It began as a dream…

A memory almost forgotten.

The Origins

There is something about a life well lived. Something about the liberation of our consciousness and the alignment of our minds, bodies and spirits. When our heart is open, our bodies grounded and our minds clear — a remembrance pours through. Like an old memory coming back, or an ancestor speaking to you from another place. Maybe its our DNA awakening from a deep slumber. Whatever it is, something that one day was completely unknown, pours through like an old memory. A deep knowing to your bones. This is how the Manawai Academy was birthed. Not from one person’s thinking or doing, but from a dream the land had. A song, the waters sang. A tapestry the Earth weaved. A dance, the winds carried. The Manawai Academy is an awakening of our inner brilliance, it is a reconning of our natural intelligence, it is a celebration of what is to be alive, of the beauty and art of humanity. What would it be to live a life, free and liberated. What would it be to live in a society deeply in love with our lands. The Manawai Academy is a call forth of the wisdom carried within all things. Everywhere we look, there she is. Patterns, geometries, symphonies of colors. All pointing to the same place. Home. The teachings are everywhere, all we must do is clear, ground, and listen. At Manawai we hope to connect people back to the ultimate teacher - Nature Herself. In her Wild untamed glory. We seek to clear our vessels enough so we may see the colors of the wind and hear the whispers of the trees. Like our ancestors did. Manawai is a call back to our original essence. A stripping down of everything that is not us, a return to essence. Of innocence. Here we seek to learn from the trees themselves, to sit with the springs and ask them questions. They are, after-all, the libraries of our Earth. We seek to council with the minerals, and sing harmonies with all of creation. Our Elders carry teachings for us, so we create spaces for them to share. On the Island of Hawai’i we were called. Ancient contracts to revive knowledge systems almost completely forgotten. From a time long ago that now only remains in our mythologies. But our blood knows, our cells remember. For it is our natural state, our natural intelligence. Chaos can only go for so long, until it turns into harmony. And here we are, part of this transition… from night til dawn.

We will see you at sunrise.

Our Campus

An Island so new it feels ancient.

In the middle of the Pacific we are. Our campus. The most ancient ocean in the world, where all life originated from. The water of life. Holding the seed memories of evolution. On the Piko. The Island of Hawai’i. The belly button of the womb of Gaia, of Papahonua. On the slopes of the most active volcano on the planet, where literal New Earth is formed. Gushing from its relentless lava. New Earth arises, virgin, pure and anew. The Eye of the Ring of Fire. A small big island where 11 of the 13 bio climates of the world reside between its ocean and mountain peaks. From arctic and arid to tropic and humid - we got it all. Every expression of Earth’s body is found here. Every elemental teacher, has a home on this island. Considered a mini Earth by the science community, there is no better place for star gazing than on top of Mauna Kea, the tallest mountain in the world. This island calls those here for a reason. Whether of blood relations or soul ones, she wishes to teach us how to come back into right alignment. As we tend to the land, as we commune with the waters, she speaks. And she helps us remember. As we heal the land, we heal. As we follow her tides and her cycles of time we return home once again.

Vision

What If

Taught by our Elders and Wisdom Keepers we seek to return to a village way of life. Where wisdom is cultivated, and knowledge passed down from generation to generation. From mouth to ear, from heart to heart. A learning to learn for ourselves. For it is only in the undoing where wisdom can be found. What if our children are already born with all they need to know. And our only job is getting out of the way. What if the best classroom is the wild. What if the best teachers are the trees, the stones, the rivers. What if we could quiet enough to listen. Hear the voices of the unknown. What if harmony could be found through serving something so much greater than ourselves. What if sound was the very architect of reality and we shaped with every utter, quiver and sigh. What if health was our birthright and all we had to do was clear. What if the celebration of art and culture could heal. What if the answers were already within us. What if love was it, and Aloha guided the way. What if we had already done it, and all we have to do is remember, revive, realign. What if we already are there, and all we have to do is open our eyes.

What if.

The Land

Raising our Temple

Divine assignments are given. Usually misunderstood at first. Usually fought with to start with. Usually a break down that leads to an awakening. Usually a process of surrender. A deep plunge into the unknown that only unwavering trust can survive. One step at a time we say. Sometimes it’s all we can see. Sent to the NorthEast we were. To Pepe’ekeo we went. Something special about that place. Maybe its proximity to Mauna Kea. The shortest route from sea to peak. A top the furthest East Point on the Hilo/Hamakua Coast, we found ourselves. Like the whole island funnels down into us, thats our home. A lot of momentum some say. Not a place that will survive, but a place that wants to stay.. for a little while. All elements are found here. Lava rocks, springs, ocean, rain, earth, wind and sun. Old trees, and everything in between. A top a dragon we live. Some say she is sleeping, to me she looks to be meditating. Here we are sent to raise the first temple. The Temple of Wai, our Waters. Working with the land’s physical and energetic bodies we learn her pathways. Her places of power and of detriment. We support her blossoming with our architectural and structural placements. Like acupuncture needles we awaken her health, and raise structures for her spirit to flow through.

