Photo courtesy of Montage Kapalua Bay

Specializing in Hawaii is a decision that carries a lot of responsibility – as does specializing in any destination that is anchored by an indigenous culture. Yet, how tightly do you weave a cultural connection into the fabric of your “Hawaii story”? I’d like to inspire you on how much more powerful a story Hawaii becomes when you know and share experiences by using a cultural lens.

In light of the continued growth of wellness vacations, we’ll begin with Hawaii’s story as a unique wellness destination. Chances are when your clients hear the words “wellness” and “vacation” they may immediately think of spa treatments. Yet, when you look at Hawaii’s spa experience from that cultural lens, you’ll see that the destination offers your clients something far more unique. Discerning and communicating the differences to your clients takes a greater depth of cultural knowledge.

The goal of this article is twofold. It is designed to help you differentiate Hawaii’s wellness and spa market from that of other destinations while also enabling you to learn about how a resort – in this case Maui’s Montage Kapalua Bay – folds those differentiations into the guest experience. To understand Hawaii’s perspective on wellness is to understand Hawaii’s people, lifestyle, traditions and history. Yet, many visitors often associate spa treatments as simply a way in which to incorporate wellness into their vacation itineraries.

In the Hawaiian culture, wellness is not something you do; it is something you are. Living a life of wellness, or ola in the Hawaiian language, is a way of living and being alive. To conquer illness is to first live in the values of ola. Hawaii’s spas carry a cultural responsibility (kuleana) to anchor the guest experience in a way that pays homage to the Native Hawaiian culture rather than just focusing on the state of being healthy or feeling pampered.

VIDEO: Montage Kapalua Bay: Paradise in Hawaii

So how exactly do Hawaii’s spas work toward bridging the gap between the contemporary and the traditional? Montage Kapalua Bay Resort’s Spa Montage is a great example of how a resort’s approach to wellness reflects Native Hawaiian culture.

But first some background: In the Hawaiian culture, the essential medicines are water, air and food. With each respected as givers of life, great value is placed on maintaining an intimate connection with the environment. This connection is one reason why the Hawaiian culture places significant value on sustaining and perpetuating an authentic “sense of place.” From its towering lush and tropical volcanic mountains (referred to as mauka, literally meaning “toward the mountains”) to its graceful, temperate and healing pacific ocean waters (referred to as makai, or “toward the sea”), Hawaii provides its people with all they need to survive: air, water and food.

Montage Kapalua Bay, set within the 22,000-acre Kapalua Resort speaks to a powerful sense of place. Surrounded by the west Maui rainforest, two protected marine sanctuaries and Pacific Ocean views, Montage Kapalua Bay’s sense of place is inherently rooted in a cultural heritage that has been preserved for generations. No matter where you are at the resort, the healing colors of blue and green create a sense of place that is essential to understanding the foundational elements of wellness. This sense of place inspired Spa Montage’s “Mauka to Makai” guest experience. Spa Montage has nine treatment rooms located on the mauka side of the resort where treatments include elements gathered from the mountains. Likewise, the spa features 10 makai treatment rooms where guests can hear the waves, feel the trade winds and enjoy ocean-inspired products.

READ MORE: Behind Hawaii's Record-Breaking Year: One on One With George Szigeti

To ease the mind and refresh the spirit, Spa Montage's ambiance capitalizes on its beautiful and harmonious setting, offering both mountain and ocean views. When guests arrive for massages, they are invited to select an island scent for their treatments, including coconut, maile, pikake, tuberose or passion fruit. Before land development transformed Hawaii’s landscape, virtually all plants were harvested in the mountains and ocean by Native Hawaiian healers for medicinal purposes. Spa Montage honors that tradition by incorporating various medicinal herbs and plants into its treatments. It also offers lomi lomi, a traditional and indigenous Hawaiian massage, recognized as a means of prevention and intervention for diseases of the mind, body and spirit.

Spa Montage’s Hawaiian-style massage uses rhythmic strokes and flowing forearm movements that emulate waves of the Pacific Ocean. Hot pohaku (stones) are used for a deeper relaxation of the entire body. In the final analysis, Spa Montage is a great example of how a resort’s approach to wellness honors and perpetuates the Native Hawaiian culture, adding a deeper meaning to the guest experience.