I ku ka makemake e hele mai
Hele no me ka malo‘elo‘e.
If the wish to come arises, walk firmly.
If you wish to come do not be hesitant, for you are welcome.

Located in the Koko Marina Shopping Center, Moku Ola is a Hawaiian owned and operated business that offers a variety of services including several types of lomilomi, body scrubs, and unique products, many of which incorporate traditional uses of lā‘au lapa‘au (medicinal plants). "The concept of what Moku Ola stood for in ancient Hawai‘i was perfect for what we were looking to establish here," explained Keola Kawai‘ula‘iliahi Chan, kanaka lomi and L.M.T. of Moku Ola, a center for Hawaiian healing. "It’s a place where people can come and relax, find help, find friendship, basically just find aloha. We try and help them to get back on the path to being pono."

Moku Ola’s name was inspired by an actual island located in Hilo Bay that is now widely known as "Coconut Island." Literally translated as "island of life and health," it is said that people used to go to Moku Ola for spring water that was believed to have healing qualities. Kimo Alama Keaulana, who gave the business its name, also shared that "if a person were sick and swam around Moku Ola three times in succession, it was said he or she would be healed and cured." The vision that was to become a modern-day Moku Ola began with cousins Aoi and Pi‘ilani Wright, who initially considered serving the community simply by making patient out-calls.

"But we also wanted to take it one step further and provide a place where cultural values were important," Aoi said. "We wanted to have a place of our own, somewhere to be who we are and work with the community." Although their journeys leading to Moku Ola may at first glance appear very different, Aoi and Keola share a strong foundation shaped by many of the same teachers and value systems. Both apprenticed under Sheila O’Malley, who continues the traditions of her teacher, Aunty Margaret Kalehuamakanoelulu‘uonāpali Machado, as well as Kyle Kaliko Chang, himself a student of Kaluaokalanipaea Kaiahua. In addition to lomi, both have furthered their knowledge of ho‘oponopono under Malia Craver and been instructed in the use of lā‘au lapa‘au by Alapa‘i Kahu‘ena.  

Together with Pi‘ilani, Aoi feels that "all three of us bring to the table a unique piece that makes this work. We stay open to each other and are not afraid to compromise," but rather are willing to learn from the individual strengths each possesses.  Aoi worked as a pediatric nurse at Kapi‘olani Children’s Hospital for ten years before even attending massage school, while Pi‘ilani studied business at Kapi‘olani Community College. Keola was able to lend his expertise in Hawaiian language and protocols to Moku Ola, creating an even fuller and enriching experience for clientele.

"My kumu, Kimo Alama Keaulana, told me once that if at any time you want to learn about a particular culture or understand it at a deeper level, the first place you look is their proverbs, because that explains their thought processes, their approach to doing things," Keola explained. They incorporate Hawaiian language, and especially ‘ōlelo no‘eau, into the office wherever possible -- Hawaiian is a respected and encouraged medium at Moku Ola, and the names of treatment rooms, services, and products are carefully considered and given for specific reasons and purposes. This is refreshing, considering the proliferation of businesses all over Hawai‘i which seem not to give the same consideration and respect to our language when choosing a name or a slogan.

Bridging the gap between business and culture is not always as easy in other areas. "It’s challenging, I wouldn’t want to tell anyone it was easy!" Keola laughed. Aoi stresses that the key is staying open to each other, finding happy mediums, and compromising -- they’re able to work through differences because of mutual respect and understanding of both cultural and business mentalities.  The realistic need to generate income is balanced with a real desire to serve their large local clientele.  Oftentimes they find themselves exploring ways to make Moku Ola as accessible as possible to the local clientele: a popular special that ran through the month of April was originally written just for dancers participating in Merrie Monarch, but ended up being offered to all kama‘āina! A month-long special offered only to kūpuna was one of the most rewarding they’ve done.

"Specials that were supposed to be for one month turned into a whole year after a while!" Aoi laughed. Their services are as varied as their specials -- Lomi Ola, a head-to-toe massage which incorporates scented oils made with Hawaiian plant essences, addresses specific aches and pains of the body. There are lomi designed specifically for women to relieve the pressures of pregnancy, ones that focus on the feet or the upper body and head, and lomi tailored for children.

"There are so many ideas behind Moku Ola, this office is just the first, really. We have a non-profit that we want to start, we teach keiki classes here... there’s a lot of ways we want to give back to our community, but we just have to make sure that this endeavor is solid so we can move in those directions," said Keola.

If there is an overriding lesson they have learned since opening their business in November of 2005, it is things happen for reasons we don’t always understand. "From nursing, I would’ve never thought I’d get into this, to tell you the truth," Aoi reflected. "But one of my good friends pushed me to do this, and that’s when I learned about just letting things go and letting it happen for a reason. I’ve learned to trust that."

"It’s important as a practitioner to recognize that there is a higher power and to maintain balance. The concept of Hawaiian health is not just physical, it’s spiritual, mental, emotional, all of those elements are necessary. We want to be an inspiration for our clients, be examples of this for them," explained Keola.

Moku Ola’s word-of-mouth advertising base continues to grow as more people spread the word. Said U‘ilani Akana-Lacerdo, "My lomi experience at Moku Ola was absolutely the best I’ve ever had. It starts when you walk in and are welcomed into their hale, they mālama you from the time you enter until the time you leave."  For Akana-Lacerdo, who used to receive deep-tissue massage on a monthly basis, one experience was enough to convince her that lomi is not only as effective in removing knots and relieving pain, it is also much more enjoyable! 

The most rewarding aspect of their job is simply being able to help people. "Just knowing that this is ours...it’s nice to know that. We can come back home, this is a place where we can practice what we’ve learned and share it with everybody else. I think that’s the most comforting thing I’m learning about this place -- it’s a safe, warm environment," said Aoi.


For more information on Moku Ola, visit their website at www.mokuolahawaii.com.