~ HOOPONOPONO stories from my life  ~

part 2:  concepts embedded in Hawaiian greetings  

Ua mau ke ea o ka 'aina i ka pono.

The very life, breath & spirit of the land endures in right relationship between people, nature & Spirit.

Words contain mana - creative, energetic, spiritual power.  Hooponopono concepts and tools are built into language, and especially into the Hawaiian language. 

aloha

Hawaiians traditionally greet each other with the multi layered word "aloha" which literally means love.  Aloha is a compound word composed of also meaning presence, sharing or facing and ha meaning breath, or the essence of life.  Aloha symbolically means to share breath and  to be present with the essence of life.   When we think or say aloud the word aloha, we create loving energy.

bones

In addition to words, bones also contain mana according to indigenous thought. The forehead or frontal bone is encoded with the sense of true self. 

To share a traditional Hawaiian greeting I place my forehead gently against someone else's forehead and we thereby open our true, unmasked self to each other.  With foreheads together we take a breath.  Thus we share the essence of life and our connection to Source. 

When I greet someone this way I slow down and am totally present with them; my mind naturally stops thinking about other things.

the sun and our bellybuttons

The aloha greeting  is often followed by either "Pehea ka la?" or  "Pehea kou piko".  These deep yet simple greetings also contains  hooponopono imagery.

"Pehea ka la?" translates literally as "How is the sun?" but this phrase  also has a symbolic meaning.   It refers to one's bowl of light and is a thoughtful and caring inquiry asking "How are you tending your Light?"  This inquiry focuses attention on  Light within us.

Pehea kou piko?" translates literally as "How is your bellybutton?" and this phrase also has a symbolic meaning.  Our piko, or bellybutton, is a spiritual energy center which connects us to our parents, siblings and extended family alive on earth at this time.  So in asking "Pehea kou piko?" we are asking not simply "how are you?" but we are asking after one's entire family.  The power of loving connection is present within the words.

Many other words, in both Hawaiian and in all other languages, contain powerful, loving, Light supporting mana.   Language is a wonderful, creative gift!

 
Source of information about greetings: Dr Maka'ala Yates in Mana Lomi® classes.