Living the Aloha Spirit
As I write this
article, I am settling back into my daily routine after
having spent ten relaxing
days on
the exquisitely beautiful
island of Maui. Even amidst the busyness—and some
resistance—of returning to my
regular routine, I am grateful for the spirit of “Aloha”
that still lingers within me. “Aloha” means much more
than a
common greeting and expression of farewell. The idea of aloha is
so important in Hawaii that the “Aloha Spirit”
is part of State law. The statute reads in part:
“‘Aloha Spirit’ is
the coordination of mind and heart within each person.
It brings each person to the self. Each person must
think and emote good feelings to others. In the
contemplation and presence of the life force, ‘Aloha,’ the
following definition may be used:
Akahai,
kindness to be expressed with tenderness;
Lokahi, unity, to
be expressed with harmony;
Oluolu, agreeable,
to be expressed with pleasantness;
Haahaa, humility,
to be expressed with modesty;
Ahonui, patience,
to be expressed with perseverance.”
Notice your life; are you experiencing the
spirit of Aloha?
Living the Aloha Spirit isn’t
some spiritual gimmick, some airy-fairy concept; it’s a
way of living life
so fully, so powerfully, that you are
in tune with the Divine Power that the Hawaiians
call “mana.” Accessing mana is an essential
aspect of the
Aloha Spirit
and refers to a powerful way to resolve any problem,
accomplish any goal, and to achieve any state of mind that
you desire.
It doesn’t require living in, or
even visiting Hawaii to capture the essence of mana. There
are different ways to tune into this power and
one way is to bless everyone
and everything that represents what you truly want. And
in the Aloha Spirit, to bless
something means to give recognition to a positive
quality or condition with the intent that what you
recognize will increase or come into manifestation. This kind
of intentional
blessing is effective in changing your life for three reasons:
1. The
positive focus of your mind ignites the
positive, creative force of the Divine Power
of the Universe.
2. It moves
your own energy outward, allowing more of the Divine
Power to flow through
you.
3. When you bless for the
benefit of others instead of directly for yourself, you
tend to bypass the subconscious
fears about what you want for yourself. What is so
beautiful about this process is that the blessing you do
for others helps them as well as you.
Here are some of the
important life-force qualities that
the Hawaiian culture blesses:
1. Health
- Bless healthy people, animals, nature,
and everything
that expresses abundant energy.
2. Happiness
- Bless all that is good, or the good that is in all
people and all things; all the signs of happiness that
you see, hear or feel in people or animals; and all
potentials for happiness that you notice around you.
3. Prosperity
- Bless all the signs of prosperity in your environment,
including all the money you have and what it can do as
you circulate it.
4. Success
- Bless all signs of achievement and completion and all
signs of forward movement or persistence.
5. Inner
Strength -
Bless all signs of inner
strength in
people and animals; all signs of stability (like
mountains and tall trees).
6. Love
and Friendship - Bless all signs of caring and
nurturing, compassion and support; all harmonious
relationships in nature; everything that is connected to
or gently touching something else; all signs of
cooperation, and all
signs of laughter and fun.
7. Inner
Peace - Bless all signs of quietness, calmness,
tranquility, and serenity (such as quiet water or still
air); all distant views (horizons, stars, the moon); all
signs of beauty of sight, sound or touch; clear colors
and shapes; the details of natural or made objects.
8. Spiritual
Growth - Bless all signs of growth, development and
change in nature;
the transitions of dawn and twilight; the movement of
sun, moon, planets and stars; the flight of birds in the
sky; and the movement of wind and sea.
During these emotionally,
financially and spiritually challenging times, may you
experience the Aloha Spirit in every area of your life.
Mahalo and Namaste.
© Copyright 2010
Laura Grace. All Rights Reserved.
Laura's Books:
Read Laura's Past Columns:
Fall-2010-
"The Art of Mindfulness"
Winter-2009
- "Faith-in-it As You Make It"
Summer-Fall 2008 - "Spiritual Imagineering: A Celebration of Life"
Winter-Spring 2008 - "Ordinary People, Extraordinary Lives"
Summer 2007- "Making Room for Love"
Winter 2006-'07 - "Life’s Deepest Meaning: Teach Only Love"
Summer-Autumn 2006 - "The Courage to Be Happy"
Jan-Apr 2006 - "Turning Mistakes into Lessons"
Oct-Dec 2005 - "Be Still"
July-Sept 2005 - "Balancing Your Wheel of Life"
April-June 2005
- "Imaginary Borders"
January-March
2005 - "Witnessing the Truth About Your Life"
October-December
2004 - "Letting Go"
August-September
2004 - "Progressing with Passion"
June-July
2004 - "Deepening Your Spiritual Practice"
April-May
2004 - "Life's Crossroads: Love-vs-Fear"
January-February 2004 - "Faith the Foundation for Every
Dream"
December
2003 Column - "Touching the Heart of Others"
November
2003 Column - "Knowing How to Care for Yourself"
October
2003 Column - "Dreaming a Happy Life"
May
2003 Column - "Living the Authentic Life"
April
2003 Column - "Rising Above the Battleground"
March
2003 Column - "Healing Through Your
Relationships"
February
2003 Column - "Are You Going with the Flow?"
January
2003 Column - "Living the Soulful Life"
December
2002 Column - "The Power to Change"
November
2002 Column - "Peace Begins at Home"
October 2002
Column - "Spiraling to Higher Ground"
September 2002 Column - "Cradled in Nature's
Arms"
August 2002 Column - "Recovering
Your Soul"
Laura Grace is the Spiritual Leader of the Circle of Spiritual Enlightenment in Central Coast California, and a national author and speaker. Laura provides spiritual counseling and offers numerous workshops and retreats for awakening the heart
and spirit. She is also the author of the books Gifts of the Soul and The Intimate Soul and a syndicated columnist for more than twenty publications. Laura is the host of the show "Relationship Wisdom" on Public Access Television. Please visit Laura at:
www.LauraGrace.net.
As a spiritual counselor, Laura provides assistance in person and by phone. You may contact her for a free brochure at:
laura@lauragrace.net.
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