Both the chants (Oli), and the traditional dance performances (Hula), have a direct correlation to the Huna system in that they focus each dancer as well as the audience on the essential unity underlying all existence.

Even though Hula nowadays also encompasses a number of modern renditions that are sometimes held more in the spirit of entertainment (think Elvis in Hawai’i), the deep roots of tradition, and the spiritual aspects are still nearly always present.

Similar to the ceremonies of e.g. Zen Buddhist monks, the individual participant is meant to “see the picture” of the whole, and perform in unison within that picture. All while telling the important stories of Hawai’ian history both physically and through sound, often on multiple levels of meaning, including deeply spiritual ones.

In addition, the tones and vibrations of the chants themselves are meant to prepare and “set right” the energy for whatever the object of the particular performance may be.

Enjoy the video of this great performance during the Merrie Monarch Hula Festival in Hilo on the Big Island of Hawai’i. Notice “the picture” moving in exquisite unison:

Notice the famous entrance chant “Ho’opuka” (1:10 in), which translates to “Make a hole in the sun, and find the light behind the light” at the spiritual translation level. It has traditionally been used in all situations of entrance or beginning to set the energy right for what is to follow.

Found another great one here, this is also very traditional and in a more raw setting than at the festival. Masterful drumming on the Ipu heke (gourd drum):

The dancers in a Hula Halau (school) such as these have likely been dancing since they were about 3-5 years old, and practice for many years before they are ever allowed to perform in a more public performance. Their dedication is simply incredible.

… in this old video from the 1930’s

The Hawai’ian Goddess of Fire, Pele, is thought to reside at the Halema’uma’u pit crater, inside the larger Kilauea summit caldera (learn more here).

The Big Island of Hawai’i is itself composed of 5 different volcanoes, the two largest of which, Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa, reach just under 13,800 ft. and 13,700 ft. above sea level respectively.

Amazingly, when considering that the island rises for many thousands of feet (19,000 or so!) straight from the Pacific Ocean floor, both mountains are actually taller than Mount Everest, making them candidates for the tallest mountains on the planet!

While the different Huna lineages and schools of thought may differ on some of the finer details, and feature some of their very own techniques, there are a number of techniques that may be regarded as nearly universal:

Ho’oponopono – “Two Way” forgiveness process (“to make right two times/both ways”) that could be performed either externally with actual discussion and forgiveness ceremonies between the involved parties, or internally in the individual’s own mind.

In the latter case, the “kala” (cleansing) aspect of this Hawai’ian code of forgiveness was deemed essential by the Kahuna: To achieve complete forgiveness within a client for both infractions committed by or against them is in Huna considered the only way to fully heal the negative energy otherwise held in the individual’s consciousness.

Since these issues could range from the extreme to the decidedly minor, a wonderful side-effect of frequent Ho’oponopono is that it represents a form of “mental decluttering”. While appearing innocuous, this clutter can often still drain us of mental energy, and rob us of our full effectiveness.

“Higher Self Transformation” – a process by which the individual is asking for their Higher Self (their “Aumakua”) to come in and resolve long-standing problems, issues or fixations. Whatever condition is either present in the moment, or specifically prompted and activated in a coaching/meditation session, can be removed, or even turned into a desired new condition, though caveats along the lines of “beware of what you ask for” apply.

Note that Dr. Hew Len of the Morrnah Simeona lineage refers to this process as “Self-Identity Ho’oponopono” (as described by Joe Vitale in “Zero Limits” among other places). There is in principle nothing wrong with this terminology, except that it may cause confusion between this and the other, more relationship-centered form of Ho’oponopono described above.

“Higher Self Connection” – a meditation process by which the individual’s connection to their own Higher Self (in some spiritual systems this is referred to as the “Holy Guardian Angel”) is strengthened, and specific guidance and other messages may be sought.

In general, the integration of the Three Selves is one of the highest aims of Huna psychology. Without the strengthening of the Higher Self Connection, the Conscious Mind and Unconscious Mind are basically on their own (and for many people even those two are not really cooperating all that well!).

