For Pi‘iali‘i Lawson, a native Hawaiian cultural practitioner, the ability to practice energy healing and the talents of lauhala weaving have coursed through his veins for generations, even before he was aware of his gifts. Along his journey of self-healing, he was able to learn from his kūpuna (elders) and blend this new knowledge with his intrinsic skill creating a unique practice that incorporates the wisdom of the ‘āina (land) with the guidance of his ancestors to harness the power of healing, for both individuals and his community.

Born and raised in Wai‘anae, on O‘ahu’s Leeward Coast, Pi‘iali‘i grew up in a community facing a plague of adversities. From domestic violence to drug use, he saw what happened as people took these paths and did not want to follow their example. Luckily, as a young adult, he was able to travel to his ancestral land in Waipi‘o Valley on the Hāmākua Coast of Hawai‘i Island. There, he learned about the Hawaiian culture and the arts practiced by his family in a traditional master-apprentice style under the tutelage of his great-uncle. During this time, he gained knowledge of cultural practices such as lauhala weaving, farming, hula dancing and other spiritual practices. Lawson says, “I was very fortunate to go back to my family land and learn from my uncle Kia, a well-known taro farmer and teacher of Hawaiian culture. For me, learning from him sparked a glimpse into my potential. It gave me a greater purpose and a foundation for what I wanted to do for my culture.”

After graduating high school and later college, he traveled to the continental United States to continue his education but felt a calling to return to the islands to continue sharing his cultural arts and serve his community. Over the coming years, his weaving took center stage and became a method for Pi‘iali‘i to express himself and connect with others. Over time, he developed his own style of weaving which blends traditional techniques with a contemporary flair. When speaking about his weaving, he says, “I really enjoy creating things that are unique and different. I like to create wearable art pieces that utilize the smallest width of lauhala to create an intricate piece and test my boundaries of creation.”

As his weaving skills grew, he eventually began offering workshops to the community. During these workshops, he realized that he was naturally incorporating energy work in his practice as well as other esoteric elements to help attendees broaden their horizons and connect with the ‘āina during their sessions. “I realized that I was infusing different ways of thought and connection to the plant as a medium to explore ourselves and realized I was doing my own type of healing work,” he says. This realization sparked a memory that he had from his 20s in which he knew he wanted to help heal others but did not have the space to explore this at that time. Lawson explains that “for Hawaiians, we live our lives along a journey and sometimes you need to go where your na‘au (instinct or gut feelings) take you. There are times when you are faced with something that you are not ready to know or learn and you need to remember that your ancestors are guiding you.”

His time to walk the path towards energy healing finally arose in 2020 when he found himself presented with an opportunity to dig deeper into these arts and ultimately found himself on a personal healing journey. While the world struggled with the weight of the COVID-19 pandemic, he experienced clarity as he accepted his calling to practice the arts of energy re-alignment as his ancestors did. He began making lifestyle changes such as adopting a more healthful diet and exploring lā‘au lapa‘au (traditional Hawaiian practice of plant medicine) while learning the energy healing modalities of Reiki, Limurian Healing and Ho‘ola Loa that helps remove blockages from people’s lives. When asked who good candidates for an energy session are, he explains “most people might have an awareness that something in their life is out of balance, and they know something is not right but are just not sure what to do to fix it. Sometimes, we go through cycles and get frustrated that we cannot end the cycle. With energy healing, it helps you to address what is causing the blockage and to move beyond it.”

Before his energy sessions, Pi‘iali‘i performs a cleanse of his own body and abstains from alcohol to raise his vibrations and clear his own energy. His energy sessions typically begin with conversations with the energy work recipient so he can better understand the underlying causes of their issues. Whether it is an ancestral issue or a past life issue, these root causes can manifest in the body as a mental or physical ailment. To help remove the blockages, there is noillegalscript or prescribed schedule for his practice. Rather, he works with the skills of his trained modalities and allows his intuition to guide his actions as he offers chants, prayers and crystal sound bowl vibrations that target specific parts of the body.

The closing of an energy session does not mean the healing journey ends there. Pi‘iali‘i recommends that those who have an energy session with him practice kindness to themselves over the coming days. He explains “they may experience vivid dreams or have memories that are brought up. You need to remember that what you are experiencing is coming to light to help you ascend into the highest version of yourself.”

Through his partnership with the Naupaka Spa & Wellness Center at the Four Seasons Resort O‘ahu at Ko Olina, he offers weekly sound bath experiences. During these sessions, he guides guests to attain a relaxed and meditative state allowing them to connect with their personal energy. Concluding the session, if they were particularly moved or affected during the session, he welcomes participants to enter the ocean to release any thoughts, memories or feelings that they are ready to relinquish and offer a flower to the sea as a way to show their gratitude to the ‘āina.

All the bumps, opportunities and choices along his journey have now led to the present. Pi‘iali‘i notes how appreciative he is for the opportunity to practice his arts and use this as a platform to amplify his message, “I am grateful to be a voice for our community and show people from Wai‘anae or the Hawaiian community the amazing things we can do. One of the most important things for me is to be a bridge between the guests and the community and to help visitors understand the sacred and healing space of the Hawaiian Islands and the healing power held here.”

To learn more about Pi‘iali‘i Lawson visit piialii.com.

To experience an energy session with Pi‘iali‘i at Naupaka Spa & Wellness Center at the Four Seasons Resort O‘ahu at Ko Olina, call (808) 679-0079 or visit fourseasons.com/oahu/spa/.