Katrina. D., CA. Founder + CEO of The Radical Visionary Collec

Graduate Beginners Course Jan 2023

Before I discovered your course, I was trying to do better in incorporating more movement in my daily routine and needed something that I felt connected to and hula seemed to be a good fit. I have done yoga, gone on long walks, and other classes but felt very disconnected. I needed something that gave me movement, prayer, and spiritual connection all in one, and struggled to find something that incorporated all of that.

I am grateful for the opportunity to have access to the recordings because it allowed me to move my body, challenge myself, and follow along at my own pace. My 5-year-old daughter began practicing with me sometimes out of curiosity (once she realized she could wear a cute outfit for practice). The course helped meet me where I was as a busy mom.

The course has allowed me to challenge myself, let go of perfectionism, connect with my body, connect with ancestors, pray in a new way through oli, and learn about myself through movement. The fact that I looked forward to practicing rather than dreading it as I have with other classes outside of Mana O Molokai tells me I felt connected mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually - something I needed when signing up. Also, knowing that trauma is stored in the body, has helped me to release that stored energy. Hula is helping me heal.

I didn't realize it first but hula is helping me be more mindful in living out the 8 Pillars. I feel more connected and grounded in my body as I have dissociated with for a long time up until now. As I learn, incorporating hula & oli helps me receive messages from Spirit and appreciate the Hawaiian culture and my own.

This is the place to learn about hula from Molokai. Hula isn't just about performance and competition. You will appreciate the history, the ancestors, and the land as you learn along the way.

Cherie Pierce, NY Retired, Owner of Tropical Spa Escape

Graduate Beginners Course Jan 2023

I was looking for a way to experience deeper spirituality. I yearned for information but was careful to find the right source.

What I discovered in the Beginners' Course Hawaiian Chants and Hula is that
I loved learning about Molokai’s deep, rich culture, the ancestors’ Chants, and the history of Hula - I used to think Hula was only performance and entertainment.

I was hesitant to start the course because of the time commitment and the tasks & commitments I was in the process of completing. I also struggle with my memory and memorizing material.

I felt like I was a part of a new Ohana. I loved the diverse group of individuals who all came together from all parts of the World! As people shared, I realized I wasn’t alone in my feelings. I have an even deeper love of Hawaii, especially Molokai which I visited once before.

Life is more peaceful when I’m with my new Ohana. I can get relief from my otherwise hectic life in Upstate New York.

I’d recommend this course to anyone who yearns for more knowledge and history of Hawaiian life, especially on Molokai and Halawa Valley. I feel like I’m on vacation when I’m in the presence of Kumu Paʻa Nui Lawrence and Kumu Paʻa Kyrian! I love feeling their Aloha and great vibes from other members!

I truly appreciate the recorded classes and can do them at my own pace!

Stefanie G., CA. Bellydance instructor, Astrologer, and Poet.

Graduate Beginners Course Jan 2022

When I was looking for hula lessons, your course was the only one that met my need for authenticity, adherence, and attention to detail as well as challenging mentally, physically, and spiritually.

I hesitated if I’d be able to respectfully keep up/commit to learning a new language and dance. Since I started studying with you, I am more confident that I can learn new things. I am stronger in mind, body, and spirituality. Life looks now like the aloha I have been living my whole life. 

To anybody considering this course: “You won’t regret it!”.

Christy Friske-Daniels, AZ. 

Graduate Beginners Course Jan 2021

I had a yearning for a deeper experience of hula and the culture. I had gotten a taste of it from a previous kumu who moved to Las Vegas and my current teacher focuses on Polynesian dance, which I LOVE, but there was something else calling.  

Learning from Kumu Paʻa Kyrian and Kumu Pa’a Nui Lawrence is a huge jump!! Their integrity and commitment to teaching us to think like a Hawaiian, so we can fully grasp the cultural import behind the mele we are dancing, is immense. 

And it’s shared with total aloha, no matter what my ethnic background.  

As a former teacher & librarian at a public high school, I am also aware of how nurtured I continue to feel in class. I am supremely challenged but with the grace, patience, and encouragement of Kumu Kyrian.  

