Ho’oponopono: Hawaiian Healing

This ancient spiritual healing practice is very simple to execute on a daily basis. It is based on the premise that we are all one, connected to each other, the Universe and everything within it. The foundational understanding and belief system for this ritualistic method is that each individual is connected to all, responsible for all actions as well as everyone else’s and the world, creating not only our own lives but the reality that the world is today as a whole. One must learn to accept responsibility not only for their own life, but for all the actions of everyone else in the world and all the occurrences in the Universe. Then by focusing on forgiveness and love, balance is brought in one’s own life, especially with relationships that may be difficult or a struggle as well as the Universe.

There are five short phrases to memorize for this practice:

1. I am sorry.
   • This is you admitting responsibility for your contribution/your part.
2. Please forgive me.
   • Ask for forgiveness for your contribution/your part.
3. Thank you.
   • Express gratitude for receiving forgiveness.
4. I love you.
   • Give love to all that is.
5. I forgives myself.
   • “I” does not refer to yourself in the standard sense. Rather, “I” refers to Divinity, your concept of God or Higher Power and some consider it to mean your Higher Self.
   • Forgives, with an ‘s’ at the end, refers to Divinity/God/Higher Power or Higher Self doing the forgiving.
   • My-self which should be seen as two words refers to your little self, meaning your subconscious self, limiting beliefs, unconscious assumptions, paradigms of scarcity and separation.

The practice may be done in one of two ways. The first is to mentally repeat the phrases over and over in your mind as you focus your thoughts and emotions on the things that you are attempting to clear. This method is especially beneficial if you suddenly find yourself in a negative situation and you want to try immediately shifting the energy. The second is to verbally repeat the phrases out loud while visualizing all the things that you are trying to heal. Regardless of which method is used, this practice ideally should be done daily.

This can be done is so many different situations. Here are a few examples of when Ho’oponopono may be used: when you are in an argument with someone; if there is a problem at work with a customer, coworker, or boss; at home with a family member; fears, anxiety, frustration over a specific or general situation like being behind on bills; when injured, sick, stressed out, tired, dealing with insomnia, depressed, angry; watching a horrible news story about someone killing people in a mass shooting; a natural disaster; and even with inanimate objects such as your car not starting or a printer not working.

I know several people who have performed this practice with success, from getting their car to start, healing a long standing troublesome relationship with a family member to getting an irate customer to calm down within minutes. My personal intent with using this practice is predominantly to help with the resentment and negativity I am holding onto with regard to several past relationships with various people in my life as well as towards myself. As part of my process, I have written down on pieces of cardstock paper similar to index cards but smaller in size (50 x 90 mm) one or two sentences of each situation on a separate piece of paper that I keep all together on a ring.

If you read my WOTW: 7. Emotions post that mentioned a former friend whom I have negative emotional reactions when I think of them, I have already accepted my responsibility for that negative experience because I allowed all of it to happen to me. Here is an example of what I have written down to help focus my Ho’oponopono practice to heal the past hurt and anger from that relationship: “I am clearing my contribution to “THE NAME OF FORMER FRIEND” talking negatively about me, taking advantage of and stealing from me, their other negative traits, actions, effects on others and own self and their life choices.”

Since one of my goals during my spiritual journey is to do inner child and shadow work, I have also written one for myself that reads: “I am clearing my contribution to my health and financial struggles, inner child and shadow wounds, my negative traits, actions, life choices, effects on others and self and negative outlook.”

I have recorded a separate guided version of the Ho’oponopono phrases repeated over and over for several minutes to use when I am not in the mood to say it verbally out loud, but still want to hear the words being said that is also accessible for anyone to listen to on my podcast.