“Suffering is an invitation of a deepening of spiritual life. We have to say yes to it. Spirituality is not a life hack. Spirituality is a deep reorientation in our lives through which we see into the truer, more foundational nature of reality.

There are always two realities; and they both matter. We are a point and we are a wave. We are magnificently distinct GPS coordinates all over the globe and exquisitely diverse zipped up bio-body suits. And, at the very same time, we are part of one human heart, one field of life, one oneness, a unit of reality, a field of consciousness – loving, sacred consciousness.  And we are built to be able to toggle between these two realities. Everyone of us is built to be able to perceive we are exquisitely unique and we are part of one great sea of life.”

– Dr. Lisa Miller, Professor of Psychology, Columbia University

Are you hard on yourself when remembering past mistakes and hurts?

Do you have a strong inner critic who judges and doubts your thoughts, choices, and self-worth?

Do you compare yourself to others and feel disappointed with who you are versus who you “should” be?

Do you feel stuck repeating old, unhealthy patterns?

Do you experience feelings of shame and unworthiness, as if there is something fundamentally wrong with you?

Do you sometimes feel like you don’t even know who you are?

Do you feel thereʻs got to be more to life than what youʻre experiencing now?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then this course is for you.

“As a Shambhala Buddhist practitioner, I am grateful for this refreshing, experiential course which incorporates meditation practice, insightful talks, and thoughtful discussions. The content is well aligned with Shambhala principles while integrating wisdom from other traditions which helps to reinforce important Shambhala teachings. I highly recommend this course to anyone who feels ready to work with habitual patterns that are no longer serving them and to gain new perspectives that will help improve wellbeing.”

Aloha!

My name is Kit Kanohoaloha Wynkoop and I’m the Lead Teacher and Curator of the course called The Path of Meditation that Leads to Living ALOHA. Thank you for stopping by to check out the course!

This course is experiential and aims to encourage people toward living with an awakened brain – also called whole brain living: to live out our personal and professional lives with integrity and a greater sense of purpose.

This course provides opportunities for people to engage in processes that transform the way they think – unique to just them – especially in how to use their skills, talents, and influence to make a positive impact within their families, communities, and organizations. Additionally, we encourage those in leadership positions to develop practices and habits that will enable them to sustain their effectiveness and resilience over time.

“If you’re waiting for something outside of you to be THE THING that takes your life and/or business to the next level, you’ll be waiting forever. Instead, when you choose to BE the person who creates it, your life and business will grow beyond your wildest desires. This course has given me the tools to prove that to myself. It can for you, too!”

Our world needs optimistic leaders who foster meaningful connections with others, have a sense of clarity about their purpose & values, and believe that they can effect positive change. We believe everyone is a leader. But nothing can be truly done about the problems in our lives, communities, cities, states, country, or the world until we first change our way of thinking.

The current way of thinking is a result of our addiction to our body-mind – the conditioned mind – a non-entity that exists for the sole purpose of memory retrieval & playback. Out of that mind, our personality is formed: our ego. When we identify with our ego, we experience struggle, disappointment, pain, and suffering.

Before the body-mind ever came online (around 5 years old), we were fully equipped with everything we needed to improve our lives and our world: our heart-mind – the un-conditioned mind – the vehicle with which we connect with our true nature: ALOHA. When we identify with ALOHA, we experience the flow of life, harmony, peace, and wellbeing.

There is a way to get back to our heart-mind and this course points to the way. The Path of Meditation that Leads to Living ALOHA is an experiential and interactive course that provides training in the Universal truths I found that were common in the 24 wisdom traditions and philosophies I studied. So this course – these truths – are not my own but they are that which I’ve curated from these Sources.

To point the way to living ALOHA, the structure of the course pulls mainly from ALOHA, mindfulness-awareness meditation, indigenous wisdom, quantum mechanics, neurology, non-dualism, and the Shambhala Buddhist teachings.

Shambhala Buddhism combines Tibetan Buddhist psychology with the teachings of warriorship from the ancient kingdom of Shambhala. It is based on the belief that there is a natural source of basic goodness, wisdom, and courage that lies within each of us. When we tap into this source – via meditation – we are able to bring more love, peace, and joy into our own lives as well as into the world.