I was sharing with my book group about my experience here. I feel like I vibrate in a different way-praying more & attending to essence. In learning about the mele, not only do I have a deeper appreciation of the poetry and belief that everything is alive/has a spirit and an essence- the rocks, the cliffs, the flowers, and how connected Hawaiians are to the land.... but I LOVE those moments in my life when I'm really feeling it and knowing it as a truth, not just observing it in others. 

This is way more than a dance class….  

Elizabeth T., CA.

Graduate Beginners Course Jan 2021

I wanted a better understanding of Hawaiian culture and legends. I didn't feel that my hula had much of a foundation. It was just dancing, which I love, but without any meaning behind it. I had lost interest in the hula.

You require the student to understand the background of each hula and chant. The presentations are well done and the photos help me understand the location and inspiration behind each story. I had several hesitations before I decided to do the course because I wasn't sure I could commit the time required and I wasn't sure if my poor memory would allow me to memorize the lessons.

I feel I understand the stories behind the oli and hula now, that learning by rote without any knowledge of the subject wasn't satisfying. My interest has revived and I'm happy to be learning the culture and dancing.

I would tell anyone who is thinking about joining how reassuring and welcoming Kumu Kyrian and Kumu Lawrence are. 

Rowena Katigbak / Artist (Canada)

Graduate Beginners Course Jan 2021

The problem I was having before I discovered the Beginners Course was finding information shared from an authentic indigenous spiritual perspective. It was frustrating because the information I could find on the internet was very westernized, superficial, false, and misleading.

What I love about the Beginners Course is that everything is integrated. We learn the stories and meaning behind everything that we do and we connect with the wisdom from a place of Aloha. My hesitations before I decided to enroll were that I wanted to make sure that the teachings were authentic from an indigenous perspective. I was looking for a true source. Also, I had to consider the financial aspects.

With the first oli I learned, I felt the benefits. I felt a deep connection and joy when singing this oli. I experience these moments of connection during my studies in oli and hula. It's more than a connection with myself but also an understanding of a greater perspective and connection with the community and everything around us. Since beginning this course and integrating the teachings within my daily practice and other studies, I have been experiencing deeper moments where Spirit was sending me a message.

I am able to apply the teachings in practical ways to live my life and to be more pono. I have more work to do but I know that I am on the right path. Mahalo to Kumu Nui Lawrence and Kumu Pa'a Kyrian for their teachings and mahalo to the elders and ancestors for sharing their wisdom with us. It is an opportunity to learn from a rich deeply spiritual indigenous Hawaiian culture, and to learn how to align with your truth as well as align with the greater Truth. It's a way to preserve and honor these beautiful traditions, bring harmony, and strengthen the community. Mahalo for all the work you do!

Kirstyn Lindsay, QLD, Australia

Graduate Beginners Course Jan 2021

I was very interested in learning Hula and expanding on my Ike from the Papa & Hoʻoponopono class sessions I attended in 2017. I wasn’t sure how I would learn Hula living overseas plus I had to rehabilitate and learn to walk again after surgery in 2018 so dancing didn’t seem an option. I wished I could study further with you, the frustration was that I felt like I had missed out on a dream of mine.

You have been very generous with your classes and resources and are offering a very deep knowledge base that far exceeds my understanding of learning Hula let alone Oli’s. Plus I love how we are being included in your Ohana and a broader global community.

I was worried about my fitness and mobility and if I could honor the commitment to you and your ancestors and myself. Because of the course, I felt stronger in myself and less reactive to situations in my personal life. At first, learning the systems of family and listening in to some of the talk stories on Hoʻoponopono was triggering for me but on the plus side, has unblocked a lot in my spirit and body, especially with learning Hula. I also received more interesting dreams and I am learning to think differently by learning a new language.

It benefited me in that I have something to look forward to and work towards, a strong spirit and body, and new friends
 

For anyone who has a love for Hawaiian culture, this would be an excellent pathway for learning. Mahalo a nui loa for your support and for sharing your wisdom. You’ve provided an opportunity for us to travel to and learn about Molokai Island from our homes across the sea. A very blessed experience.