Kalani Honua Blog - Gecko Ramblings

Wow! We were surprised to receive this wonderful letter from a guest at Kalani, our non-profit yoga retreat center and educational village on the oceanside in the Big Island of Hawaii. Here's what it says:

"Ilse and I had a great time again at Kalani and we are looking forward to our stewardship [cottage] there very, very much.

I spent 10 days. Never read the paper, didn't listen to the news, never checked my email, didn't even check the phone messages.

Instead I sat at the oceanside, watched the waves, the turtles, the whales, the dolphins, the palm trees, the clouds for hours on end. I played in the waves at the beach, swam all the way out to the rocks with you, enjoyed the hot tub under the stars almost every night.

I spent hours on the new beach, watching the surfers and watching the lava flow in the distance behind me. I spent almost a day on the lava shelf watching and feeling the waves crash into the land, the spray shooting high into the air, one after another, again and again.

I walked to the lava flow and saw, felt, experienced again the power of the earth arising into this world, creating something new, fresh, unspoiled.

New life, a new promise. I enjoyed great meals on the lanai, in the companionship of strangers, that I now consider close friends. I received tender loving hugs from strangers, smiles from people I had never met before. I joined the activities and yoga workshops that were offered even if they seemed a (very!) big stretch to my comfort zone..... and loved every bit of it!!!

And yes, I decided to join the 'ohana and put my feet down in this great community. May this endeavor be a blessing to us and to the community. Thanks for dreaming, Richard, and thanks for letting me be part.

With Love and Gratitude, Rolf"

That Bewitched and Enchanted Space Between Imagination and Intellect

Presenting ideas through language is something individual writers conjure first in that bewitched and enchanted space between imagination and intellect. The result is a sentence, paragraph or story that becomes a roadmap for leading readers to revelations regarding partially developed thoughts or fully blooming memories churning within.

Haruki Murakami’s short story “Landscape with Flatiron” opened a memory inside of me, an orange and glowing memory of fire builders and bonfires crackling on humid nights in the Field of Dreams on the big island of Hawai’i.

If you search for the Field of Dreams on Google maps, you won’t find it in the middle of the Pacific. It’s a place within a place on an island in a chain of islands.

The Field of Dreams is an open field at the Kalani Oceanside Retreat where volunteers go to talk, relax and gaze into crackling bonfires that have been slowly and precisely built and tended by the men of the landscaping and maintenance departments, burly men with strapping chests and sun-kissed skin. In the sky, the stars perform their nightly dance on twinkling toes as the human beings below spin and twirl to the night’s tropical beat.

In “Landscape with Flatiron,” Murakami explores the social significance of community bonfires, places where people have gathered for centuries to feel the comfort of knowing they were part of something bigger than just themselves. Junko, a young woman in the story, describes standing in front of the fire like this:

“The spread of the flames was soft and gentle, like an expert caress, with nothing rough or hurried about it- their only purpose was to warm people’s hearts. Junko never said much in the presence of the fire. She hardly moved. The flames accepted all things in silence, drank them in, understood, and forgave. A family, a real family, was probably like this, she thought.”

At the same time, Murakami interprets the meaning of fire for human survival when the character, Junko, recalls reading the short story “To Build a Fire” by Jack London.

“As usual, Junko thought about Jack London’s “To Build a Fire.” It was the story of a man traveling alone through the snowy Alaskan interior and his attempts to light a fire. He would freeze to death unless he could make it catch. The sun was going down. Junko hadn’t read much fiction, but that one short story she had read again and again, ever since her teacher had assigned it as an essay topic during the summer vacation of her first year of high school. The scene of the story would always come vividly to mind as she read. She could feel the man’s fear and hope and despair as if they were her own; she could sense the very pounding of his heart as he hovered on the brink of death. Most important of all, though, was the fact that the man was fundamentally longing for death. She knew that for sure. She couldn’t explain how she knew, but she knew it from the start. Death was really what he wanted. He knew that it was the right ending for him. And yet he had to go on fighting with all his might. He had to fight against an overwhelming adversary in order to survive. What most shocked Junko was this deep-rooted contradiction.”

As we all know, human beings are large, walking, talking bundles of contradictory energy, but when we come together around a well-tended fire on a warm island night, the beauty of community nourishes the spirit. The thought of death stands apart momentarily alone and tongue-tied when we humans celebrate our powerful connections to family.

end note: [I am sure a woman could have accepted the job of fire starter smoothly and without a hitch, but during my time at Kalani from December through early March 2009, the celebration of masculinity bubbled forth in front of the inferno.]

