Koibito Poke is named for the Japanese word meaning ‘love’ or ‘the feeling between new lovers’ and daily the restaurants serve up traditional Hawaiian poke. Hawaii itself is known for the aloha lifestyle. Aloha is generally what Hawaiians say when greeting one another or saying goodbye, but it also serves as the word for love, affection, compassion, kindness and grace. The Hawaiian spirit encompasses aloha within each person and with that in mind, Koibito Poke encourages everyone to put a little more “aloha” or “koibito” into their everyday lives with the following tips:
Aloha spirit is practically required in Hawaii as a reminder for government officials, citizens and visitors to “treat people with deep care and respect.” But it shouldn’t have to be a law — it’s a great way of life that can spread kindness throughout the world. When interacting with people in any situation, why not consider the spirit of aloha before losing patience or saying something unkind?
Beyond being a greeting, a spirit and a way of life, aloha is an acronym. In fact, in 1986, inspired by Maui elder and linguist Pilahi Paki’s speech to community leaders, law passed to define aloha as the following:
Akahai, meaning kindness, to be expressed with tenderness;
Lōkahi, meaning unity, to be expressed with harmony;ʻ
Oluʻolu, meaning agreeable, to be expressed with pleasantness;
Haʻahaʻa, meaning humility, to be expressed with modesty;
Ahonui, meaning patience, to be expressed with perseverance.
What a way to live every day! If everyone spent a little more time spreading the spirit of aloha, think what a great place the planet would be.
Other sources note that a connectivity to nature is part of living the aloha lifestyle. When trying to take on more of an aloha approach to life, why not spend some time in nature — taking a nature walk in the desert, the woods or along the beach, for example. Living the aloha lifestyle might also inspire one to not only connect with nature but to treat Mother Nature with kindness — and being as eco-friendly as possible.
When considering kindness — don’t forget to be kind to one’s own self! Whether that means enjoying a beautiful hike, taking in a meditative yoga class, and getting a delicious and nourishing meal from Koibito Poke, of course!
