September 16, 2020

Recognizing the rhythms of lāʻau lapaʻau

Morning light spills through the apothecary windowpane as Puaoleili Pinto, carefully handwrites the name of the lāʻau product onto ʻōlena-colored labels.  Her warm brown hair is bathed in a yellow glow, which casts highlights and shadows across a welcoming face.

Pua is our ʻĀina Warrior of the week.  Known as the Lāʻau and Lomi Lady, Pua faithfully works with community members who need lāʻau support.  With the impact the pandemic has had on our Kalihi families, Pua became “obsessed” with learning more about the relationship between lāʻau and lungs.  Many of the plants on the ʻāina mimic the body parts of humans, she says.

“I knew that maile hohono was the plant that really helps with respiratory function.  When your lungs close up and you can't really breathe, maile hohono is the plant to help you breathe. The lungs have these tiny, little hairs on it called cilia same as the maile hohono, which has tiny hairs.  It’s the cilia’s job to clean our lungs, and that’s the same job function as the maile hohono.”

Growing medicinal herbs is not as simple as digging a hole and covering the plant with soil.  For lāʻau practitioners, it’s about listening to the land and responding to her rhythm.  It’s about process and setting your intentions right.  Healers believe that 10% of healing occurs from the lāʻau plant itself.  The other 90% is through pule.  

“When you start to recognize these rhythms and how the earth is communicating with you,” Pua says as her hands begin a new project.  “Then you start to recognize and pay attention and reflect on what the lāʻau is saying to you.  And that's when it will begin to make sense.” 

It makes sense for Auntie Joan, a volunteer who is going through some health challenges.  Being open and willing to receive is one of the key elements that have helped her on her journey toward healing.

“Any person who wants to use lāʻau to heal definitely needs to have an open mind and an open heart to be able to receive,” Pua says.  “And that's what I learned from my Kumu Kamaile.  Always lead with an open heart.”

Stay tuned next week for Aunty Joan’s story of healing.