Hawaiian Huna and the Spring Equinox: The Science Behind Spring Cleaning

Huna is the modern label for an ancient system of empowerment and flexibility of the mind-body-spirit. The lineage of Huna I was taught from my father was passed to him from the Bray family in Kailua-Kona. It has a more psychological and energetic focus. However, there is a connection to the aina (land) and the environment that is present, not only in the teachings of Huna, but in the Hawaiian culture.

According to one of my Kumu (teachers), John Kaimikaua, in ancient times in Hawai`i, you would not proceed down a path of action unless you were pono (right) with yourself, the aina (land) and aumakua (higher consciousness or spirit). The word pono does not mean right as in you’re right and I’m wrong. Rather it refers to a state of being. When you are pono, you have a confidence and congruency that is unwavering. Before action, the ancients would make sure they had that feeling of pono with themselves, their environment, and higher consciousness. In other words, they had to be right with themselves.

These three aspects needed to be in harmony because, if one was out of harmony, the others would eventually be thrown out of harmony too. It was also known that all are connected and worked with each other to create our experience of reality. There are many teachers who focus on making the planet a better place, and for some, the motivation comes from being out of balance with the planet right now, so we do see what happens when we are not pono.

So what does this have to do with the equinox and you, for that matter? Well, in modern times, we don’t tend to notice our environment. I am fortunate in that I get to travel all around the world to teach Huna to hundreds of people. In fact, as I write this, I am flying to San Diego to teach a Huna workshop this weekend.

When I arrive in a new city, I notice people walking through the airports with little to no awareness of where they are. They get off the plane and begin to make their calls and can walk right though an area never noticing it. In ancient times, people had to live with the land, and in Hawai`i specifically, the people had to be pono with the land to make sure that the resources would be there for the future. You might think back to the last time you visited a new place. Were you aware of your surroundings? Were you pono with the resources around you?

During this equinox, it is valuable to take notice of your environment and what this time means to you. You can work with your environment, which is a natural state of being on the planet, to help you with your path.

My doctorate degree is in psychology, and through my studies, I have found that many people seek a way to clean out the “baggage” they have kept over the years. Maybe it’s from a deep feeling of wanting to be pono. Maybe, just simply put, it’s because people want to be happy. In either case, the energy of spring is a great time for this, and there is a way to tap into this easily and effortlessly because you are already connected to the energy.

Now, if we are connected to our environment, as the ancient cultures believed, when something occurs in the environment, it affects us individually. In a recent training, I mentioned this, and a student said, “I’m not sure if that is true.” I smiled and used the example of the moon.

Anyone in health care would verify that, during a full moon, more babies are born, crazy things are more likely to happen, and ER’s are busier (just a few examples). Well, if the moon affects us, other major events must affect us too. These events may just be a little more subtle.

In Western thinking, we have terms like Spring Cleaning. There are practical reasons for this, such as moving from winter to spring gives the opportunity to clean as the snow melts away. However, there are also personal reasons for this Spring Cleaning as well.

During this cycle on the planet, the energy present is related to a cleaning and a re-birth (for lack of a better term). This re-birth is the flowers blooming and the trees beginning to have leaves again. And it is a time for you to tap into this energy.

During the Spring Equinox, the energy may be personally tapped to clean out the things you need to release to make room for the new. Think of this time as the new you wanting to come out into the Sun to play.

I know we make New Year’s resolutions, and I would say we could work with the energy now to make a spring resolution. So what I would say from my Huna teachings is take some time during this period to go outside and connect with the energy. Leave the PDAs and iPhones in the house, and just take a walk outside. Connect with the energy, and feel the energy of this time, and then take the feeling into a process.

Once you feel that connection, take out a piece of paper and draw a line down the center. On the left side, write down all the things that you want to clean out and release. Make a list of the things you are ready to let go of, and then for each thing you write down on the left, on the right hand side express what you want instead.

The more you put into this, the more you will get out of it. In cognitive psychology, studies have shown that emotional disclosure (writing out what is bothering you) is a form of release. Huna teaches you must first noa (cleanse or release) before you noho (bring down or dwell) with the new. So release the old “stuff,” and write down what you want to bring out into the spring.

Finally, make sure that you write more on what you want (on the right hand side). This way, you tip the scale and put more emphasis on the positive focus.

Have fun with this, and enjoy the energy of spring as you become pono! The next time someone says they’re Spring Cleaning, let them know the Earth is too, and it’s the perfect time to make a resolution to become the full flower we were all born to be.