In the Huna coaching process, diligent practice of the Higher Self Connection is the prerequisite for the client to be able to perform the Higher Self Transformation process by themselves, without further coaching. This is the reason why the Higher Self Connection is the center-piece of the “Huna Experience” Webinar that I am presently adding to the curriculum. Stay tuned for more on this very soon.

Best wishes and Aloha!

- Coach Alex

… brought to you via Google Maps:

The Hawai’ian Island Chain – notice the connection between the islands. When you zoom out far enough to see the entire Pacific Rim, you can tell that Hawai’i is located more or less right at the center of the so-called “Ring of Fire”, the volcanic and seismic activity that runs from Japan to Alaska to the U.S. West Coast (St. Andreas fault, etc.). Some people believe that this configuration makes the Hawai’ian Islands one of a handful of energetic power centers of the planet.

The “Big Island” of Hawai’i – you can see the lava flow patterns from past eruptions of Mouna Loa, Mouna Kea, and Kilauea. The greenish “collar” of areas south of “Captain Cook” towards South Point, and from there back up toward the Kilauea Volcano, contain many of the Macadamia Nut farms of the Island. That’s where the Mac Nuts you may enjoy (chocolate covered or not :) are coming from! Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea, standing both near 13,800 feet, sometimes have snow caps at the top!

The Kilauea Volcano caldera and Halem’auma’u pit crater – standing inside of the caldera is an awe-inspiring sight to behold in the truest sense of the word. If you take the time to hike from the Volcano House at the top of the rim down through the caldera to the Halema’uma’u pit crater (thought to be the home of the Hawai’ian Goddess Pele), you will see a wide variety of lava formations and colors. All throughout there are steam and sulfur vents, the sulfur becoming most intense near Halema’uma’u. In the last year, there have actually been several small yet spectacular lava “fountain” erruptions at Halema’uma’u.

South Point, the southernmost point in any U.S. State! – the bars, restaurants, etc. in the nearby towns and hamlets love to lay claim to their very own “Southernmost [xyz] in the U.S.” fame.

Pu’uhonua O Honaunau – City of Refuge – the satellite image shows the layout of these sacred grounds, which are now a National Park. In the center, you can see the large lava rock platform built behind the “Kane Stone”, a large, oblong lava boulder (similar to Stonehenge type rocks). You can see the outline of the massive lava rock wall to the east and south.

Almost directly due east you can make out a small white “break” in the wall which is actually a ceremonial entrance. At the northernmost tip of the wall you can make out another black square, which is a smaller platform with a traditional grass hut for offerings and other ceremonial uses, surrounded by a wood fence and a good number of exquisite Tikis (wood sculpture totems).

In ancient times Honaunau represented a form of sanctuary from the Kapu (“Taboo”) System, in that anyone would be safe from persecution and almost certain death once inside the walls, regardless of their infraction. There, they would live and work for years, while also working on a personal journey of atonement and forgiveness under the guidance of the Kahuna in charge of the sanctuary.

It is noteworthy that the safe boundary of the grounds existed only by convention and agreement, as none of the outer or inner walls, regardless of size, could hold back a determined attacker. The walls must thus be seen as mostly symbolic, they were literally “walls in the mind”… ceremonial and spiritual in nature.

Keauhou, Hawai’i – “Spiritual shelter persisting though time” – The “Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort” hotel – built around and among sacred and historical grounds, among them King Kalākaua’s Vacation Home and Bathing Pond, the Fish God lava rock monument, the Ali’i (Royalty) Birthing Pond, and several Heiau (Temple) ruins toward the ocean shoreline. The adjoining property to the South has a number of important Heiau ruins as well, which are currently being restored and made part of a cultural center and public park.

Most important among Huna’s principles is its understanding of the human mind and human consciousness:

It assumes a three-part partition of the mind/self into a Conscious Mind, an Unconscious Mind, and – crucially – a Higher Self.

