Native Hawaiians believe that without health, there is no life. Health doesn’t only include your physiological wellbeing; health consists of body, mind, and spirit functioning as one complete unit. Hawaiians use Lokahi to define their health. Lokahi is a traditional belief of the balance of man, nature and Gods in order to remain healthy; nature and health are constantly intertwined. Disruption of any kind in the environment, negative or positive, will directly affect health. Many native Hawaiians still consider an illness to be directly related to a punishment from the Gods for a wrongdoing committed. If a person becomes sick, treating the person’s illness alone will not be a complete cure. They must be healed both mentally and spiritually …show more content…
Hawaiians typically will use a Hawaiian healer knowns as a Kahuna for treatment. These healers will use holistic approaches for therapy. Ho’olomilomi is commonly used to cleanse and relax the body. It promotes massage therapy, along with spiritual rituals to release a sense of wellbeing. Hawaiians also incorporate herbal therapy known as Lua’pa which uses plants and other minerals to treat and prevent illnesses. Lua’pa also incorporates a prayer which acknowledges that healing comes from a higher power of god. Many of the plants used in Lua’pa are also commonly used in western medicine as treatments. (CITE) The last method Kahunas facilitate is Ho’oponopono. This form of treatment involves counseling, mediation, and prayer to help cleanse the mind and hearts of negative any thoughts. Kahunas are trained from elders, allowing for a consistent treatment throughout the generations, allowing balance to always be …show more content…
Ohana is a major part of the Hawaiian culture and family members are wanted and expected to be present through all of the stages of the heath care treatment or illness. It is traditionally taboo to disrobe or discuss any sexuality among the Hawaiian culture, making it difficult to get a complete health history and assessment. Healthcare choices among other important decisions are often discussed as a family, but usually an elder or a kahuna will be sought out for advice on the final decision. Elders are highly respected members of the family so they are often kept at home and cared for by their own family members, rather than in a hospital Rehabilitation is usually not considered; aging and death are not feared, but seen as a part of life and how to balance is restored. Hawaiians do not believe in organ donation or acceptance. Mana is believed to reside in each person’s body; donating or accepting organs would be transferring another’s mana which could give great power to the recipient or be detrimental to the donor’s family. Although death is readily accepted in the Hawaiian culture, it is not to be spoken about aloud for fear it will hasten the process. Hawaiians’ acceptance of the process of death allows them to celebrate life instead of mourning