“Aloha” is the Hawaiian word for love, peace, compassion, and mercy. It is also regularly used as a greeting. However, “aloha” has a deeper immersed cultural and spiritual significance to native Hawaiians, for whom the term is used to define a force that holds together existence.
“Aloha” is difficult to translate into other languages because it comprises complex ways of being and of interacting with and loving all of creation. An ethic of support and respect for all humanity and all elements of the earth is wrapped in aloha; it is a way of demonstrating connection and respect.
An additional way to define “aloha” is as an energy exchange — the giving and receiving of positive energy is the “spirit of aloha”. As positive thoughts and interactions are created, they undulate out into the world and are joined and multiplied with the actions and energy of others. “Aloha” has been expressed as the harmonization of the heart and mind to foster connectivity and peace.
