Be in harmony of mind, body and heart
By Anne E. O‘Malley
Kaua‘i People
Marko Kowalski wants to take you to a new place in body, mind and spirit. He’s
the founder of TRI-Hara Holistic Health and Wellness Programs, incorporating his
own journey from karate through tai chi, aiki-do, shiatsu, shintaido, qi gong,
edgu, yoga and more — and you’re invited.
It’s quite a legacy. Growing up on the mean streets of Jersey City, N.J., one of
six children reared by a single mom — “she was a saint” — Kowalski turned to
martial arts at age 13, earning his black belt by age 17.
“It was survival,” he says. “I lived in a tough city and it gave me the
discipline that I needed to make it through.”
From the streets to the studio; from the boardroom to the beach, from TV to DVD,
Kowalski takes his students where he finds them, and they come in all sizes,
shapes and ages ranging from five to 101.
He’s running his one-hour Warrior Jedi Training for youth ages eight through 12
at the moment. It blends yoga, martial arts, breath work and meditation to help
students develop self-control, respect, confidence, coordination, strength and
flexibility.
One youth questioned Kowalski, asking if he knew about “Star Wars.” Said the
youth,
“They use a sword.” Replied Kowalski, “Yeah — basically, your
arms and your legs are your swords.”
In fact, Jedi knights in the “Star Wars” movies use light sabers as their
swords. Still, they have edges, and Kowalski gives his students the edge, too,
while passing along the light.
He explains, “I want to teach kids to be calm, respectful, disciplined and
coordinated through the TRI-Hara practice, the blend of yoga, martial arts,
breath work and meditations.
“I take pride in awakening the joy the peace and the beauty inside individuals —
children, teenagers, adults and seniors, and I’ve been doing that for 35 years.”
Seniors — every Monday at 9:05 a.m., he teaches a class for them at Kapa‘a
Neighborhood Center for a donation. Occasionally, he walks out with an empty
calabash.
“I’m OK with that — creating karma with giving stuff away,” says the man who for
years taught classes at retirement homes.
Families gather for a fun, fast-paced workout that includes the basics of
karate, tai-chi and aiki-do in his Family Martial Arts class that’s ongoing at
the Kapa‘a Neighborhood Center.
“Even though it’s under the category of martial arts, we do it for the health of
it and the fun of it, not so much for the martial aspects of it,” says Kowalski.
As with all his classes, Kowalski encourages participation whenever it’s right
for the individual.
“Ideally, I like to have people start from the beginning of a session,” he says.
“If they find out about it, say, three weeks into it, I don’t want to limit or
inhibit them, so they can jump
See BIZ page 14
