THE 7th AWESOME-UP CHALLENGE & THE 7 PRINCIPLES OF LFE

One of the most magical things about growing up in Hawai’i, besides the obvious fact that I was blessed to grow up in Hawai’i, was learning the rich history and the many traditions that made the people and the culture of Hawai'i so awesome and unique. As a kid, I loved learning about historical events, the arts and crafts of the native Hawaiians and all about the magic and the power of nature that surrounded us.

But what captured my heart most of all was the myths, the legends, the songs, the stories, the dances, and the spiritual beliefs that served as our moral compass. It was the lessons that we learned about life, about ourselves, and about our intimate relationship with the land I call home that truly resonated with me and has become a huge part of the foundation of who I am today. 

One of such teachings that I learned from my Kumu Hula, my Hula teacher and mentor, is the sacred belief system of Huna. Huna was originally referred to as 'Ho'omana', which literally translates to Make (ho'o) Power (mana) aka empowerment. These spiritual teachings were considered powerful wisdom shared by a "kapua", a Hawaiian shaman if you will. The literal translation of “Huna” is “secret”.  However, like many words and things in Hawaiian, it holds a much more profound significance. It also means “inner knowing” or “hidden knowledge”, the sacred reason behind why all things are as they are. Huna tradition is a belief system that is based on the 7 Principles of Life, meant to be respected and abided by. All of these principles are valued as elements of great force and great power. The energy of these principles is what makes the universe, the universe. It’s what makes us, us. Understanding and utilizing the fundamentals of these 7 principles is intended to bring about healing and harmony through the power of the mind. It’s how we connect with ourselves, with one another, and with everything around us. And in its purest form, it is the inner knowledge of oneself, enabling a person to connect to his or her highest wisdom within. For us, living a life with all of these 7 principles in balance is how we would define “living your best life.” 

Here are the 7 principles:

IKE [ee-keh}– The world is what you think it is

KALA [kah-la]– There are no limits, everything is possible

MAKIA [mah-kee-ah] – Energy flows where attention goes

MANAWA [mah-na-va] – Now is the moment of power

ALOHA [ah-lo-ha] – To love is to be happy with

MANA [mah-na] – All power comes from within

PONO [poh-noh] – Effectiveness is the measure of truth

So what is the point of me sharing all of this? I share this because as we kick off the final, the 7th Awesome-Up Challenge, I have been thinking a lot about what this challenge has come to mean to me over the years, how I want to go into this final challenge, and more importantly how I want to ultimately feel on the other side of it. Of course, I, like many others want to improve my overall physical health both inside and out, and I want the opportunity to re-prioritize myself in my own life.

But looking at it through the lens of Huna, what I really want is to take the steps needed to create sustainable habits in my life and instill a positive mindset in my thinking so I can truly be on the path towards living my best life.

The Awesome-Up Challenge is unique in that it touches each fundamental principle of Huna. Right off the bat, on day one, declaring my personal goal is PONO. Pono means righteousness and balance - the continuous and conscious decision to do right by yourself, by others, and by the world in general. And sharing my goal is a way to hold myself accountable not just so I lose weight or whatever, but so I make the commitment to myself and to those around me to live with integrity.

Finding the superhero within my Clark Kent self really pushes me to embrace IKE. How I see my world is based on how I see myself. The stories I tell myself provide me with the artist palette in which I color the world I see.

The juice cleanse and the challenging workouts are total MANA and KALA in action.  I need to find that inner power, that personal determination, that commitment to self to break through old narratives and limiting beliefs so that I +1 myself and overcome the trying moments proving that life is full of possibilities and I really can do anything I set my mind to.

The journaling and the meditation quiet my mind so I can tap into MAKIA - putting my energy into letting go and facing fears bringing flow to places in my thoughts that are stuck and stagnant.

MANAWA is ever-present with every daily challenge. Whether it is showing up for a live class or getting out of my comfort zone and posting a photo of me on Instagram or publicly sharing what is on my heart and mind. The time is now and the choice for me is to seize that moment while it is there.   

And finally ALOHA. That beautiful moment towards the end of the challenge where I am in a flow, I'm feeling good, I'm having fun, I've had some wins and made some breakthroughs, I'm feeling light and I'm radiating light. Not only do I feel Aloha and love for the people and the world around me, but most importantly I feel Aloha in myself and for myself.  

So as I begin this incredible journey for the next 30 days, I am energized and excited to take on each challenge, each moment, each day as an opportunity to bring all of the 7 principles of life into balance so I can walk away feeling empowered, feeling in alignment with who I am, and with full confidence that I am grounded and set on the path to living my best life.