Join us in the journey of raising our temple.

it takes a village

The Team

It’s wild how it all happens. We think we are doing things, that we are in charge. That we are the ones creating, manifesting, generating. When in fact we are in a current. So large and so strong it’s beyond anyone of us. With an intelligence far greater than any of us could ever comprehend. The best thing for us to do is surrender and let go. When we fight, resist or try to hold on, that’s when it hurts.

So here we are. Just when you thought you were crazy, here comes along an entire team of other crazy people, just like you. That somehow were receiving the same crazy message. And cares about the same crazy thing. And so happens to be in the right place at the right time with the complementary skill set to yours. You meet, you feel like family. Like you have known each other forever. Like you have done this before. All of a sudden it all begins to flow smoothly. Easefully. Like floating down a river. So you surrender, together.

And have fun along the way.

The Team is Here.

Stewardship

Barbara Rose Eden

Lead Steward, Educator, Community Builder, Temple Keeper
Barbara Rose Eden has dedicated her life to the preservation of traditional knowledge systems, the cultivation of personal & communal resiliency, the celebration of art & culture, and the conservation of the wild untamed. As an ordained energy medicine practitioner for 27 years, she has traveled the world studying with Master Teachers in the fields of Energy Medicine, Meditation, Holistic Nutrition, Martial Arts, Biogeometry, Temple Architecture, Pythagorean Harmonics, Damanhurian Alchemy, Sufi Whirling, Cha Dao, Oracle Arts, Hermetic Kabbalah, Amazonian Plant Medicine, Native American and West African Rites, Way of Council, Vedic Astrology, Tibetan Dream Yoga, Hawaiian Cultural Practices, and Agroforestry. For the last 10 years her devotion to the regeneration and well-being of our lands and human bodies, has brought her to share what she has learned along the way through educational programs, holistic retreats, immersive art events, environmental activism, festivals and workshops worldwide. With a Masters in Intuition Medicine from the Academy of Intuition Medicine®, an honored recipient of the ”Papahanaumoku Global Moana” Stars of Oceania Award, a certified Holistic Health Coach from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, a trained Doula and Oracle, Barbara’s life passion is the awakening of our natural intelligence through the integration of native technologies, the sacred sciences and immersive nature-based learning. Her life is driven by the call to live in right relation to natural world and the unseen realms that architect it. Her deep belief in our responsibility as humans to consciously steward our environment and the potential we hold to co-shape regenerative lives in alignment with the rhythms of nature, has brought her to birth and steward the Manawai Academy. Full Bio & contact HERE.
Abraham Eden

Co-Steward, Business Development & Systems Mapping, Sound Architect & Culture Maker
Born to a multicultural family with multiple faiths shared at the dinner table, and a deep passion for the fostering of abundance and the sharing of resources, lead Abraham to start his fist company at the age of 18 while diving into a interdisciplinary study of Self. After 17 years of building and running companies in the tech industry, Abraham now runs the Eden Fund, allocating resources to companies and organizations fostering a positive impact in the world. Abraham is a deep believer in the power sound holds in the co-shaping of reality and in the building of culture. In his free time, Abraham shares his passion for music through masterful sound journeys at notable festivals and events around the world. With a Masters in Intuition Medicine from the Academy of Intuition Medicine®, and a diverse study portfolio spanning from Science, Society and Technology from the University of California at Berkeley to Damanhurian Alchemy, Tibetan Dream Yoga, Vedic Astrology and the Way of Council, Abraham supports the co-stewardship of the Manawai Academy. Offering his expertise in business development and systems mapping as well as his sharp sense of intuition and sense making.

