He hale ke kino no ka manawa.

He hale ke kino no ka manawa. The body is a house for the thoughts. Mālama kino, taking care of bodies is important so that our hale is strong and we are ready to share our thoughts with those who visit. When we look a little closer at this 'ōlelo no'eau we notice the word manawa. It means, feelings, affections, seat of emotions. It also is the word for the fontanel, or soft spot on the top of the head of infants and top of the head for adults. Our manawa is extremely important. It is one of three piko each of us has. This piko connects us to the past, to our kūpuna. Those who came before us and continue to guide and direct us. From here we receive inspiration and direction, even knowledge. What houses this knowledge, this inspiration? Our kino, our bodies. Taking care of our bodies helps us better receive this knowledge and inspiration and keep us connected to those who came before us. Now, thinking about the manawa, this is why we never slap someone on the head. Many of us have heard people say "Eh, you like I slap your head?" Many of us have been guilty of saying it ourselves. But when we look at our cultural traditions, the po'o or head is sacred, for this is where our manawa is. If we slap someone on the head we not only slap them, we slap all their kūpuna who came before them. Auē, scary thought! So remember, He hale ke kino no ka manawa, our bodies house our thoughts, feelings, our knowledge. No laila, e mālama kino. Take care of ourselves.

Aloha nō, a hui hou!
Luana