EP01: Pōhala Botanicals Part 1

2025-02-23

True well-being begins when you stop performing for the world and start aligning with your purpose. Ke’oni Hanalei knows what it means to lose yourself and find your way back. A descendant of a kahuna, he shares how reconnecting with his origins and embracing his kia kahi (purpose) changed everything. His journey from addiction and incarceration to a life rooted in plant medicine and ancestral wisdom shows the power of alignment. What does it mean to truly listen—to nature, to your lineage, to yourself? Ke’oni reflects on the lessons passed down th...

True well-being begins when you stop performing for the world and start aligning with your purpose.

Ke’oni Hanalei knows what it means to lose yourself and find your way back. A descendant of a kahuna, he shares how reconnecting with his origins and embracing his kia kahi (purpose) changed everything. His journey from addiction and incarceration to a life rooted in plant medicine and ancestral wisdom shows the power of alignment.

What does it mean to truly listen—to nature, to your lineage, to yourself? Ke’oni reflects on the lessons passed down through a thousand generations, the sacred practice of foraging with consent, and why purpose is not something you chase but something you embody. He challenges the idea of possession, offering a perspective where love and wisdom are meant to be shared instead of withheld.

In this first part of their conversation, host Abby Starr and Ke’oni Hanalei invite you to pause and reflect. Are you living in alignment with your purpose or are you performing for the world?

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction

01:14 Ke’oni Hanalei

02:15 Kahuna Legacy and Plant Medicine

03:18 Cultural Exchange: Chicago and Maui

03:53 Meaning of Pōhala and Hawaiian Language

04:16 Traditional Plant Harvesting Methods

07:57 Asexual Ferns and Pre-Polynesian Culture

10:05 Ke’oni’s Lineage and Family Influence

13:54 Ke’oni’s Purpose (Kia Kahi) and Technology

17:16 Ke’oni’s Daily Energy and Purpose

21:09 Ke’oni’s Journey from Addiction to Purpose