The Evolution of AloHā
ALOHA!
We’ve all heard this word before and understand it means a few things in the Hawaiian language. If you believe this word means hello, goodbye, and love, you would be correct; from a certain point of view. But! What if I told you that the ancient word of Aloha has a far deeper meaning?
Let me share a story of origin with you:
Over the past century, Aloha has been watered down. Its true meaning has been clouded by a desire to homogenize and package the Hawaiian culture to be marketed and sold to tourists worldwide.
My home of O’ahu, Hawaii, once a bountiful network of Islands and indigenous people — steadily working toward a harmonious relationship with the Aina or land — has today — become one of the most popular global vacation destinations — with 1.8 million travelers making their way to the island paradise every year.
Many of you have probably been to the Hawaiian Islands or would like to visit there someday. And why not? My home of Hawaii is an incredibly magical place in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The climate is almost always right, and the stars are always bright.
Within minutes of arriving at the shores of Hawaii, most visitors can sense something in the air that they can’t quite put their fingers on. It is more than just the excitement one would expect from the reality of a long-planned Hawaiian vacation coming to fruition. It is a feeling, an essence, energy. We call this phenomenal experience in Hawaii- the ‘Aloha Spirit.’
In gaining the reputation of the Polynesian paradise, the meaning and purpose of the Aloha Spirit has become popularized, packaged, and simplified. To be viewed as a truncated interpretation rather than to exemplify the power of the indigenous people of Hawaii.
My Ph.D. program taught me the value of research and finding the source or etymology of an idea. In that work, I discovered that Aloha could have a much more profound meaning than the simple greeting we’ve all become accustomed to.
The Aloha that I’ve uncovered in my work is the compound of two words in the Hawaiian language.
- ALO — meaning forward-facing or front
- and HĀ — meaning breath, the breath of life, or spirit of the mouth
When viewed through this evolutionary lens, Aloha, the simple word we are familiar with, takes on a profoundly new meaning. Alo Hā translates to meaning “sharing the breath of life through dialogue.”
This definition implies that as we engage in deep listening and sharing our individual and collective stories, we transfer knowledge to one another through dialogue and create a new understanding of the world.
We breathe these words to each other; The exchange of ideas, the resolution of conflict, the changing of perspectives, and the evolution of our collective being.: This is Alo Hā.
My research has made me realize that my ancestors understood the deeper meaning of even our simplest human interaction. They foundationally knew that to interact with another human being- in even the most casual of ways was to share in the breath of life together.
As a society whose complex language was shared through stories and oral narratives, my ancestors understood that sharing one’s presence with another was to share one’s story with another — repeated over time and within the context of the community web.
Island life is a complex life
Alo Hā conveyed respect towards one another as my people intrinsically knew that the perpetuation of each other was dependent on the perpetuation of the land itself and all the living beings connected to the land; it was reciprocal.
Indeed, the ancient islands of Hawaii had vast resources to sustain people — as long as the people understood how to cultivate them and not exploit them. The breath of life each person shared was a re-investment in cultural and social values, the upholding of social contracts that prospered not just the Kanaka, the people of the land, but the ‘Āina, the land itself.
Despite the streamlined and merchandised for wholesale consumption, the Aloha spirit has endured in the Hawaiian islands; It is the infectious energy and the reflection of diversity in balance throughout the islands, which so many people speak about experiencing when visiting my island home.
This story of diversity has a tragic beginning.
History timelines show that just two years after Captain Cook’s first contact with the Hawaiian people in 1778, 1 in 17 Hawaiians would die of disease introduced by the European explorers.
By 1840, the Indigenous Hawaiian populations had declined by 84%. Large-scale immigration into the islands began with the Japanese and Chinese workforce being introduced under the rule of the grandson of King Kamehameha I, Alexander “Iolani” Liholiho. Liholiho took the oath as King Kamehameha IV in 1855. This trend would continue through the 19th and well into the 20th centuries with the introduction of Filipino, Portuguese and Korean workers.
These groups mixed into the Hawaii we see today, with a vastly diverse population and the only state in the union that is not majority Caucasian.
