Aloha Nui Loa Ka Kou!

My name is James Keali’ipi’lani Kawainui. My ancestors can be traced back in Old Hawaii over 20 generations. They were the wisdom keepers, healers, and mystics of my culture. That energy flows through me in every aspect of my life. I share their knowledge in a modern context to help people overcome the obstacles and challenges of being a human in our constantly moving and changing society.

As far back as my early 20’s, I had an unconscious desire to help people through healing. For reasons I didn’t understand at the time, I was able to look at someone and know where their pain was and how to help it go away. One evening over 22 years ago, I was literally “tapped in the back of my head” and a loud, clear voice said, “It’s time to go home!” It was a life defining moment that I’ve never looked back from. I had been living on the “mainland” for over 20 years and was married with two grown children. I was an executive in a multi-million dollar corporation where I’d been working for over 17 years. I had what many people would consider a successful and good life. Nevertheless, I walked into my boss’ office the very next day and quit my job.

I sold everything and moved back to Hawaii. I lived in a shack on the beach for over 4 years. I went to sleep with sound of the waves and the song of the whales.  Everything I thought I knew began to crumble away. The very fabric of my life was being ripped apart. Old relationships ended, (some painfully) as new friendships blossomed. Things that I had valued in the past lost their importance. I was being asked to let go. Who would I be without the things that had defined me as a person?

I had lived a pretty unconscious life, up to that point. I was beginning to learn how to connect to, and listen to my inner knowingness. What it showed me at times was so incredible I had a hard time believing it. I was being taught to surrender, even though at the time I wasn’t sure what that meant. 

I began to practice deep listening and learning to connect to my inner knowingness. Listening that told me when to go over and talk to someone. When to sit and be quiet. When to move. By listening, I surrendered to the call to leave Hawaii and go to New Zealand. It was there I found my teacher and the healing practices of the Maori elders. Through my mentor and the teachings, and the deepening of my listening, I began to hear the voices of my Kūpuna (my ancestors). They told me they had been waiting to talk to me for a long time. I surrendered to the process and found that the more I listened, the more they talked to me and the more I learned to trust and follow their guidance.

When I work with someone, my Kūpuna often tell me what that person is feeling, where their pain is, and how the energy is running through their body. They show me what kind of “story” that person is holding on to and the pain and suffering that are holding that story in place. They guide me to the places on a person’s body that are in pain or where the energy is blocked, and show me how to help release it.

I feel blessed by the gift of the love and guidance of my Kūpuna. In every aspect of my life, they show me how to love everyone and everything. They are the reason I am here and why I have dedicated my life to helping people.

What Does It Mean To Be A Native Hawaiian Healer?

For me it means living my life by these 4 main precepts of Aloha, Lokahi, Haˋahaˋa, and Pono. These are ideals that have been taught for countless generations in Hawaii.  It is the cornerstone for my life, how I’ve chosen to live it, and the basis of the work I do with the people that come to me for help and guidance.