“Thank you for creating The Path of Meditation that Leads to Living ALOHA as well as your wonderful teaching and interactive sharing approach.  I never considered myself a fan of online group interaction, but this cohort is truly amazing.  The depth of emotion, personal challenges, various insights, etc. is really such a critical part of the whole experience for me.  It’s quite something.”

Forgive Your Mistakes

Understand your tendencies and let go of guilt and shame.

Quiet the Inner Critic

Transform habitual self-judgment into unconditional self-acceptance.

Love the “Unloveable”

Hold unwanted thoughts and behaviors with gentleness and curiosity.

Transform Old, Outdated Habits

Disentangle yourself from negative and harmful behaviors.

Calm Yourself Down

Transmute strong emotions rather than repressing or escalating them.

Discover Your True Nature

Allow your inherent worthiness and true awakened nature to shine.

“It took me a while but I finally figured out “why” I needed this course: because it teaches me tools to refocus how I see my life. It gives me the perspective I need to live in a meaningful way. I had been stuck at a crossroad: wallow in my pain and begrudge reality or embrace change and opportunity to heal and grow as a person — arguably becoming a better version than who I used to be. The Path offers a road map I didn’t know I needed until I was completely lost.”

Details

Why this Course – You have the ability to eliminate struggle, discontent, and suffering from your life. By doing this, a fresh, new way of looking at yourself and the world is revealed – bringing with it a life of full harmony, peace, and wellbeing. This course points the way how and offers caring, gentle support during your journey. Watch this video above for more insight: click here.

About the Course – Click here to listen (25 min.) or read the full description below.

Testimonies – Click here to watch the short version (16 min.) or here for the long version (110 min.)

Get Help Right Now – Click here for something you can do for yourself right now.

“I am very grateful to have happened upon your course and thankful that I took a chance on myself to see if I could sustain being in it for a year. I am still here and feel blessed by the experience with much gratitude and aloha. What an uplifting experience!”

Format, Cost, & Registration –

  • Pre-recorded on-demand videos to watch at your own pace (available late Spring 2023) • Add your name to the waitlist to be informed when this is available.
  • The instructional book and manual (available late Spring 2024) • Add your name to the waitlist to be informed when this is available.
  • 60 weekly live online classes with Kit have resumed • The first two Levels (20 weeks) of the course are free • You can register for the first two Levels of any of the below cohorts, right now • Hurry, as capacity is limited

Cohort 9: Thursdays at 9:00am Hawaiʻi time starting January 26 • SOLD OUT

Cohort 10: Fridays at 1:00pm Hawaiʻi time starting April 14 • SOLD OUT 

Cohort 11: Sundays at 9:00am Hawaiʻi time starting April 16 • Use this link to calculate the day and time in your part of the world.

Cohort 12: Fridays at 9:00am Hawaiʻi time starting June 30 • Use this link to calculate the day and time in your part of the world.

More Information – Descriptions of each of the levels.

About The Teacher & Support Team – Read about each team member.

Participant Agreement –

Participants understand that all programs hosted by Hoʻi ka Hā will be recorded for use by Hoʻi ka Hā, LLC. Hoʻi ka Hā makes no representations or warranties as to any benefit that may be received by attending a program.

Class Guidelines – Click here.

Questions  kanohoaloha@gmail.com or 808-278-7838

“The Path of Meditation that Leads to Living ALOHA is a unique approach to meditation that incorporates learning to live the premise of “Aloha” from Hawaiian culture. Although there are many excellent methods or initiation courses to guide one through the basics of meditation, I found Kit Kanohoaloha Wynkoop’s gentle and patient manner of teaching to be very encouraging and inclusive of all student levels.

His mélange of Tibetan and Hawaiian cultural values adds a rich and universal experience to the practice that transcends time and place. In the Hawaiian tradition our gratitude and willingness to flow with all that we encounter in life is an expression of Aloha. Joining other likeminded seekers in the calm and heartfelt atmosphere of The Path of Meditation that Leads to Living ALOHA helps one to maintain and live in accordance with the growing sense of awareness that is developed through meditation practice. This is living Aloha. And that is priceless.”

