Hula

One of the things I (Erin) love to do is practice hula.  The graceful movements, haunting chants, and beautiful language and music can be very moving to behold, let alone take part in.  Sometimes, when I exit the building we practice in, it is raining softly and there are pink plumeria blossoms sticking to the hood of my car.  I drive home as the sun is setting and I cannot believe how fortunate I am.  I’ve just spent an hour dancing dances that are so beautiful they make me want to cry; singing about nature, about winds and mists and flowers and the ocean and love, telling stories with our fingers and hands and feet.  Although I am a novice, I can feel clearly that this is a view into the Hawaiian language, into Hawaiian history, a connection to the people and the place.

One of the best opportunities to watch hula is at the Merrie Monarch festival (http://www.merriemonarchfestival.org/index.html) held each year in March/April in Hilo.  Dancers come from all over the world and the festival lasts for several days.  In July during the cultural festivals dancing can also be seen.  You never know when you’ll be lucky enough to come upon hula…there may be a class outside in a park, or a small party at a beach, or a local festival that you luckily happen upon.  To take part in a local class in South Kona visit the Society for Kona’s Education and Arts website: http://www.skea.org/.  (SKEA also offers ukulele, yoga, and pilates classes and is just about a ten minute drive from the Inn.)  There is so much more to hula than what you may see at a resort luau.  As it says on the Merrie Monarch website: “Hula is the language of the heart, therefore the heartbeat of the Hawaiian people.” 

 

Yoga Practice

Many of our guests are interested in taking a yoga class while staying with us. There is a lot of yoga on the Big Island but the closest options for guests of Luana Inn are:

Big Island Yoga Center (Iyengar classes daily)
http://www.bigislandyoga.com/home.html
Big Island yoga is located right up in Kealakekua off Hwy 11, less than seven miles (about fifteen minutes) from the Inn.

Paleaku Peace Gardens (Ashtanga class in the pavilion)
http://www.paleaku.com/
Tuesdays, 9:30 - 11:00am, Thursdays, 5:30 – 7:00pm
In the Pavilion: $12/drop-in or 8 classes/$80
Please pre-register for this class, Call Hooda 937-4462

Paleaku is where I practice yoga and I love it. It’s this beautiful piece of property about a five-minute drive from the Inn, up Napoopoo to Middle Keei, then out Painted Church. This neighborhood is very lush and wet and filled with lots of small farms. (It’s also a great area to walk and run.) Paleaku has beautiful grounds with several different small theme-gardens. Yoga class takes place in an open-air pavilion facing the water. Many nights I’ve heard the pitter-patter of rain on the roof as we practice, and watched the sun sink into the horizon behind my teacher. It’s a magical place to practice.

We also encourage our yoga-minded guests to feel free to set up a mat or beach towel out on the lanai or on one of our large lawns. The Inn grounds are a stunning place to practice yoga.