We were told: "Put all your best energy into the kīhei!" In fact, the word is made up of "kī" (energy, mana) and "hei" (ensnare). You shouldnʻt share your kīhei, but itʻs ok to pass it on within your family. What a nice family heirloom!
The kīhei is always tied over the left shoulder. The left side of the body represents the wahine (female) side because of the heart; the first heartbeat we hear is in our motherʻs womb. You tuck the ends under when you tie it, because the ends represent, well, endings. And donʻt wear it around your waist like a pareo, because it loses itʻs ceremonial purpose if you treat it that way.
At Hawaiʻi Community College, the Hawaiʻi Life Styles program holds kīhei workshops several times a year. It takes about 3 hours to design, print, and dry your kīhei. This workshop was led by two of the (awesome) peer mentors who work in I Ola Haloa Center, Sean and ʻIhi.
My kīhei didnʻt turn out exactly like I envisioned, but thatʻs part of the beauty of it. Itʻs the intention that matters. Some people donʻt share the meaning behind their design, but hereʻs mine.
Coming back to Hawaiʻi has been like a rebirth for me. Since coming here I have fallen in love with the ʻalala, the Hawaiian crow, which is experiencing a rebirth of its own. The circles with lines in my design represent the ʻalala flying toward the ʻohiʻa trees in the distance. They are new trees with branches just beginning. ʻOhiʻa trees are said to be the first to grow back after a lava flow. The ʻalala loves the ʻohiʻa tree. Behind the trees is the sea, whose beauty tugged at my heart when I was contemplating moving back.
Now I have my own kīhei to wear during kīpaepae!
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