Huna Article

Huna International

Clearing Negative Energy
by Graeme Kapono Urlich

In Huna thinking, there is no such thing as “negative energy.” Energy is just energy — it’s neutral. What gives it character is the information it carries and how we use it, what we believe about it, and the meaning we assign to what we feel in reaction to it.

This is much like water, which remains water regardless of what may be hitching a ride within it. Water that contains too much salt isn’t useful for watering vegetables, while water carrying nutrient rich sediment can help them thrive. Yet neither would usually be considered suitable for drinking unless the substances are removed. Then it becomes useful for many more purposes. Salty water isn't "bad" per say but many plants are likely to have an adverse reaction to it.

Many people speak of “clearing bad energy” but from a Huna point of view, this assumes that something outside us is more powerful than the light within. That belief alone can create imbalance. Instead of focusing on pushing “energy” away and cutting us from the greater parts of ourselves, we focus on increasing Aloha — the living flow of love, connection, and harmony. When Aloha grows strong, disharmony naturally fades.

In Hawaiian, huna means something hidden, small, or hard to see — something subtle rather than secret — although “the secret” is a common translation used today. The term points to things that are not immediately visible but can be perceived through awareness and experience.

The Huna philosophy¹, as taught in the Kupua tradition of the Kahili family, is based on seven simple principles. It recognises itself as a system — pragmatic, inclusive, and adaptable — one that can harmonise with any other path or belief. It is not about holding to dogma but about using knowledge to expand awareness and create positive experience.

Most traditions using this knowledge followed the “Way of the Warrior,” emphasising strength, discipline, and acting impeccably — striving to be without error and to gain power through mastery and protection. A few, including the Hawaiian Kupua, followed the “Way of the Adventurer,” which values creativity, curiosity, and joyful exploration, acting appropriately rather than perfectly.

The Adventurer seeks harmony, fun, and cooperation, seeing the world not as dangerous but as exciting and full of opportunity. In our time, this means meeting change and different world views with creativity rather than resistance — engaging with life as a dynamic field of possibilities instead of a series of threats to endure. This outlook turns uncertainty into a chance for growth and makes joy a guiding principle rather than a reward.

Water and Aloha

In Hawaiian practice, salt water (kai paʻakai) may be used if something truly feels heavy, because salt carries the mana of the ocean and the cleansing power of life itself. More often, though, fresh water (wai) is used to bless and harmonise. The act is not about banishing, but about inviting — inviting balance, clarity, and love to fill the space.

Interestingly, the old Western tradition of a housewarming may have had similar origins. Long before it became a social event, “warming the house” meant blessing a new home, lighting the hearth, and filling it with warmth, good company, laughter, and joy — creating the first happy memories in the space. That’s very much in line with the Huna view: harmony is built by adding warmth and Aloha, not by fighting shadows.

In traditional Hawaiian culture, a new home would often be blessed to invite harmony and prosperity. A bowl of fresh or salt water might be breathed upon to “awaken” its mana, and sprinkled through the rooms using a ti leaf while affirming blessings of love, power, and good fortune. This wasn’t to chase away “bad spirits,” but to welcome Aloha and align the home with positive intention.

The Love Light of Laʻa Kea².

King, Serge Kahili. Urban Shaman (p. 120). One of the most beautiful techniques in Huna for harmonising a person or place is Laʻa Kea — the sacred light.

1. Breathe calmly and imagine a soft, radiant light within your heart.
2. Let it expand, filling your body with gentle warmth and peace.
3. Extend it outward, allowing the light to fill the room, the land, or the people around you.
4. Affirm silently: “Only love and harmony dwell here.”

There is no need to force anything or visualise darkness leaving. Simply hold the feeling of love and watch how the atmosphere changes.

Simple Practices for Harmony

• Hoʻomaikaʻi (Blessing): Offer gratitude for the space, the land, or the people in it. Gratitude itself is cleansing.
• Pule³ (Prayer): Speak or think words that call in peace and connection with Spirit.
• Hoʻoponopono⁴ (Making Right): This traditional process restores harmony by resolving conflict and realigning relationships — within oneself, between people, or even with places, objects, and events. It may involve simple acknowledgement, understanding, gratitude, and kalana — forgiveness and release. The thoughts we repeatedly hold about a space influence how we feel in it; by making the relationship right, we transform both the feeling of the place and our experience of being there.
• Piko Piko⁵ Breathing: Focus attention, not breath, between two piko — the crown (piko ʻā) and the navel (piko ʻiho). As you inhale, place your awareness gently on the crown; as you exhale, shift your attention to the navel. Continue at your own rhythm, allowing your awareness to circulate calmly through your body. This practice restores flow, presence, and harmony between mind, body, and spirit.

A true blessing in Huna is participatory. Everyone present can offer a short blessing of their own for the house and its occupants, creating a shared field of goodwill. The leader may then affirm, “Hoʻomaikaʻi au i nā hoʻomaikaʻi” — I bless your blessings. In this way, Aloha multiplies through community rather than being performed by one person for others.

When the blessing is complete, the ceremony often ends with the words “Amama, ua noa” — so be it, it is done. The people hug, laugh, and share food. Celebration itself seals the blessing. Joy is the state that anchors harmony in the world.

Living the Principle

When we stop fighting what we call “negative,” we reclaim our power. Harmony isn’t something we chase — it’s something we radiate. Wherever we bring Aloha, the energy of life arranges itself around that vibration.

I’m reminded of an experience in Volcano on Hawaiʻi Island. I once stepped into a small grotto formed by trees that had grown close together, creating a doorway-like entrance. Inside, the air felt stale and heavy — not frightening, just closed. With a few friends, we improvised a simple water-sharing ceremony using what we had at hand. It took less than ten minutes and wasn’t about trying to remove anything bad, only about inviting balance and sharing goodwill.

When we finished, the change was unmistakable. The place felt lighter, open, and joyful — as if the trees themselves were breathing again. It showed how even a small act of Aloha, shared with sincerity, can transform an environment.

The real secret isn’t in clearing what we don’t want. It’s in amplifying what we do want — peace, light, and love.

Graeme Kapono Urlich (October 2025)

© Aloha New Zealand - School of Huna and Hawaiian Shamanism

References and Further Viewing:

1. The Seven Principles of Huna Philosophy (video).
2. The Laʻa Kea (video).
3. Haipule (article)
4. Serge Kahili King: Instant Healing Chapter 8.
5. Piko Piko (video)
6. Avoiding Negative Energy (video).
7. Blocked or Drained Energy (video).