~Kilohana Silve, Kumu Hula

About the Course

Our world needs optimistic leaders who foster meaningful connections with others, have a sense of clarity about their purpose & values, and believe that they can effect positive change. But nothing can be truly done about the problems in our communities, cities, states, country, or the world until we first change our way of thinking.

The current way of thinking is a result of our addiction to our conditioned mind (ego) – a non-entity that exists for the sole purpose of memory storage & playback.

Before the conditioned mind ever came online, we were fully equipped with everything we needed to improve our lives: our original mind, the un-conditioned mind.

There is a way to get back to it and this course can help us get there.

The Path of Meditation that Leads to Living ALOHA is an experiential and interactive course that provides training in ancient skills, indigenous wisdom traditions, and modern science that bring one to realign with and live ALOHA.

The more we live ALOHA, the more we experience peace & harmony. The more we experience peace & harmony, the more we treat ourselves with kindness & compassion. The more we treat ourselves with kindness & compassion, the more we treat others and the planet with kindness & compassion.

This forms the basis of working together cooperatively – free of ego – on any issue that is for the highest good of all sentient beings and the planet.

Me

I’ve spent the better part of my life investigating, learning, practicing, researching, and in some cases joining indigenous wisdom traditions, eastern and western philosophies, obscure belief systems, and mainstream belief systems – all in the pursuit of the truth about life.

As a result, I found that, at the core of the 22 belief systems and wisdom traditions I studied, they each have the same message. They’re just describing it in different ways simply because of cultural and language differences.

The Path of Meditation that Leads to Living ALOHA consists of the Universal truths I found that were common in all of the wisdom traditions and philosophies I studied (which I will refer to now as The Sources). So this course – these truths – are not my own but they are that which I’ve curated from these Sources. These truths offer ways to get back to our true nature – ALOHA – but only one offers a thorough, step-by-step instruction manual for how to get there and a long list of success stories by those who followed it. That wisdom tradition is Buddhism – I explain more below – but if you wish more about me first, click here.

ALOHA

At this point, it’s important that we discuss the word “ALOHA” as it means way more than most people think!

According to the Pukuʻi and Elbert dictionary, ALOHA is defined as: love, affection, compassion, mercy, sympathy, pity, kindness, sentiment, grace, charity, greeting; salutation; sweetheart, lover, loved one, beloved, loving, kind, compassionate, charitable, lovable; to love or be fond of; to show kindness, mercy, pity, charity, affection; to venerate; to remember with affection; to greet or hail.

These are the hoʻopukakū (outer or literal) definitions of the word. To get the noahuna (secret or spiritual) meaning of any word, Tutu Kane and Tutu Lady taught me to define it by its smallest parts. So with the word ALOHA, the parts we get are: A, LO, ALO, and HA:

  • a: luminous, to shine brightly like a star or sparkle like a gem
  • lo: front half of the skull
  • alo: face, presence, to be with
  • ha: breath, life, the number four (which, in Hawaiian philosophy, is considered sacred)

Upon discovering this, I was left with more questions so I sought answers from Hawaiʻi’s kūpuna (elders); three in particular from the 20th century: Aunty Pilahi Paki, Aunty Morrnah Nālamakū Simeona, and Aunty Nana Veary.

Aunty Pilahi Paki: “ALOHA is the word my kūpuna attributed to the Universe. ALOHA is the Universe…ALOHA – the Spirit – is now hidden from us by a filmy veil of Eternity as revered Personalities. For ALOHA, as translated and interpreted by my ancestors, was an element of life. It was an element, vital and important to their daily habits in life. ALOHA for them was the spiritual essence endowed to man in his and her beginning. ALOHA was that tiny glow to life or spark in life, which enabled man to imply his thoughts, and apply his heart, to the imagination and passion of his and her Soul.”

Aunty Pilahi’s definition of ALOHA comes directly from her kūpuna and from her teacher, David Kahekili Kia. ALOHA is everything in the infinite Universe. It is the spirit or energy at its foundation.

Aunty Nana Veary, from Change We Must: “When I asked [my grandmother] why she fed [a stranger], she got angry and said, ‘I was not feeding the man; I was entertaining the Spirit of ALOHA within him.’ The practice of honoring the other was so much a part of [our] culture that it needed no name. Today, we call it the ‘ALOHA spirit,’ but to the Hawaiians of old, it was inherent and natural. They lived it. To feed a stranger passing by – that is pure ALOHA. Today, we have to be taught it because we are so far removed from the Hawaiian culture that we’ve had to give it a name.”

