Insights from Hawaii

Day 7, October 29

I am very excited about what I am reading in the book Reverse Aging by Sang Whang. I am looking forward to writing a series of articles on this topic with info from Whang and other sources that have come to my attention in the past 6 months. I always pay attention to synchronicity because I believe it is a sign for me to take creative action.

In fact, this thought makes me wonder how many times things have come my way for a purpose but I was not conscious of them because I was caught up in the mind, various conditioned thoughts of past or future. Be here, be now.

I remember reading a book by that title in high school. It was kind of thought of as kooky, hippy stuff. But being present in the here and now is the entire focus of my day! Talk about full circle . . .

A great reminder tool that Eckhart Tolle offers via his teaching to bring one back to the moment is simply to say to oneself "Am I still breathing?" then "Yes, I am still breathing." So simple, yet I find this is easy to remember and it really brings me--whoosh--right into the present moment and into my body (and out of the head).

The beach we went to today has a concrete wall about 75 yards from the sand that blocks the full impact of the waves on the shore. Many surfers and boogey boarders seem to catch waves out past the wall. The sides are blocked off by a rock jetty. Anyway, this large bay-like area is ideal for laying on a raft or for swimming. We purchased an inexpensive inflatable raft (available at the local ABC store of course) for just $2! What a deal for a relaxing experience.

Laying on the raft in the sun, perfect water temperature, with the sound of the waves crashing against the wall, occasional laughter of children, even the sound of seals. Not real seals--native Hawaiian men. Seriously, I don't know if it's some kind of ritual but I've seen a few native men swim into shore, place their face in the water, shake their head and make a loud seal noise. The first time I heard it, I thought for sure it was some kind of sea animal. So did everyone else around me. But then we saw the man doing his head thing several times.

Our evening involved visiting a few of the large local hotels again which offer free Hawaiian-style entertainment outdoors every night. It's unique to hear the different bands (usually 3-person) play the same popular Hawaiian tunes but each with their own unique style.

We've seen many hula dancers, but one in particular stands out. Her fluid movements and grace are like no other. I will post another picture of her here. Unfortunately, the photos did not come out that well. It's fascinating to watch how her hands tell the story of each song. What's unique, however, is how the movement comes from her entire body as a gently flowng wave, seemingly without effort. More to come . . .