Living in Lōkahi: Balance for Our Times

In the old ways of Hawai‘i, life was lived in harmony. People cared for the land and the land cared for them. Nothing was wasted, and everyone’s needs were met—from the youngest child to the oldest elder. Even with limited resources, there was abundance, because people lived in right relationship with one another, with the ‘āina (land), with the elements, and with the Divine.

This state of Lōkahi—oneness, balance, and interconnection—was the foundation of life. It meant there were no dividing lines between one person and another, nor between human beings and Spirit. Everything was woven together by Aloha: love, compassion, sacred breath, and presence.

Wisdom for Everyday Life Now

• Create Balance: Care for your body, mind, and spirit as you would a sacred garden. Nourish yourself, rest when you need, and live in ways that sustain harmony.

  
  

• Live with Aloha: Every thought, word, and action carries energy. Choose thoughts that uplift, words that heal, and actions that connect.

  
  

• Guard Your Light: Your inner light—your bowl of light—is your sacred power. When heavy thoughts like anger, fear, or jealousy arise, they place stones in your bowl. But at any moment, you can release them, tip your bowl, and return to shining in your natural state of Aloha.

  
  

• Walk with Pono: Pono means living in right relationship—with yourself, with others, and with the earth. It is the compass that guides us back to balance when we wander.

  
  

• Empower Choice: You are never defined by circumstances, only by how you choose to respond. Each choice is a chance to align with Aloha, with love, with unity.

Sacred Laws of Aloha

As taught by the elders, the three guiding principles of Aloha remain medicine for us today:

1. Love all that you see with humility.

2. Live all that you feel with reverence.

3. Know all that you possess with discipline.

Living in Lōkahi Today

The wisdom of Hawai‘i is not bound to one race or one place. It is a gift of consciousness—a way of heart and mind. To live in Lōkahi is to remember that:

• We are children of the Divine, guided by ancestors, angels, and unseen helpers.

• Our thoughts, feelings, and actions shape our lives and ripple into the world.

• Every day is an opportunity to walk the mountain path with balance, gratitude, and love.

The Medicine of Aloha for Now

The world today is full of challenges, but the power of Aloha is greater than any darkness. It is the light we carry, the breath we share, and the healing vibration that restores harmony. When we choose Aloha—moment by moment—we not only heal ourselves, but we bring healing to our families, communities, and the earth.

To live in Lōkahi is to live as one—with Spirit, with the land, and with each other.

Aloha ia kākou a pau — May there be love for us all.

Artwork and photo by Lomilomi Practitioner Marisa Thompson