The Lokai bracelet has recently been trending on our campus. What many students who do not own the bracelet may not know is that it has a special meaning behind it and isn’t just worn to add some spice to an outfit. The Lokai bracelet is infused with elements from the highest and lowest points on Earth. The white bead, located at the center of one end of the bracelet, carries water from Mount Everest, which is the highest point on Earth. The black bead, located in the center at the opposite end of the bracelet, carries mud from the Dead Sea, which is the lowest point on earth. A string of clear beads connects the two. The clear beads represent balance in life. According to Steven Izen, the founder of the Lokai bracelet, the bracelet signifies that “throughout life’s circular journey, your path is your own.”
On the Lokai website (mylokai.com), under the tab “Our Story,” Izen shares the backstory behind the bracelet to help people understand its meaning. “Sometimes you hit a low; stay hopeful,” Izen said. He then explains the time he learned that his grandfather had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and that he felt like he was at the lowest point in life.
“Sometimes, you’re on top of the world; stay humble,” Izen said. He further explains that at the same time he found out about his grandfather’s condition, he was struck by a feeling of immense gratitude for all he had accomplished in his life, represented by the white bead.
“Find your balance. I brought these two key elements together because life is full of cycles. The rest of the beads are clear, because we all have our own story of balance to tell,” Izen said. The clear beads represent those in-between days in life that affect our life stories.
“Every time I wear the bracelet, it reminds me that no matter where I am in life, if I am going through a hard time, it could always be worse. It also reminds me that there is always a high point in life to be reaching for every single day,” said sophomore Morgan Chambers, a student here at Elizabethtown College. Her Lokai bracelet was given to her by her father who encourages her to always remain positive and work through adversity.
Each Lokai bracelet has a similar design and comes in three sizes; small, medium, and large. The cost for the bracelet is $18, and 10 percent of that goes back to the community through a variety of charitable alliances, according to the website.
Under the “Authenticity” tab on the website you can find a video of the Lokai team’s expedition to the top of Mount Everest to collect the water for the bracelets. The video of them collecting mud from the Dead Sea is coming soon. There are also pictures of the expeditions as well as people from all over the world wearing the Lokai bracelet. The website offers a button on the “Join Our Circle” page for anyone to upload their own pictures of their bracelet. Lokai may then post these pictures on the company’s website. Anyone can also hashtag their bracelet photos #livelokai on their Instagram or Twitter and their photo may also then appear on the Lokai website.
