What exactly is a ritual?

22.01.2025
Newsletter January 2025

It's an icy cold day at the beginning of January. I have just returned from the lake, fulfilled and empowered, where I welcomed in the New Year with the dancers from my hula school - not just in any way, but with a Hiʻuwai ritual. The ritual originates from Hawaiʻi and is practiced at important events or at the turn of the year. It is used for cleansing and renewal and helps to find inner balance and strength.

So, we gathered on the shore of the lake, wrapped up in warm clothes but shivering a little at the thought of what awaited us: the Hiʻuwai ritual actually involves submerging ourselves. But the water was four degrees cold that day and a gale-force wind was blowing...

So, we all stood there, felt connected to each other and welcomed the new year with our chants. Part of the ritual was also to hand over to the lake what we didn't want to take with us from our inner world into the new year. We did this in silent contemplation, completely focused on the moment. At the same time, we expressed gratitude for everything that is in the universe, what we have and what we are. Then we closed the Hiʻuwai with more chants, hugged each other in ALOHA, played ukulele and danced (see video below) and said goodbye with best wishes.

On the way home, looking forward to the next hula training, equally undercooled and deeply moved, I thought about what a ritual actually is. Of course I know, we have so many rituals in our everyday lives, such as having breakfast together at the weekend or reading a book after work, but what exactly is it?

What you can expect in this newsletter:
1. Main topic: What exactly is a ritual?
2. Dates for February, March and April at AlohaSpirit – Outlook for Kumu Keala’s visit in June
3. Hawaiian proverb - ‘Olelo No‘eau

«What exactly is a ritual?»

A ritual is a repeatedly performed action that is deeply rooted in a culture, tradition or belief system. Rituals can be performed by individuals and only for themselves, but they also exist as communal acts, such as the Hiʻuwai. How we perform these actions is of central importance: the structure and sequence of a ritual are always exactly the same; it has a clearly defined beginning, a clear intention and a clear conclusion. This turns a simple action into a ritual.

Rituals bring us closer to ourselves and to what is around us. They connect people with each other, they reinforce values, they help us to focus our thoughts and intentions, they convey stability, continuity and therefore security, which is particularly important in uncertain times like these. By cultivating rituals or consciously introducing new ones, we can bring more mindfulness and meaning into our everyday lives.

PS. Back to the shores of Lake Zurich: during a Hiʻuwai ritual, we actually submerge our whole body under water. That's the tradition, and that's what we do from spring to fall. In view of the sub-zero temperatures and the strong wind, this time we limited ourselves to only going into the water up to our knees. I can tell you: that was pretty cold too...

Dates for February, March and April 2025

HULA

Hula Foundation Training:

Every Thursday from 6.30pm until 8pm
All are welcome. No previous experience necessary.

Further information

Hula-Dance

Monthly Hula Dance Day:

25th January & 22nd February & 29th March & 19th April

Whether beginner or advanced: Come to our Hula Day. We dance hula together in ALOHA, learn more about Hawaiian culture, gain strength and flexibility and immerse ourserlves in the fascinating world of Hawaiʻi. Hula is the heartbeat of the Hawaiian people. LETʻS HULA!

All are welcome. No previous experience necessary.

Further information

Hula-Dance

LOMILOMI

Lomilomi introductory course:

4th & 5th April – 11th & 12th April

Four-day introduction to Lomilomi massage

Have you always wanted to go to Hawaiʻi? Or have you already been there and would like to go again? Maybe it is too far, too expensive? You no longer fly or simply don't have the time?

Our Lomilomi introductory course is like a journey to Hawaiʻi and back. In just four days, you will experience and learn a lot about Hawaiʻi. You will gain the necessary knowledge to be able to independently apply the basic techniques of traditional Lomilomi massage.

The four-day introductory workshop is the basis for all further courses; it corresponds to module 1 of our Lomilomi therapy training.

All are welcome. No previous experience necessary.

Further information

Lomilomi-Massage

INFO EVENINGS

Zoom Info Evening: 12th February / 26th March / 23rd April

From 7 to 8 pm you can find out everything about AlohaSpirit. Do you have questions about Lomilomi massage, our Lomilomi training courses, Hula dance, the fascinating Hawaiian philosophy of life Hoʻoponopono and the unique workshops with Kumu Keala in June 2025 in Zurich? Then join us and become part of the AlohaSpirit-‘Ohana (AlohaSpirit family).

Further information

Sunset at the beach

Outlook for Kumu Keala’s visit in June

Kumu Keala Ching has been visiting us every year for 22 years.
Here are the dates of the workshops in June 2025:

  • Annual Hula performance, Hoʻike: 20th June in Zurich
  • Hawaiian language and values: 21st and 22nd June in Zurich
  • Self-Hoʻoponopono and Hoʻoponopono: 25th and 26th June in Zurich
  • Hula dance: 28th and 29th June in Zurich

Hawaiian weekends 2025

 

Hawaiian proverb - ‘Olelo No‘eau No. 2459
by Mary Kawena Pukui

Proverb:
“O KE KAHUA MA MUA, MA HOPE KE KŪKULU”

Translation:
“First the foundation, then the building»

Noelle Delaquis am Strand

 

This brings me to the end - and I look forward to welcoming you to AlohaSpirit soon, be it at our school, in the practice or at the next info evening via Zoom.

Sincerely

Noëlle

Noelle Delaquis

ALOHASPIRIT – be part of the solution!
Hawaiʻi very close – since 1996!
You, me, us and more and more of us: Live ALOHA!

Book Massage