Pau Hana Time — Summertime

By Virginia Beck

A sunset among friends at Polihale Beach in mid June. Left to right, Halli Holmgren, Léo Azambuja, Helen Eng, Ruby Pap, Diana Gardner and Jolene Hiro. Photo by David Carr

Summer… What a magic word! Especially on Kaua‘i.

Maybe you’ve noticed that time flows differently here.

The magic of Kaua‘i is that you have slipped not only into incredible natural beauty, but also into a sublimely different time-flow. This is one reason we love it, even though it stuns our visitors. You can tell this by the numbers of visitor and locals perched on barstools, beach chairs or restaurant lanais enjoying the refreshing air and refreshments.

A romantic day here lasts eternally, and flows with “forever” time. You just can’t enjoy it too much! You want to last and last in each and every moment. That is one reason people whip out cell phones. Our island, its beauty, the waves, the scenery and the people make you want to capture and save it!

But alas, the only way to really preserve the experience is to surrender, to let it enter your heart and every molecule of your being. The more we can let go of our mental desire to capture and store what is happening, the more fully we experience it.

Just like yeast in the bread dough, experiences work on the entire being. Kaua‘i softens our focus away from data and media, and focuses it on people, on beauty, on relaxing in nature.

Nature is the best therapist, the best friend and the best teacher.

Waves teach us to soften and flow with the water, to immerse ourselves in the source of our life, and respect the awesome power of the ocean. How can something so soft also be so strong? We share the ocean with everyone on the planet; we breathe the same winds that flow over all of us. We walk or swim in rhythm with the waves and other swimmers.

Even if we never actually go in the water, the pulsing music of the ocean’s roar slides into our souls, a rhythm that soothes our hearts, as we watch others surf or swim. We may be unconscious to the free massage of the rolling waves, on our ears or our bodies, but it is working away years of muscle tension and smoothing your skin.

Your feet have never been so happy as when they hit wet sand. A free pedicure as simple walking grounds you,and wears off the tired dead soles of feet that celebrate their vacation from shoes. Be careful, you may start acting like the kid you are inside, surprising and delighting your grandchildren.

The sounds of kids playing in the summer are some of the best songs of all time; joyous yelping and shrieking at the waves and each other. Calling out, “Watch me! Watch me!” as they try to out-jump or out-splash each other. Parents can watch or play, keeping kids safe while they burn off that energy that charges and exhausts them.

The stunning play of colors on the clouds, the horizon and the ocean is a masterpiece painted newly every day. No wonder we have so many artists busy along beaches, mountains and cliffs.

Our days are only matched by the nights. A rich darkness free from big city lights, and spangled with brilliant stars you never imagined. You can see satellites whizzing by or the International Space Station in its majestic cruise, an arc of history being traced overhead.

Summertime. Picnics, barbecues, beach camping, family time.

Aloha makes us great.

• Virginia Beck, NP and Certified Trager® Practitioner, offers Wellness Consultation, Trager Psychophysical Integration and teaches Malama Birth Training classes. She can be reached at 635-5618.