What is this thing called Akua?
Updated: 7 days ago
Preface: I understand enough to know that there is infinite depth to all things connected to ancient Hawaiian culture – layers and layers of meaning that is difficult to understand with a Western mind. What I share is what I have been trusted with and what has been shared with me by kumu (teacher), Nani Ke Aloha, their kūmu and the kūpuna (elders and ancestors) including Kumu La’au Lapa’au Sylvester Keiliwaliu Kamaka Iki Ali’I Pa’akaula Kamoa Kepilino (better known as Papa K!) It is also filtered through my own life experiences and knowledge. I am not claiming to be an authority on Hawai'ian wisdom, but a custodian of it who cares for it and loves it and recognises that my learning journey with it has no end point.
Even though for a long time I have avoided talking about spirituality out of fear of either being judged or causing offence, I am increasingly feeling called to talk (and write) about it… because our world needs more connection and more truth telling.
Akua, which means ‘spirit’ or ‘higher power’, is actually an essential part of what I offer as a Spiritual Hawaiian Lomilomi practitioner (giver). And to pretend otherwise or hide this aspect would be dishonest and also disrespectful of the lineage through which this healing modality comes.
I give Spiritual Hawaiian lomilomi Massage. That is what Papa K asked Nani Ke Aloha to call this form of ‘bodywork’ if offering it outside of Hawaii. So, it is not possible to do what I do, without connecting to Spirit, to something more than just the physical body.
Spirit might look different to everyone – it could be ‘God’, ‘light’, ‘love’, ‘nature’, ‘joy’, ‘life’. To me, it is all of these things and more that we don’t even have words for. It weaves through everyone and everything in the natural world – reminding us that everything is sacred and everything is connected.
My understanding is that the Kanaka Maoli (the original Hawaiians) view of Akua is that everything in the natural world can be Akua (eg trees, plants, rocks, water, sun, air). There are also a number of deities or spirits which collectively can be called Na akua (to connect with spirit, God and all of creation).
My personal and ever evolving relationship with Akua is open to this understanding and inspired by it. I feel that Akua is an ultimate source energy, and I believe that many many many different cultures and religions all describe it differently but essentially it is the one source that is being described.
I like the analogy that there are many paths up the same mountain to the same ultimate destination. And in that way, there is no judgment and there can be no wars over spiritual beliefs. And also, with this idea, everyone has their own path to follow, so ultimately, they should never hand over authority to anyone else (this includes priests, spiritual leaders, gurus).
My personal relationship has grown over the years so how I describe Akua now is different to how I described Akua 5 years ago and I am sure this will deepen and change again.
But right now, I feel that we all have a ‘God-flame’ within us – a tiny spark which comes from the Source (and all things that are part of the natural environment have this too). And this spark will return to the main source or flame. I feel I know this in my bones and waters… and somewhere beyond the intellect. But I am also open to the possibility that this might not be the case at all, that it is a great mystery and I am ok with that.
I feel that as soon as we try to put too many ‘words’ around these concepts they become too open to being critiqued by western brain and ego. And ego is afraid of anything it can’t understand.
I am also growing this idea that Akua encompasses fear and rage… but beyond and underneath that is love. Always love. Everything begins from and returns to love.
This is a growing edge of understanding for me… but maybe, just maybe the human experience is about the dance between these polar opposites: the relationship between them and what we learn when we move from one to the other (ie from fear to love and back again). This understanding also helps me when there are hard times to zoom out a little and wonder whether this is all part of the ‘drama’ that we humans are here to grow through and from. All of it, even the painful parts, are to lead us eventually into love. Maybe this will take many lifetimes and maybe even many planets! Who knows!
I do know there have been numerous times in my life where I have felt the protection or love or guidance from a divine source and these experiences have moved me beyond words and left me with no doubt that such a source exists. That there is something there, beyond the grasping mind, that science has not (yet) explained. Many of us have those fleeting moments and then we forget about them as we get into the busy of our lives again. Maybe we can have more conversations about this and maybe that would be a very good thing for the earth and for humanity!
I also know that whether I am giving lomilomi, teaching yoga or helping someone in therapy, I feel completely held by this source, by Akua. I drop into vertical time and now-ness. I become a channel of aloha/love/bliss… and this helps me find that extra space in my nervous system, that extra capacity, that extra mana or prana (life force or energy) to show up for whoever is in front of me. And for that I am grateful.
If you liked this, you might be interested in some of my otherf blogs about lomilomi and Hawai'ian culture:
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