Regardless of our diversity and difference in ethnic origin, those of us who come from Hawaii dwell in a silent agreement of harmony: Aloha.
In our modern world today, we are each faced with generational consequences:
Despite the diversity that already exists in our social systems — in our schools and jobs and places of commerce — we are struggling with a set of values and biases passed down by those who taught us before. If these teachings continue to go unexamined, they become unseen societal stones that we trip upon and inhibit our progress as a collective human species.
To change our future and remove these stones — we must first see them. We must acknowledge their presence, and we must choose to remove them.
That takes the kind of righteousness born from individual action that challenges passed down beliefs that may be ripe with unforeseen prejudice.
We must take an examination of each one of our positionalities and privileges within this societal contract we call “Being an American.”
Each of us must examine ourselves with the questions of consequence:
Where does my cultural consequence place me in this current system we call “us”? Does it provide me an opportunity to sow seeds of change that would benefit others and thereby benefit my communities?
Do I take social accountability for the privilege and power dynamics inherited rather than earned with personal effort?
If I find myself disenfranchised — do I give up on the call for change, or do I find new ways to build bridges and plant in the new ground?
If my seeds of change are filled with generational bitterness, do I really want to sow them into the newly turned ground?
What accountability must I individually take to move forward?
We are — interdependent by nature- and since we must live together as one nation — on ONE planet — and in one community — we must learn to do so with genuine concern for one another.
The aim of human society must be the compassionate betterment of ALL from one moment to the next, or we are destined to our own demise.
Surely our time in history is teaching us this lesson above all others. Without such accountability, we are selling ourselves short of a future that could be full of potential greatness for a present bent on self-gratification and self-determination. This has been our past, but it can not be our future.
I believe that the evolution of Alo Hā is a remedy for the ailment we now find ourselves succumbing to. The world we build is a collective effort.
We build it together every day with every small action that each of us takes. Those actions live in the A.L.O.H.A framework of purpose and intent.
A.L.O.H.A’s acronymic form is an easy principle to understand and incorporate into people’s lives. After all, we love a good acronym in western civilization, don’t we?!
We are surrounded by triggering interactions: social media, how we consume and process the news, and how we participate in politics. The guiding principles found in this acronymic tool are intended to navigate triggering conversations, examine our own bias, and provide a foundation for personal growth. When using this tool, the desired outcome is to move individuals from stalwart walls of unbreachable beliefs to active listeners and participants of another person’s story.
It starts with A
A is Ask — Ask questions and inquire. Do not assume. By asking questions with the intent to learn and not judge, we have the potential to minimize gross assumptions. We all make basic assumptions in life. But sometimes, those assumptions are wrong, and with little or no evidence that proves our theory, it could cause a world of hurt for many. Finding the courage to ask questions and challenge our beliefs can significantly transform our outcomes.
Be curious about the world that exists outside of your bubble. You’re not alone. We all construct a bubble around ourselves made of passed down beliefs, ideas of how the world works, how it should work, what we want from life, and so on. Be curious about those bubbles. How are you in community with others coming to conclusions that differ from you? What motivates them? What scared them as children or adults? How have they been harmed, and how do they heal? We must ask questions and inquire to avoid making unnecessary assumptions.
L is to Listen — The act of listening is only possible when there is attention, and attention does not exist if there is interpretation, evaluation, condemnation, or judgment of that to which we are listening. If we listen thoroughly and attentively, then that very act of listening has the potential to open doors that could lead to a common truth.
The act of listening is an open field of possibility. In this field, every kind of seed is sown, and only the seed that has vitality, energy, strength will come up and flourish. When we listen fully and completely, the very act of listening destroys what is false and lets the seed of truth take root (Krishnamurti, trans.1933).
Furthermore, listening is a way of hearing the other person in which we are fully present with what is happening at the moment, without trying to control it or judge it. We do this by letting go of our inner clamoring and our usual assumptions and listening with respect for precisely what is being said. How can we move towards healing relationships if we cannot listen to each other? We usually do not listen with the intent to understand. We most often listen with the intent to reply.