And, this ALOHA of old to which Aunty Nana refers was indeed my experience with Tutu Kane and Tutu Lady and growing up in Hawaiʻi in general in the 60’s.

Aunty Morrnah Nālamakū Simeona: “Western man has gone to the extremes with his intellectualism; it divides and keeps people separate. Man then becomes a destroyer because he manages and copes, rather than letting the perpetuating force of ALOHA – through him for right action.”

Aunty Nana Veary, from Change We Must: “The consciousness of ALOHA in being human is the essence, the sum, and substance of all beliefs. It is the essence of the teachings of all the seers and mystics in the world’s history. To live ALOHA is the first essential of every satisfactory life. The second is to go out thinking, speaking, writing, loving, and living from this center to serve [that consciousness] in others.”

We don’t have to dig too far to understand that the people of Hawaii in antiquity had an advanced understanding of their place in the cosmos and knowledge of life and nature in the physical realm. There is no doubt they knew what they were doing and what they were talking about.

But, if you have any doubt whatsoever, let me add a couple of things:

First, The Sources ALL say that at the foundation of all existence in the Universe is a conscious and intelligent life-force energy from which everything unfolds and into which everything enfolds. In other words, this energy is at the foundation of all existence. There isn’t anything that isn’t this energy, they say. Everything, including us, is it.

Quantum physics agrees. At the sub-molecular level – quarks and the like – there is only energy in motion in the form of pure light. They call this life-force energy the quantum field – a field of light in constant motion. It is conscious, intelligent, and everything emanates from it into physical form then dissolves back into it out of physical form. We, too, are it.

The Fall

So, if The Sources and science say ALOHA exists, it seems logical, then, to ask, “Why can’t we feel it? Why can’t we experience it all the time? Why aren’t people coming from this place of compassion, kindness, and love like the Hawaiians of old did?”

According to The Sources, it’s because we’ve severed our connection with it.

Buddhist psychology says the same thing: We come into this world with a natural connection with the Universal consciousness. The reason we’re no longer connected with it is because we’re now filling our life experience with worries about the future; anxiety about the past; and projecting what we think onto other people and situations. It also says we’ve become addicted to and identify with our conceptual mind and thoughts (instead of our true nature, ALOHA). And we distract ourselves from the present moment – the one place we connect with ALOHA – with entertainments and cravings for or against things.

If we look at human behavior over the last thousand years, we would see that the majority of people a thousand years ago lived in sync with nature or Life or the flow of the Universe or ALOHA – call it what you want. But as time progresses, people are living in their heads more and more until the 20th century when that sky-rockets. Now, in the 21st century, we’re clearly addicted to being in our heads.

When we were very young, we didn’t have this experience. I don’t know about you but I remember a time when I was engaging in the freedom of spontaneous play. Then I started being in my head to learn things – which I loved. Until I HAD to be in my head in college and eventually post-college life with a job, relationship, career, house, responsibilities, etc., etc. Until I found myself fully reliant on being in my head – addicted, if you will, as I seemingly couldn’t stop. I had become so serious. I had left behind being my true nature.

The Sources say we are now living an unending cycle of struggle: discontent, dissatisfaction, unhappiness, suffering, mental pain and the emotions that go with it all: anger, hatred, jealousy, misery, and confusion – with just glimmers of happiness.

If you saw the first Deadpool move, you may remember his remark from the prologue, “Life is an endless series of trainwrecks with only brief, commercial-like breaks of happiness.”

All because we have traded our allegiance from ALOHA to our conceptual mind and its preoccupation with the past, future, projections, entertainments, and cravings.

It’s a sad story, for sure.

Aunty Nana Veary, from Change We Must: “Separation from [ALOHA] leads to deterioration. Anything or anyone separated from [ALOHA] begins to deteriorate mentally and physically and dies spiritually. Yet we stumble around in the dark. We create confusion and label it evil or call it demon. Neither exists in reality. We create our own evil and demons. We have separated from ALOHA and mistakenly invested confused thoughts with a power they do not have.