Alongside these 3 selves, the ancient Hawai’ians were specifically concerned with the flows of unseen (electrical, etc.) energies (“mana”) in the body similar to the conceptions of Hinduist, Buddhist, and Taoist philosophies, familiar today by such practices as Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Accupuncture, as well as various forms of Yoga and related energy cultivation practices.

In fact, before becoming known as the secret “Huna”, these practices had collectively been referred to as “Ho’omana”, “to make/create [life force] energy”.

The Kahuna held the view that there were actually 4 such progressively more subtle bodies, similar to other Eastern views on auric bodies. From the bottom up these are the physical, the emotional, the mental, and the spiritual body, with each following a precise logic of control by the Three Selves.

For example, the Unconscious Mind equates mostly to the emotional body, but it also controls the body below it, the physical body.

Western psychology has given more and more credence to these views in recent times with its recognition of psycho-somatic illness factors, so-called “somatoform” disorders, and a host of other examples of strong unconscious control over bodily processes such as phobias.

Despite this formal segmentation of the psyche, the underlying philosophy of Huna holds that all of creation including the human mind is ultimately one. This represents a form of pantheism and/or monism similar to e.g. the Hinduist views expressed in the Upanishads, those inherent in Buddhism, etc.

The Higher Self, the so-called Aumakua, is conceptualized as the direct connection to the higher planes, the Highest Being inside each human being.

Aumakua translates to “totally trustworthy parental spirit”, which gives an indication of its role similar to concepts of the “Holy Spirit” or the “Holy Guardian Angel” in Christian and Hermetic schools of thought. It is the seat of the godhead in man, and for the purposes of spiritual evolution a somewhat separate spiritual being assigned to the two other selves.

In many traditions across the world it is literally “drawn in” in pictures as a halo, or sometimes as a ball above the head (e.g. the yin-yang “Tao” symbol in Ancient Eastern depictions, which relates to the idea that it is a balanced male and female energy) when present in the event.

Despite the appearance of separation, the Kahuna thought that in fact the ultimate goal of all practices was the integration of the Selves and Bodies to work in perfect harmony and health (somewhat similar to C.G. Jung’s concept of the individuation process), and that the “growing up” and evolution of the separate selves was indeed the meaning of life itself.

Huna also contains the concept of Karma, and it is thought that “Karma” is in fact stored in the Unconscious Mind, the “Unihipili” (the little creature or animal self). Therefore, the path to healing any condition would have to include the cleaning up of such unconscious contents and programs that would get in the way of the desired results.

By the principles of correspondence (“as above, so below” and “as inside, so outside”), the Kahuna thought that the outer circumstances of one’s life would closely resemble the inner world (sometimes people refer to these ideas as “the law” of attraction).

Therefore, cleaning up this – one might say “magnetic” – Karma would be a first step to all other positive developments (E pii ana o lalo – “take from darkness into the light that which is below”), such as the seeking of specific guidance from one’s Higher Self (E iho an o luna – “bring down that which is above by means of the light”).

A Ohe Pau Ko Ike I Kou Halau – "Think not that all wisdom is in your school" – Ancient Hawai’ian Saying

A brief discussion of Huna lineages is very much in need of the caveat contained in the ancient saying above: Rather than engage in useless infighting over who’s version of Huna is "more pure" or "more right", realize that things of value can be learned from all of them, and that some people may naturally resonate more with one than another.

One of the foremost principles of the ancient teachings is to see the illusion inherent in all duality, of which "separate schools" would make an excellent example. Here are a number of the known lineages:

• The studies of Max Freedom Long, the first known Western researcher into the ancient Hawai’ian teachings who coined the term "Huna" for what he uncovered over the span of many decades under very adverse conditions.

  Long studied Huna since 1917 or so, at a time when the native Hawai’ians would not speak to Westerners about these matters, in part out of fear of legal penalties in place since the arrival of the Western missionaries after Cook until in some cases the 1960’s. Any errors or omissions on Long’s part can easily be forgiven in light of this context.

  He founded Huna Research Associates in 1945, with Rev. James Vinson Wingo, D.D. being the current president. There is a Yahoo group for this organization among other things.