Hearing is a physiological function, which those of us who are blessed with hearing abilities cannot turn on or off, but somehow, have a way of ‘selecting’ what and who we listen to and what we hear in what they say. There is a different way of listening to our significant other, best friend, or professor than someone who always talks about themselves or a telemarketer over the phone. Both may have something valuable to say, but ‘how’ we tune into their words and what we choose to hear is different based on what we expect from the person speaking.
Imagine if, instead of listening to right or wrong, good or bad, or places we can interrupt the conversation to make our point, we listened intently to understand the other. If we listen with the intent to learn, we could find alignment and shared values, hear what truth, deep commitment, or inspired thought is beneath the words, which are truly what they are trying to convey.
Deeply engaging with others by truly listening to what they have to offer is the key to moving beyond barriers, to understand what is being said without judgment.
O is for Observe — The sensations, emotions, and somatic responses in your body are not just signals for you to react but are also signals for you to contemplate. Our bodies are full of intelligence. They tell us everything we need to know, from when we’re hungry, to when we’re sick, and even react when we are full of emotions. Many, particularly those steeped in Western philosophical frameworks, have adopted the Cartesian worldview and belief that their mind and body are two different substances: a complete separation of the mental and physical world. But, we must reject that claim and know that our bodies and our minds are one. We are whole people, entirely influenced by our surroundings, conceptual thoughts, and somatic responses. We are emotional creatures; we are biological, we are spiritual, we are relational, and we are social.
We can learn so much if we take the time to listen and understand the messages of our bodies. It is also pertinent to remember that our experiences may be different, but the impact on our bodies can leave the same effect: broken spirits.
Our sympathetic nervous system or otherwise known as the “fight or flight” network in our body, takes over when we are stressed. When a high amount of the “stress hormone” called cortisol begins to pump into our bloodstream, we encounter tense muscles and escalated blood pressure. We can find ourselves struggling with cortical inhibition, which limits everything from the way we move to how we feel, see, and hear. This mental stress causes cognitive dissonance, and instead of inquiring, we stop listening to each other, assume the worst of each other, and ignore the signals that our body is sending us. We work towards defending our stance without the ability to acknowledge and adapt to the differences of others.
Many of us are inclined to remain behind the veil of our assumptions and perspectives; we separate our self from these ideas of connectedness to safeguard ourselves from being responsible for creating or challenging our thinking. By its very nature, self-expansive intelligence craves a refuge, either through negation or assertion. Our thoughts are occupied with the constant search for security and certainty. We want to belong and be in community with others, but we invariably live under the pretense of disunity. With our thoughts and beliefs being constantly challenged for the sake of transformation, we are always faced with cognitive dissonance. We hold tight to what we know and give continuity and permanency to our ideologies. Consequently, the illusion of separation remains.
In his book, “My Grandmother’s Hands (2017),” Resmaa Menakem speaks about the ‘soul nerve,’ or what other mental health professionals call the vagus nerve. This soul nerve is where we experience our emotions. It’s also where we feel a sense of belonging (pg. 147). Resmaa also speaks about the ‘settling’ of our bodies.’ This is the ability to be calm, alert, and fully present, no matter what happens. Menakem states, “A settled body enables you to harmonize and connect with other bodies around you while encouraging those bodies to settle as well. (pg. 151).” Settling is not the same thing as healing, although it is an all-important foundation for healing.
Buddhist teachings tell us that concentrating on our breath enables our mind to gather together all its scattered energies. The mind is more steady, clear, the body is calm, and we’re ready to engage in active listening. So, observing what is happening in our bodies and pausing to breathe can help settle the body, reduce the amount of cortisol and lower our blood pressure to listen to others without judgment.
H is for Heart — This is key. Did you know that the heart is a transmitter and receiver of powerful electromagnetic waveforms that connect each of us throughout the globe? The heart can take in information from multiple points of view simultaneously.
