The Aloha Spirit

By Kauila Clark
The trails and paths that have been created at the Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center really express the Aloha Spirit that is inherent in the organization and the definition of the Aloha Spirit that we will use for your information is “a presence which can’t be seen, touched or heard but is expressed from the center of one’s being to all of creation, knowing the unknowable, expressing the universal, it is found in all things and it is the connection of all things, it is known as ALOHA.” 

By Aunty Pilahi Paki

Auntie Pilahi Paki gave us an acronym for Aloha and these really represent the behaviors and understanding of the characteristics of Aloha.  The first “A” is “Akahai – meaning kindness as expressed with tenderness.”  This would mean that you also include compassion and non-judgment because the more you judge, the less kinder you tend to be.  The “L” is “Lokahi – meaning unity is expressed with harmony.”  The Hawaiians did not believe in peace as defined by western society, which is the absence of conflict.  The Hawaiians believe everything is in conflict because everything has been created for a different purpose.  So the way is how do you handle conflict and you handle conflict with honor and respect in order to bring unity.  The “O” is “Olu Olu – meaning agreeable as expressed with pleasantness.”  This means that when you come into a situation, you have to understand that you’re both teacher and student that agreeability simply means that you listen to what is being expressed by another person in relationship to their understanding of their purpose and mission and then in that case you would be student.  And then you would be teacher in expressing your point of view, so that what you’re doing is providing information rather than an argument.  So that agreeability simply means that you are receptive to all information that will help you understand and grow in a situation.  The “H” is “Haa Haa – meaning humility as expressed in modesty.”  And this simply means that you are remembering all of the help and the assistance and support that you have received in your lifetime to be where you are and to be doing what you do.  The last “A” is “Ahonui – meaning patience as expressed in perseverance.”  And so it means that you are appropriate at the time of introduction of ideas or conversation and you’d be patient to do that and in that, you will persevere.  This is Auntie Pilahi Paki’s acronym of Aloha.  There are other definitions of Aloha that have been given and these definitions have assisted people in understanding the whole Aloha message.

The spiritual kauna for Aloha is the “ha”- is spiritual light attaching to “lo” – spiritual foundation, attaching to “Ha” – spiritual essence.  So this is another definition of Aloha. 

The physical behavior of Aloha is expressed in the “Honi” – and that is where people greet eachother by touching eachother at the nose.  Nose-to-nose and breathing in the breath of life that spirit given by the Creator and shared by all of us.  So the honi simply expresses sharing your spirit with another.