About Us

Who we are

Kalani is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational retreat center in the heart of the coastal lowland forests of Ke’eke’e in the Puna District on the island of Hawai’i. An iconic eco-tourism destination, our campus is a hub for educational programs, wellness services, environmental stewardship, and community living. Our partnering teachers offer a variety of yoga, art and dance classes each week, as well as community workshops and special events.

What Kalani has to offer

Lodging

Wellness Services

Ecstatic Experiences

Land Stewardship

Art & Dance Classes

Retreat Hosting

Our community's mission

Our mission is to cultivate growth experiences through empowering learning opportunities. We strive to nourish local and global communities by promoting sustainability, abundance, and wellness while celebrating diversity with a respect for culture and sacred lands.

Our values & culture

Hawaiian values serve as inspiration and an opportunity for reflection as we pursue our mission of personal growth and sustainable community development. By promoting ecological and cultural learning, we hope to inspire more people to care for the earth and care for each other. We are honored to be stewards of this land and share its abundance with others. Learn more about the values that guide both our organization and our intentional community.

Dive into our rich history

C. 1250 - 1600

Current Landscapes Formed

Kīlauea Volcano erupts and lava covers the majority of the center’s current land, 106.8 acres of the total 120 acres. Another lava flow moved through 13.2 acres of the land in 1955 to shape the present landscapes of today.

Pre - 1900

Living on the Land

Archeological studies demonstrate structural remains and cultural artifacts from communities who once lived on this same land such as platforms, enclosures, and terraces used for agriculture, animal husbandry, habitation, education, burial and ceremony.

1975

Kalani Honua Founded

Earnest Morgan and his partner Richard Koob established Kalani Honua, Inc. (meaning Heaven on Earth) as a nonprofit educational retreat center that offered learning, transformation and connection in the wild landscapes of the Puna coastline.

2001

The Birth of Ecstatic Dance

Throughout ancient cultures there is evidence of humans choosing to move freely with music and engage in ritual to reach a state of rapture. The inspirations from Five Rhythms, conscious dance, and live electronic music coalesced at Kalani in 2001 to form modern Ecstatic Dance and create a community that has spread this movement around the world.

2018

Recent Lava Flow

Eruptions on Kīlauea Volcano's East Rift Zone centered in Leilani Estates began in May 2018, lasted several months, and led to a subsequent evacuation of lower Puna residents and closure of the retreat center. At the end, lava destroyed numerous homes and local natural sites, and though the lava did not reach the center itself, the closure remained in place along with uncertainty about the center’s future.

2019

Kalani Transformation

In July 2019 doors began to reopen as a new nonprofit Board of Directors ready to rise to the occasion was voted on to champion the rebirth of the retreat center. To embody this forward movement and resilience, the center adopted a variation of its full name as Kalanimua (meaning Divine Progress) and while still affectionately called Kalani by many, it continues to be a place where growth, learning, creativity, healing, and community thrive.

2023

Kalani MOVES FORWARD

The land which the nonprofit organization stewards is 94 acres of its original 120 acres. This means that certain spaces such as the restaurant, pool, and hale dorm buildings are no longer available. We continue to offer classes, events, retreats, lodging, wellness, education, community and abundant nature through our ongoing programs. Please let us know at [email protected] if you may have any additional specific questions on what our center currently offers.

Voices in the community

JOSEF S.

FACILITIES

“We are creating and recreating something from the ground up with the intention of community. We all open our hearts and elevate the energy here as a whole.”

ANGEL K.

MARKETING

“I have grown in ways I never thought were possible. Transforming my mental/physical health, seeking knowledge, and being nourished by community are values acquired that I never intend to let go.”

TONY H.

RETREATS & EVENTS

“To come here and be welcomed so warmly and embraced by a group of strangers was so powerful. It’s something that will always remain with me.”