Wisdom Council

Kahu Kalani Souza

Head Council, Lead Educator, Inter-relational and Interdisciplinary Mastermind, Community Resiliency Architect, Hawaiian Cultural Practitioner
Kahu Souza is a gifted storyteller, musician, film director and producer, poet, philosopher, facilitator, mediator, and educator. A Hawaiian practitioner and cross-cultural facilitator, he has experience in promoting social justice through conflict resolution. Kahu Souza is a recognized traditional practitioner of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Island culture and licensed to practice traditional religion and ceremonies. He served as a cultural advisor to Department of Commerce's NOAA Pacific Services Center in Honolulu, Hawaii, as a board member of the Ala Kahakai Trail Association in Hawaii County, and as community outreach specialist at the University of Hawaii National Disaster Preparedness Training Center. He is the founding executive director of Olohana Foundation, a nonprofit that works with coastal and indigenous communities to build capacity around food, energy, water, and knowledge systems. He our lead mastermind behind all things.
Kumu Ramsay Taum

Lead Council, Lead Educator, Hawaiian Cultural Practitioner, Regenerative Community Design and Place-Based Land Development Practices
Kumu Ramsay is the founder and president of the Hawaii based Life Enhancement Institute (LEI) of the Pacific LLC. His eclectic background and experience in business, government, and community service make him a valuable asset in both public and private sectors, as well as for- profit and non-profit business. His work in promoting sustainable, place-based, and Hawaiian cultural stewardship principles and practices is acknowledged locally, nationally, and internationally. Ramsay is a recognized cultural resource and sought after as a keynote speaker, lecturer, trainer and facilitator. Trained by respected Hawaiian elders, he effectively integrates place based, cultural based, indigenous, and Native Hawaiian cultural values and principles into contemporary business. Kumu Ramsay is one of our lead educators, culture makers and regenerative designer participating in all the key developments of our institute, while integrating key Hawaiian cultural practices.
Her Royal Highness Princess Owana Kaʻōhelelani Salazar

Lead Council
HRH Princes Owana Kaʻōhelelani Salazar became the head of the Royal House of Hawai’i succeeding her mother, Princess Helena Kalokuokamaile, in 1988. She is the founder and President of the Kamehameha Foundation, a 501(c)(3) tax deductible non profit organization with the mission to connect Hawaii's people with their culture, traditions, ancestors and hereditary claims. Known as a proficient steel guitar player and a respected Hawaiian musician, she fosters Hawaiian culture, history and mythology through her music and sounds. HRH Princess Owana Kaʻōhelelani Salazar offers her deep knowledge of Hawaiian Cultural and Knowledge Systems as we unite our efforts towards a sovereign Hawai’i.
Dr. Failuatusi 'Tusi' Avegalio

Lead Council, Community Capacity Builder, Lead Educator
Dr. Tusi Avegalio was the Director of the Pacific Business Center Program (PBCP) at the Shidler College of Business, University of Hawaii. Under his direction, PBCP received seven national awards for innovation, creativity, and effectiveness. Tusi is also the Executive Director of the Honolulu Minority Enterprise Business Development Center, and was named “Entrepreneur of the Year” for the U.S. Western Region in 2009. Tusi has consulted throughout the Pacific for the ruling chiefs of Micronesia, Melanesia, and Polynesia, and for traditional village councils, community organizations, governments, colleges and universities, multinational corporations, and local businesses. His work seeks to reconcile the perspectives of traditional wisdom and Western knowledge. Tusi is a Polynesian Ali’i and holds the traditional honorific of Papali’i, as he is heir to the Malietoa line of Samoa. His genealogical link to Hawaii can be traced in King Kalakaua’s publications on Hawaiian Legends and Myths, which map the movement of the Pili of Samoa to Hawaii in 1100 A.D. Papali’i is one of our Lead Councils supporting with Community Capacity Building, Educational Development.
Julie Stowell

Lead Council, Health and Wellness Educator, Record Keeper
Julie Kai Stowell is the Owner/President of Lomikai Media. Lomikai Media is part of Lomikai, Inc., a suite of services including facilitation, media production, event planning, food, health and community wellness. Stowell is a social justice and indigenous rights advocate and health professional since 1986. Her global travels, wilderness training, native studies, and exposure to many indigenous cultures and peoples give her a unique perspective and approach. She was trained and apprenticed with Kumu Aunty Margaret Machado of Napoopoo, Hawaii. She advocates for organic farming, backyard permaculture, good food and healthy cooking practices, and practices that support resilience and sustainability for healthier living. Stowell is the owner of the Mermaid Lounge & Beauty Bar in Honokaa, Hawaii and the owner/president of Lomikai Media, a broadcast quality resource and media firm for documenting community and an audio production facility in Hamakua, Hawaii. Past Lomikai Media clients include; NOAA, CSC PSC, NPS ATA, UH NDPTC, PRiMO
Dr. Craig Elevitch

Lead Council, Agroforestry & Regenerative Land Management
Craig Elevitch, an educator in agroforestry and regenerative human agroecosystems since 1991, directs Agroforestry Net. His internationally recognized publications and workshops have guided thousands in becoming more proficient in ecological food production, agroforestry, and reforestation. Craig edits The Overstory, a monthly agroforestry journal with thousands of subscribers in 185 countries. His books include Agroforestry Guides for Pacific Islands (2000), The Overstory Book: Cultivating Connections with Trees (2004), Traditional Trees of Pacific Islands: Their Culture, Environment, and Use (2006), Specialty Crops for Pacific Islands (2011), and Agroforestry Landscapes for Pacific Islands: Creating abundant and resilient food systems (2015), all of which promote diverse regenerative agricultural systems that produce abundant food, fiber, medicine, and other important resources. He is leading our agroforetry efforts through the Mama Food Forest program alongside Jamyang Dolma.