Aloha all!

Kimo, I and some staff will be dancing hula in today's EARTH DANCE Global Prayer for

Kalani's mission
is to provide a fun, safe and educational retreat village which encourages ALOHA love for life in each person's own deepest way through participation in abundant nature, culture and wellness experiences.

The ALOHA Spirit
is the coordination of mind and heart within each person. It brings each person to cherish life and inspires each person to extend good feelings to others.
In the contemplation and presence of the life force, Aloha, the following unuhi laulâ loa (free translation) may be used:

· Akahai, e na Hawai’i —Modest are the people of Hawai’i. Through careful planning and conservation we can live with the resources available to us for generations to come.

· Lôkahi a ku like—We are unified, we work together in peace and harmony.

· `Olu`olu ka mana’o—Pleasant are our thoughts. By being positive we create a positive, loving community.

· Ha`aha`a kou kulana—We are humble, we need never feel insecure.

· Ahonui a lanakila—With patience and perseverance we keep moving forward.

These are traits of character that express the charm, warmth and sincerity of Hawaii's people. It is the working philosophy of native Hawaiians and is presented as a gift to the people of Hawaii.

The I'o (hawk) and Honu (turtle) logo
symbolize Kalani's goal to move slowly forward with peace and compassion, while having a clear overview of what is necessary to prosper while providing abundant nature-culture-wellness educational experiences.

Depicted are Hawaiian three chakra elements, which when in agreement, lead to pono (fair, correct) decisions of benefit to self, community, and home (local and global):

• Mana'o is our rational thinking.
• Pu'uwai is our heart-emotions-feelings.
• Na'au is our intestines or gut intuition.

The Kalani logo 'aumakua (traditional animal guiding spirits),
the 'Io hawk, flies above and sees the big picture, while
the Honu turtle, swims below, carefully progressing forward.
Note the basic kindergarten rules for a wholesome life:

• Love One's Self
• Respect Others and
• Take Care of Home, Local and Global.

These are harmonious partners with Kalani's NATURE-CULTURE-WELLNESS educational mission.

Loving One's Self is all about Wellness, living healthy, avoiding/overcoming addictions, embracing and celebrating life.

Respecting Others is the essence of living peacefully within the diverse Cultures of our multifaceted Kalani, Hawaii and world.

Taking Care of Home, Local and Global is simply honoring Nature, the `āina or land, literally that which nurtures us. Many contemporary religions are variations of indigenous beliefs centered around the cycles of the moon, earth and sun. Hawaiians, extraordinary gardners, fishermen, healers, orators, artists and navigators, particularly studied and honored the earth and skies.

YOU are invited
to join with us in the Kalani experience, as visiting guests, faculty, volunteers, cottage and land stewards, local residents and staff. Heaven on earth does just happen, when we honor and co-create with abundant nature, community and spirit.

Tiff Manchester, one of our Kalani Volunteer Coordinators, shared with the community this inspirational moment.

Enjoy! and Thank you Tiff!!

LOVE and TIME

Once upon a time, there was an island where all the feelings lived:
Happiness, Sadness, Knowledge, and all of the others, including Love. One day it was announced to the feelings that the island would sink, so all constructed boats and left. Except for Love.

Love was the only one who stayed. Love wanted to hold out until the last possible moment.

When the island had almost sunk, Love decided to ask for help.

Richness was passing by Love in a grand boat. Love said, "Richness, can you take me with you?"
Richness answered, "No, I can't. There is a lot of gold and silver in my boat," Vanity answered.

Sadness was close by so Love asked, "Sadness, let me go with you."
"Oh ... Love, I am so sad that I need to be by myself!"

Happiness passed by Love, too, but she was happy that she did not even hear when Love called her.

Suddenly, there was a voice, "Come, Love, I will take you." It was an elder. So blessed and overjoyed, Love even forgot to ask the elder where they were going. When they arrived at dry land, the elder went her own way. Realizing how much was owed the elder,

Love asked Knowledge, another elder, "Who Helped me?"
"It was Time," Knowledge answered.
"Time?" asked Love. "But why did Time help me?"
Knowledge smiled with deep wisdom and answered, "Because only Time is capable of understanding how valuable Love is."