LSHO has completely changed and will continue to change my life everyday.

Before joining LSHO in 2017, all I knew about Pacific culture came from Disney movies. As much as I love Lilo and Stitch as the next Disney fanatic, there truly is so much more to Pacific culture than a blue alien and surfing the waves.

Understanding and educating oneself on Pacific culture requires experience. From learning how to make traditional headpieces to pushing my hips to a whole new level (both metaphorically and physically speaking), I have had the opportunity to experience Pacific culture thanks to learning Hula and 'Ori with LSHO. What’s more, it has inspired me to evolve as a dancer, as a soul and as a body. To kick off the LSHO blog, I would like to reflect on how Hula and Ori have impacted my life and how it can impact yours too.

“Tapping into my feminine energy has become a daily habit vital to my well-being and inner peace.”

Regardless of the gender with which we identify, we all possess feminine energy. Simply put, feminine energy refers to self-compassion and self-love. It relates to ideas of Mother Nature, of nurturing and healing, and of divinity amongst other things.

When I first joined LSHO as a 16-year old teenager, I would have rolled my eyes at the notion of feminine energy. But four years of fa’arapu-ing, ami-ing and hela-ing later, tapping into my feminine energy has become a daily habit vital to my well-being and inner peace.

Many say that the ever-flowing ocean symbolises feminine energy. Considering this, the best way to tap into one’s feminine energy is through movement, such as dance.

Whenever my energy feels stagnant or blocked up, I put on my favourite Hula or aparima song (check out my go-to Spotify playlist here) and release the feminine energy flowing through my body.

“What I love most about dance as therapy is that we can express ourselves through movement rather than through words.”

Besides being a great form of physical exercise, Hula and 'Ori also functions as regular exercise for our minds. We are often encouraged by Krysten (LSHO director and dance teacher) to use our own emotions and narratives in our dancing to tell our stories and connect with both the music and those around us. 

I remember after a long day of school as a hormonal teenager who would break down at any minor inconvenience, I would come to the studio and release all of my emotions through dance. Whether I was expressing the rage of Namakaokahai as she chased her fiery sister, Pele, from Tahiti to Hawai'i, or whether I was spiritually reconnecting with and showing gratuity for distant loved ones through Maunaleo, it was a medium through which I could completely liberate any repressed emotion. It has become a consistent therapeutic practice.

What I love most about dance as therapy is that we can express ourselves through movement rather than through words. Speaking our thoughts and feelings aloud can be scary as we often fear being judged or misinterpreted by others. However, expression through movement liberates us from that fear and allows us to freely express ourselves.

“Today I view my body as a beautiful vessel that is capable of telling stories, spiritually connecting with the world, and more.”

Starting Hula and Ori’ with LSHO has also transformed how I perceive my body. At LSHO, we pride ourselves on our diverse community of dancers with all kinds of different body shapes and sizes. 

Four years ago, I solely viewed my body as this thing that had to live up to societal beauty standards to be worthy of anything. Today I view my body as a beautiful vessel that is capable of telling stories, spiritually connecting with the world, and spreading love to the world.

I’ve spent most of my life beating myself up for not having abs or for having skinny arms, but when I put on my dance costume and perform alongside my dance sisters of many different bodies with grace and love, all that self-hate dissipates and I feel like the most powerful being. 

I am still working on my insecurities, but dancing Hula and 'Ori with LSHO has certainly shifted my perspective on my body for the better.

Truth be told, I only joined LSHO and started Hula and Ori’ to start a hobby as a compulsory extra-curriculum activity for school, I thought I would just do it for the six months necessary for the award and then stop. So when I first entered the sweaty basement of Pineapple Studios and experienced Krysten’s craziness for the first time in September 2017, I never could have imagined the impacts dancing Hula and 'Ori would have had on my life.

And yet here I am, writing over 700 words about how it has changed and will continue to change my life completely.