Becoming a certified trainer in the HeartMath philosophies, I am fond of this organization’s literature. The research from the HeartMath Institute concluded that intelligence and intuition are heightened when we learn to listen more deeply to our hearts (2012). By learning how to decipher messages we receive from our hearts, we gain the keen perception needed to manage our emotions effectively during life’s challenges. The more we learn to listen to and follow our heart intelligence, the more educated, balanced, and coherent our emotions become. Without the guiding influence of the heart, we easily fall prey to reactive emotions such as insecurity, anger, fear, blame, and other energy-draining reactions and behaviors.
We must learn to return to our heart space, especially amid adversity. I must concur that our heart space is where the foundation of Aloha exists; Love, compassion, humility, empathy, and grace reside within this space. The heart can guide us throughout the entire engagement process and the place to return when we find ourselves becoming judgmental and unable to listen to one another deeply. Lead with and lean in with your heart, especially when you become disconnected or judgmental.
A is for Acknowledge and Adaptability — In the final acronym, we acknowledge that our perspective and worldviews may differ from others. Concepts such as gender, race, ethnicity, and nationality seem to be all born out of an innate need for us to categorize each other. The reinforcement of our socialization through media, television, education, government, family, and friends are the pillars that set the foundation for which we develop a deep sense of belonging or learn to be hostile to others because of opposing beliefs.
When we’re looking to start relationships, we tend to gravitate towards people we believe are similar to how we view the world. It becomes simpler to find ourselves imposing our worldviews on others who hold opposing views. But in restricting ourselves to the microcosm, we can often miss out on many exciting experiences that can make a great community.
It is vital to acknowledge that creating healthy and thriving communities means to adapt to the diverse nuances of race, nationality, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, religion, and many other aspects that make up a cultured human being. Within the nuance, we must also learn to adapt to the complexity of our socialization and the socialization of others.
We are inevitably destined for change when we allow ourselves to listen to another deeply. This is probably the reason we are so resistant to change, and why we keep our guard up and often process our argument amid another’s story.
Change is scary
Change means that the world may be different than we thought it was, and you know what? It is. No human has the perfect perspective on politics, religion, society, media, education, government, process, or policy. No one. That is why we need each other. Not because we are all wrong but because without all of our perspectives in the mix, there is no way to make things right. When we accept other ideas and adapt our way of thinking and navigating in the world, we are literally setting the trajectory for social change and personal transformation.
It all starts with you — With your change — this is your Alo Hā -
If you wish to change your community and make the place you live, work, and play a place where diversity of ideas, people, and perspectives are celebrated — where equity means giving every person access to the resources they need to learn and thrive, where community means being inclusive to even those you do not understand- Then it must start with YOU!
As my ancestors of native Hawaii knew so many years ago, when we greet each other — we are doing more than just casually saying hello — we are sharing the breath of life. Each small breath -and the intention behind it — that each of us shares throughout our day brings life. It affirms social contracts and perpetuates system dynamics.
It is imperative that each of us examine the values that we bring to this dialogue. The righteousness of action must begin with interrogating our bias, power, position, privilege, and how we use them.
Do we use them to bring comfort, security, or stability to our entire community, or do we use them to provide things that will benefit ourselves absent of our community? The choice is ours.
I encourage every one to take action in your own way.
Make your lives purposeful and believe in a greater future, then act upon it and trust in the idea of A’ohe Hana Nui Ke Alu Ia -“No task or dream is too big when we do it together.”
About the Author
Dr. Gerry Ebalaroza-Tunnell is the Principal Consultant and CEO of Co3 Consulting: Co-Creating Cohesive Communities. The work of Co3 Consulting is based on the foundation of ALOHA and utilizes a unique blend of Indigenous philosophies and Western methods to work through decolonial healing processes.
Dr. Gerry Ebalaroza-Tunnell (she/her/wahine) identifies as an Indigenous scholar born and raised on the island of O’ahu, Hawaii, and has over 20 years of experience working in public, private, and non-profit sectors with a focus on social justice, community organizing, and leadership development. Dr. G earned her doctorate in Transformative Studies and Consciousness from the California Institute of Integral Studies and her master’s in Whole Systems Design from Antioch University, Seattle. You can learn more about her work at www.Co3Consulting.net and www.EvolutionOfAloha.com
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