Yoga and the Power of Aloha and Keoni

The Koʻolau Mountain Range on the Windward side of Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi. Seeing this, I am immediately brought back home.

……………….

I've lived in New York City for close to 39 years. A long while back — sometime in the 90's, I believe — a family friend from Hawaiʻi was visiting NYC. He said something to me that I haven't forgotten. Paraphrasing from memory here, he said: "Paul, don't take this the wrong way, but you're too nice to be a New Yorker." I think initially I was mildly offended. Having lived here in NYC for all this time, it’s easy to come to believe that being "too nice" is not a good thing. But in reality, it may actually be a strength rather than a liability. In truth, I am who I am mostly in part because of where I came from — Hawaiʻi. I come from a place where the Spirit of Aloha is a powerful essence embedded deeply within the cultural heritage of the people who grew up there. Itʻs hard to shake off our cultural roots and traditions. 

Skyline Hawaiʻi, a local Eco-Adventures company, describes Aloha this way:

If you were to ask someone in Hawaii, “What does aloha mean to you?” you may receive a variety of answers. Aloha is an essence of being: love, peace, compassion, and a mutual understanding of respect. Aloha means living in harmony with the people and land around you with mercy, sympathy, grace, and kindness. When greeting another person with aloha, there is mutual regard and affection. This extends with warmth in caring for the other with no obligation to receive anything in return. The direct translation from Hawaiian to English is the presence of divine breath. The Hawaiian word "alo" is presence, front and face, and "ha" is breath.

In practicing yoga and meditation, we hope to achieve some similar outcomes. Being able to be more loving and kinder, both to ourselves and others. Making our own minds more peaceful in the hopes that it can somehow radiate outward and have a positive effect on the world at large. Through a mutual understanding of respect for others, we can come to see that basically, we all want the same thing — which is peace and harmony with everything around us. The ancient yoga text, the Bhagavad Gita, encourages us to take action in the world without concern for the outcomes. And of course, yoga and meditation practice are all about being in the presence of our breath, which is indeed a divine gift.

Back around 2007 or so, when I was putting into motion the formation of a yoga, dance, and gymnastics nonprofit organization, I reached out to my brother Kamuela, who is a Hawaiian language, hula, and culture expert, for suggestions for a name for the organization. I wanted it to be something Hawaiian. He responded "why don’t you call it ʻKeoniʻ?" Now Keoni is my Hawaiian middle name and I thought I don’t want to name the organization after myself. And I always knew of Keoni as a translation of the Biblical name "John." My brother said, yes it’s true that "Keoni" is what the Christian Missionaries designated for "John." But, if you break down the word to "ke" and "oni", it refers to "the move." But not just any kind of movement, but specifically to movement that is gentle, steadfast, and soothing. I recall him saying think of a boat in harbor moving gently side to side. Think of a hula dancer’s hips swaying slowly and mesmerizingly from side to side. Thus, it was a fitting name for the organization, which came to be known as Keoni Movement Arts. In true "keoniʻ style, I have gently, slowly, and steadfastly built the organization from the ground up and use the meanings behind the word to guide its teaching and learning practices and methodologies.

For the purposes of yoga and meditation, I share this story mainly because in our western way of thinking we often see gentleness as a weakness. But something that the Buddha taught has stayed in my mind ever since I heard it: 

With gentleness overcome anger.
With generosity overcome meanness.
With truth overcome deceit.
— The Buddha

So in a way, Iʻve come full circle. I was born into a culture and tradition that values gentleness. And later as a student of yoga and meditation, I learned that the Buddha taught that gentleness is a way we could overcome differences. Gentleness is a strength, not a weakness.

In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and as someone who comes from both racial and cultural traditions, I wished to share my story because as I’ve grown older, I’ve become increasingly more aware of and proud of my cultural heritage. And also, I have no doubt that whatever your particular cultural heritage may be, I am sure that there are similar concepts and practices of Aloha and Keoni in your traditions. They may be called by another name, but for sure they can be your guiding Light when things get tough.

The late Queen Lil’uokalani — the last Monarch of Hawaiʻi who was removed from office by the American government — once said, “Aloha is to learn what is not said, to see what cannot be seen and to know the unknowable.” Similarly, this is the path of yoga. Its highest aims can only be experienced. 

One last thing — Queen Lil’uokalani wrote the well-known and much venerated song Aloha ʻOe. As we commemorate Memorial Day once again and in in honor of all those who gave their lives for the freedom we can enjoy, we in Hawaiʻi would say to them and their loved ones "Mahalo Nui" — many thanks — and Aloha ʻOe, until we meet again. Indeed, every goodbye is an eventual hello, which is why in Hawaʻi we use the same word for both — Aloha.

May you be happy, …
May you be healthy, …
May you take time for gentle movement, ...
May you see kindness as a strength, …
May you know the Spirit of Aloha, ... for the benefit of those nearest and dearest to you, and ultimately All Beings Everywhere.

Aloha and Metta,
Paul Keoni Chun

The colors of Hawaiʻi mesmerize.

Off the coast of Kāneʻohe Bay, this Honu — Hawaiian Sea Turtle — heads towards Mokoliʻi, also known as Chinaman's Hat. Just another day in Paradise.