Temple Architecture

Alison Yahna

Sacred Beekeeping & Regenerative Education
Alison Yahna is a beesy mom, an organic gardener/permaculturalist and a devoted beekeeper. She holds a Master's Degree in teaching and has been a passionate educator for over 30 years, with a special focus on bees and environmental issues. It is her great joy and privilege to share the world of Honeybees with others. She has been stewarding the Artemis Smiles Bee Sanctuary & Mother Temple in Ka’u, Big island. Where she hosts educational beekeeping programs for youth and adults. She is our lead beekeeper, teaching the ancient sacred way of beekeeping while helping us raise our sacred bee sanctuary on the land.
Jane Anne Thomas

Celestial Oracle & Astrological Mapper
Jane Anne Thomas is a sought after Vedic Astrologer in the Jyotish system. Trained in a secret sect of Shakti Jyotish and Vedic sciences she brings an ancient lens and views into the celestial movements, not well understood by many. As one of our most trusted confidants, teachers and guides, Jane Anne supports us in all decision makings, and system mappings as we walk the continuous path of coming into right alignment, service and surrender to the greater forces that shape our experienced reality.
Isis Indriya

Oracular Arts & the Sacred Sciences
Born in Mesa, Arizona, Indigenous to and raised on the island of Guam, Isis Indriya dedicates her life in service to prayer, education, and community activism. With cultivation of community at the heart of her offerings, she dove into event production, ritual, & education as a way to create culture. With over 20 years experience in various forms of gatherings, ranging from one-on-one sessions to facilitation of rituals of over 30k people with Wisdomkeepers from around the world, Isis dedicates her life to learning and creating platforms for teaching of the sacred sciences of the Ancients, Indigenous wisdom, cultural exchange, Nature’s intelligence, and inner transformation as pathways for moving forward. Many people know her through the role she holds as one of the lead producers of The Compass at Lightning in a Bottle Festival where she has hosted hundreds of thought leaders and entertainers from around the world. As a Minister, Culture Creator, Bridgebuilder, and fireplace keeper for the Oracle Clan, an educator of Ritual, Divination, Egyptian Cosmology, and Hermeticism, Isis shares what she has learned along the way all over the world, online, on Ritual Community, and through the school she birthed; Academy of Oracle Arts. She also leads pilgrimages to Egypt and in her Temple hosts community prayers and gatherings. She is on the board for Water Now, Church of the Essence, Living Village Culture, the Oracle Clan and is an advocate for The Fountain.earth, Bioneers, Unify, and the Compass @ Lightning in a Bottle. Her continued study and focus is in regenerative culture as an offering to this life and future generations to come. Isis is or partner in curriculum development, oracular guidance and leading the build of our Oracle Tower.
Alex Stark

Feng Shui Land Design
ALEX STARK is an internationally recognized consultant, advisor, and teacher on issues of transformation, creativity and healing. A graduate of the Yale University School of Architecture, he is a practitioner of Feng Shui and Native American Geomancy. As such, he advises on issues of design and placement for homes, businesses, health care facilities, industry, land development, and government, as well as on personal and institutional transformation. Alex is a recipient of a Ford Foundation scholarship for cross-cultural studies and was named Scholar of the House by Yale University for his studies on XVIc. architecture in Peru. He has been a consultant to the United Nations Development Program on issues of urban and regional planning. Alex has lectured at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, Regents College in London, The University of Amsterdam, The University of California at Berkeley, the University of Minnesota Medical School, the University of Minnesota College of Architecture, the American Institute of Architects, the American Holistic Medical Association, the Symposium for Health Care Design, the International Academy for Design & Health, the Center for Health Design, the International Retail Design Conference, the Feng Shui International Network in London, the European School of Feng Shui in Amsterdam, and the French School of Geomancy in Paris. He has been a member of the faculty of the Omega Institute (NY), Hollyhock (Canada), the Long Island Feng Shui Institute (NY), the Golden Gate School of Feng Shui (CA), the Feng Shui Alliance (NJ), and the International Feng Shui School (Ireland). Alex is our lead Feng Shui consultant supporting us in land design and architectural development.