The Spirit of Aloha
I just got back from the beautiful Island of Hawaiʻi, a place very close to my heart and my work. In the mid 90’s, I taught workshops here built on the theory of Aloha. We’d root into flow, transformation, and healing through the spirit of Aloha on the Big Island with its active volcano, Kilauea, where Pele, the fire goddess, lives.
Aloha means the presence (alo) of breath (ha). Aloha is the breath of life. In Hawaiian culture, the spirit of Aloha means to live in the presence of the breath—in unity, kindness, humility, and peace. The Aloha Spirit Law was enacted in Hawaii in 1986 to encourage officials and citizens to act with this spirit.
Today, in honor of Hawaiʻi and all it has taught me, I’d like to share a mindfulness exercise and meditation to help you connect to the spirit of Aloha and awaken your neutral mind.
Mindfulness Exercise & Meditation
If you’ve heard my mediations before, you may have noticed that I often describe the breath as a wave. The inhale expands the swell and the exhale releases the wave back to the surface of the ocean. As you breathe, you can feel this ebb and flow within yourself.
Think of your mind as an ocean and your breath as the wind. Hurried breathing stirs turbulence at the surface of the conscious mind. But under that turbulence, there’s calm—that’s your neutral mind. We access it by sitting with the breath, slowing down, and finding stillness in the present moment.
Our practice today is to release the turbulence of the mind into the depths of the ocean. The conscious mind judges and assesses; it’s where our “mind chatter” takes place. If we let it run the show, we remain caught in the turbulence of life. The breath is our greatest tool for calming the conscious mind.
Begin your meditation by gently turning your eyes up and inward to the center of your head, and breathe. Let the inhale expand the lungs, diaphragm, and belly. Then allow the exhale to release the front body back toward the spine. Both expansion and contraction are essential to a balanced breath.
As you breathe, feel the wave your breath makes. Notice how a harder breath makes the wave more turbulent. Slow it down. Practice smooth, connected breathing, and observe what shifts.
Now, imagine an ocean of thought just beyond the center of your head. Feel the mist of this ocean as you rest below its surface, calm and still beneath the movement of the conscious mind.
When your mind begins to wander, return to a state of observation. This is your place of calm. Be in the center of your head, observing your breath, neutral and still, calm and reflective. Your only task is to stay in the center of your head.
Ebb and Flow Like Water
Practice coming back here often, especially when you notice yourself getting attached to a line of thinking. Water teaches us how to shift these thoughts. Let its ebb and flow inspire you to soften rigidness. Use the wave of your breath as a teacher, changing its pace, shape, and size, and noticing what happens.
May you live in the spirit of Aloha.