THE NATURAL BEAUTY & LANGUAGE OF HAWAII
Keiki o ka 'aina ~ children of the land
Artwork by Jana Ireijo for Maui Ocean Center
The Hawaiian culture has a deep reverence for nature. In Ancient Hawaiian mythology, 'mana' is the spiritual life force or healing energy that permeates the planet. For Hawaiians, nature is a sacred, healing space for body, mind and spirit. As 'keiki o ka 'aina, or 'children of the land', they believe that all living things are interconnected and feel a strong responsibility to care for nature.
Like its culture, the Hawaiian language, Ōlelo Hawai‘i, one of the oldest living languages in the world, is a language full of beauty, meaning and respect for nature. The term aloha translates to [Alo] meaning 'presence' and [Hā] meaning 'breath'. Together the word aloha translates to 'The presence of breath' or 'breath of life'. In Hawaiian culture, the sky, ocean, mountains have a language of their own – speaking in color, pattern, texture, light and movement. It is a language that calms, nurtures, consoles, rejuvenates, restores and inspires.
Affina is very much rooted in these ancient spiritual philosophies. We are all connected to Mother Nature. Her dynamic energy patterns are calming as they are familiar to us. Drawing from the sea's vast reservoirs for inspiration, Affina Seaweaves collection flows with waves of energy, timeless as the tides – whispering the call of the sea, or moana, as they say in Ōlelo Hawai‘i.
With all that is going on in the world today, the Hawaiian culture may very well hold many of the answers we seek.
Below are a few of our favorite Hawaiian words, along with imagery from the beautiful Hawaiian island of Maui. Mahalo
Artwork by Bobby MaGee Lopez for the Wailea Healing Center