• The lineage of Morrnah Simeona, currently carried forward by Dr. Hew Len and recently written about by Joe Vitale in "Zero Limits" can be found here.
• The lineage of Tanneo Sands Kumalae.
• The lineage of the Bray family (David "Daddy" Bray 1889-1968, and his son, David "Papa" Bray Jr.), has been carried forward by both Laura Kealoha Yardley and Tad James’ family. Tad’s son Matt currently teaches a workshop near Kona, Hawai’i (Big Island) with the blessing of several Hawai’ian elders, among them:

  Uncle George Naope, Master Kumu Hula (Kumu = "teacher"), founder of the Merrie Monarch Hula Festival, and designated by Congress a "Living National Treasure". His student, Master Kumu Hula Etua Lopez, who trains Matt’s workshop participants in the principles of Hula. Also, Kumu Hula John Ka’imikaua who carried a lineage of the Hawai’ian Island of Moloka’i (1957-2006), and who taught at the workshop about Hawai’ian cultural issues and Hula until his passing in June of 2006. The class has since been taken up by his wife Ka’oi.

  Find out more at huna.com

  Tad James also incorporated elements from several other lineages that he was fortunate enough to come into contact with.

• The lineage of Serge Kahili King, who was adopted into the Kahili family, following its Huna traditions. He has also studied a variety of other forms of shamanism in his world-wide travels, and his may thus be considered a blended approach. His organization is called Aloha International, and he purportedly was also a member of Long’s organization for a while.

  Find out more at huna.org

• Dr. Rima Morrell maintains an organization called hunalight.com
• Wikipedia entry on Huna contains some lineage information.
• Feel free to add information on additional lineages known to you, or any concerns about errors or omissions in the comments section… E Kala Mai I Au.

Besides the outer order of the Hawai’ian Royalty (Ali’i), there had existed an inner order since at least 1200 C.E. (and likely even earlier than that), that of the "Kahuna". And while the outer order was known for its manifestations such as the Kapu ("forbidden / taboo") System, politically motivated warfare between the Hawai’ian Islands, and some forms of human sacrifice – collectively termed "The Order of Ku" and thought to have arrived from other Polynesian islands at least several hundred years before Cook, the inner order of Kane was largely concerned with personal development, healing, and mastery.

Since the meaning of the term Kahuna is a combination of the root words for keeper (kahu) and secret (huna), as well as the adjunct roots for light (ka) and calm/balanced (na), in the most basic sense a Kahuna was an expert in his field of purview, similar to our modern-day concept of a "Ph.D."

The great number of the different types of Kahuna listed by e.g. Laura Yardley gives further credence to this view: There were besides the more spiritually and mentally oriented Kahuna some as straight-forwardly concerned as the "Kahuna Kali Wa’a" (canoe makers), or those expert in the intricate lava rock masonry used for everything from homes and walls to the famous Hawai’ian temples (heiau).

This is also how many people have heard the term first used in popular culture in relation to the "Kahuna of Surf" or the "Big Kahuna" (from 1950’s and 60’s film and television).

As for the class of the spiritually concerned Kahuna, major examples include the Kahuna La’au Lapa’au (medicinal healers and doctors), Kahuna La’au Kahea (mental healers or "psychologists"), Kahuna Po’i Uhane (spirit catchers), Kahuna Kilokilo (experts concerned with divination and omens), and Kahuna Na’au Ao (mystics of the science of mind), each typically with several sub-designations too long to reproduce here.

While most of these pursuits would have been considered on the side of the positive and of healing for the greater good of society, there were clearly also some that might be considered under the mantle of Black Magic or Sorcery, collective known as Kahuna Ana’ana (again with a number of subspecies). These were the ones later primarily – and one might say unduly – focused on by the Western missionaries.

This preoccupation with the morbid led to a state of affairs where the native keepers of these bodies of knowledge strictly kept things from the Westerners to themselves. Most Kahuna practices were formally outlawed since the early days of the missionaries, with several of the prohibitions, on things including the performance of the Hula, the Hawai’ian ritual dancing, chanting, and drumming performances, carried forward all the way into the 1960s.