We need to repair the broken communication within ourselves. We must be honest with ourselves, forgive ourselves, get back in touch with [our] source, and all will be well. We can do it all by ourselves. In silence, we can.”

How Do We Realign with ALOHA?

According to native Hawaiian cultural practitioner, Pono Shim, and his colleague, Thao Le, the way to reconnect or realign with ALOHA is through Tibetan Buddhist mindfulness meditation.

And the Buddhist masters would certainly agree.

Why Buddhist Mindfulness Meditation?

First, I’d like to say that Buddhism is not a religion though it has been misinterpreted as one by Western culture. And here in Hawaiʻi, we have first-hand experience with how Western culture does that.

Buddhism is a scientific practice that one engages in to strengthen and open their mind for the deliberate purpose of investigating the truth about themself and reality. Period. It’s literally, yoga for the mind.

Siddhartha Gautama, the historic Buddha (Buddha is a Sanskrit word that means one who is awake), was a human who is now revered for finding the meditative path to the end of struggling in life and reconnection with ALOHA (which the Buddhists call Awake Nature). And thankfully, Siddhartha left behind a thorough step-by-step instruction manual that shows us how we can EACH do the same thing. And no allegiance to Buddh-ism is required. After all, Siddhartha was not a Buddhist himself! In fact, he never intended to teach what he learned until fellow seekers insisted.

Buddhist mindfulness meditation strengthens the mind so we’re not distracted by thoughts or storylines or entertainments or cravings or even outside stimuli. This leads to inner silence which allows us to clearly see how we’re being in the world: Are we coming from our conceptual mind or are we coming from ALOHA? Are our habitual patterns of thinking, speaking, & acting still serving us or not?

When we can look at ourselves in this way, we then have a choice in how we want to be in the world (instead of automatically giving in to our conditioned patterns). And there’s nothing more empowering than that.

Nana Veary, from Change We Must: “Silence was the secret power of the Hawaiians. Through silence, they communicated with nature. The language of silence salutes ALOHA in all living things. The silence that comes in meditation is a conscious acknowledgment of ALOHA’s allness. In that silence, one is beyond words and thoughts. The highest form of meditation is inner stillness. In meditation, let your mind and heart release…let your body and all that surrounds it be still…let the earth and sea and air and heaven itself be still. The deeper the meditative silence, the more powerful the connection with ALOHA. You are a dynamic center in the creative flow that is [ALOHA].”

When we simply observe our habitual patterns, it loosens their hold on us. Then we can begin to truly experience ALOHA. From that point, as we continue to release old out-dated patterns, we deepen our connection with ALOHA until we are living our lives from that place.

The more we connect with ALOHA, the more we experience peace and harmony. The more we experience peace and harmony, the more we treat ourselves with kindness and compassion. The more we treat ourselves with kindness and compassion, the more we treat others and the planet with kindness and compassion. This forms the basis of working together cooperatively – free of ego – on any issue that is for the highest good of all sentient beings and the planet.

“In meditation, I can let go of everything. I’m not Hugh Jackman. I’m not a dad. I’m not a husband. I’m just dipping into that powerful source that creates everything. I take a little bath in it. It’s not just finding quiet; it’s finding bliss. And that is natural, that is for everybody.

You see it in babies, you don’t have to teach it to them. We somehow forget. And what meditation has done for me, and for Deb, and the kids, is to get us back to that thing we’ve forgotten. Which is, it is our birthright to be happy, to be alert, to actually connect with people in a real way.

I meditated before I hosted the Oscars, I meditate before I go on stage, I meditate in the morning and lunch time. When I’m on a film set, the energy is finer, and the decisions you make are more authentic, and you’re more able to listen to other people. It has helped me in every way. Immeasurably.

Meditation is all about the pursuit of nothingness. It’s like the ultimate rest. It’s better than the best sleep you’ve ever had. It’s a quieting of the mind. It sharpens everything, especially your appreciation of your surroundings. It keeps life fresh.”

© Copyright - Hoʻi ka Hā. Hoʻi ka Hā is a fiscally managed program of Hawaiʻi Children’s Action Network (HCAN), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (Tax ID 94-3257650).