical community.
The process of collecting a plant for healing initially begins with a demonstration of respect for the living plant. “We must always ask permission,” says Kaholokai. “and gather only what is needed with Creator consciousness. Then replant, protect, and balance the plant’s natural habitat.”
Respecting the Process
Is something essential lost when we separate spirit from healing? Certainly, say both Naone and Kaholokai, while emphasizing that healing is about restoring balance, and not necessarily about being cured. Indeed, both men teach that healing must be considered on a greater scale than personal wellness. In these times of world strife and environmental desecration, they say it is equally important to take responsibility for the healing of the planet. Indigenous healers in Hawaii speak of the actions we take today that will affect seven generations who follow and they believe that the indiscriminate destruction of world resources will rob our grandchildren and their grandchildren of their rightful future.
“We are basically on a slide toward self destruction,” Naone says, his eyes reflecting great kindness and patience. “Only those who recognize the divinity and sacrifice of all nature will survive. Are you one of them? Have you stopped to consider the purpose of the deer, the fish, the trees? The ancestors call out to us through nature – telling us not to just look or listen, but to seek. Be true with who you are and who you should be. We want to continue to hear the chirping of the birds and the rustle of the wind for many generations – not the cries of children whose futures have been taken from them.”
The Herbal Cure
Known collectively as La’au Lapa’au, these botanicals are venerated throughout Hawaiian culture for their medicinal properties.‘Awa (Kava). Originally a sacred Polynesian ceremonial drink, kava is believed to have calming, soothing properties. It is used to treat headaches, muscle pains, and to relieve insomnia.
‘A’ali’i (Hopseed Bush). The leaves of this native plant are used to treat skin conditions, including rashes and itching.
Kalo (Taro). The single most important plant in Hawaiian culture, taro leaves are used to treat asthma; while raw sections of the plant individually treat pain and swelling from insect bites, relieve indigestion, and help stop bleeding.
Ko (Sugarcane). The juice from the shoot is used to treat lacerations and minor wounds, while the sap is added to herbal preparations as a mild sweetener.
Kukui (Candlenut Tree). Parts of this tree are used as a laxative, while the leaves are used to relieve swelling from bruises. The Kukui nut is used to treat external ulcers and sores, and a charcoal derived from the nut’s shell is used to ease sore throats.
Noni (Indian Mulberry). A tonic made from the immature fruit of the Noni is used to treat high blood pressure and loss of appetite. Ripe fruit and leaves are used as a poultice for wounds and fractures, and the leaves and bark are used to treat muscle and joint pain, as well as urinary disorders.
‘Olena (Turmeric). Juice taken from the stem of this plant is used to alleviate earaches.
Pia (Polynesian Arrowroot). Starch is applied to wounds to help restrict bleeding, and raw starch is used to treat diarrhea.
Traditional Treatments
Here’s where to find some of the best traditional Hawaiian spa therapies and treatments:Four Seasons Hualalai at Historic H, Big Island. The Hualalai Honey Sugar Scrub includes a blend of essential oils, coconut, Hawaiian cane sugar, warm Lehua honey, and macadamia nut oil for a decadent exfoliating and moisturizing treatment. The Hawaiian Sandalwood Wrap calls on the intoxicating scent of sandalwood, long prized as a perfume, mixed with lemongrass tea to stimulate the skin and help release trapped toxins and fluids. (808) 325-8000, www.fourseasons.com/hualalai.
Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa Moana, Maui. Ka’anapali Passionfruit Lime Salt Scrub, Maui Mango Nut Salt Scrub, Ginger Salt Scrub and Coffee Salt Scrub provide gentle exfoliation with a heady blend of natural, local ingredients. (808) 667-4725, www.maui.hyatt.com.
JW Marriott Ihilani Spa at Ko Olina, Oahu. Both the Island Floral Herbal Wrap and Ihilani Cool Ti Leaf Wrap provide detoxification benefits with area ingredients. The Green Tea Detoxifying Wrap begins with a full body dry brushing, followed by an application of green tea clay, tea extracts, and essential oils. After rinsing beneath a needle shower, green tea firming spray is applied, followed by green tea contouring lotion. (808) 679-0079, www.ihilani.com.
The Waihua Spa at the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua, Maui. The spa’s signature Hawaiian Healing Experience includes the selection of an essential oil blend to address a specific life issue, such as stress, harmony, or protection. While surrounded by Hawaiian chanting, stones wrapped in warm pouches are placed on the body, followed by a massage. Designed to relieve fatigue and exhaustion, the Pahoehoe & Kalo Wahi is a volcanic mineral wrap that makes use of native, mineral-rich kalo and island lava. (808) 669-6200, www.ritzcarlton.com.
November/December 2004
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