The Huna (indigenous Hawaiian wisdom) tradition teaches Aloha: To love is to be happy with.
Aloha is all about the law of reflection. What resides inside you is what you see outwardly.
First let’s break down what Aloha embodies. Love literally sets the world in motion. It is the creative energy. It is the spark that began everything that we see. The beauty of the Earth and the life force. Translated, Aloha means: Love, compassion, affection, mercy, kindness, grace, charity.
Alo means “to share an experience”, oha, “affection, joy, ha, “breath or life force”. Thus to those familiar with this original term understand it is the connective and cooperative experience that shares life energy with another is the way to joy. Consequently, love is the basis for all creation.
The life force of love conjoins everything back to oneness. This principle includes the law of reflection. The more positivity we witness, then more will come into our being. The converse is true as well. Judge and criticize and it will come back to you. Synonyms for those negative qualities include, “condemnation”, “fault-finding”, and “censure”; these qualities from a Huna perspective will increase as attention is given to them. Anything that divides and separates diminishes love.
What you express outwardly is a reflection of what exists within you. Also, what you recognize in another, is a reflection of your inner being.
The act of blessing is considered an art in the Huna way. Why? What we bless in ourselves or others creates alchemy; we bring back to ourselves the very thing we bless. Essential to this art is understanding that self-care is a priority. In order to love/bless another, you just first do so to yourself. However, this does not mean you strive for perfection and don’t allow negative emotions to arise and be integrated. Learning to know and understand yourself requires skill and patience. You are a conglomeration of your environment and experiences. So to practice Aloha for yourself requires time and patience. Be easy on yourself.
Recently I had a difficult interaction with my adult child. After I was stern with her children (my grandchildren), she told me I was angry and didn’t have a good attitude in correcting them. I honestly don’t remember her exact words. I just know how I felt as she expressed her feelings. I thought to myself, I don’t feel angry, I love my grandchildren more than anything. I waved bye to her, symbolizing that I was going to leave this difficult situation. She said, “No don’t walk away”. I stayed and listened, checking my heart and trying to understand her viewpoint. After a lot of hurt on my part and integration, I asked myself, “What do I own in this encounter?” after a brief period of time (a day or two), I realized she was projecting what she felt as a child. Something she didn’t want her children to experience. I didn’t allow her to talk back to me disrespectfully when she was growing up. I still don’t accept whining, sarcasm, disrespect from children to me or a trusted elder. For sure my daughter and I love each other deeply. The seed of truth for me is to be clear on my motives and respectful of children’s parenting choices. I know this is my heart intent and thus keep a boundary around my expectations and her parenting manner. They will coexist. The bottom line is connection between aloha and the law of reflection. To love is to be happy with. This can remain when we respect one another. It can also be a teaching tool as we are open and willing to be patient and see the deeper issues.
The year 2020 has been a purging year especially for relationships. With a heightened sensitivity, humanity is being exposed to raw, real, relations. Love does conquer all if we allow it to be so. It is the supportive force we all need and it is the purifier that makes us equal to difficult tasks. Love is both gentle and fierce. Let’s allow it to do its work and reflect on how it can teach us.
Aloha is the fifth principle of Huna. To learn about the other 6, check out The Shaman's Mind, Huna Wisdom Change Your Life by Jonathan Hammond, published July 2020.
Live well, love well and at times be fierce in that love. Love to you, Julia
Julia Parsell is a Certified Holistic Health Counselor with an emphasis on the intersection of science and the sacred. She writes from experiences and transformative understandings that have led her to an authentic and peaceful life. She goes by these names: wife, daughter, grandmother, mother, sister, aunt, niece, cousin, and friend. As home educator of her three children, she also developed/ran cafes, and maintained various leadership roles within her community. Her greatest desire is to encourage others to live life fully. Her passions are family, art creation, writing, and trail blazing. She is happily married in Western North Carolina.
