Ho'oponopono

On the surface level, many people have understood Ho’oponopono to be a mantra where one repeats the words ‘I’m sorry, please forgive me, thank you, I love you', as a form of mental and spiritual cleaning that could be compared to Buddhist techniques for clearing karma. It has been defined as a forgiveness and reconciliation practice, cleansing of ‘errors of thought’–the origin of problems and sickness in the physical world, according to the Hawaiian worldview.

​

The literal translation is ‘to put to right; to put in order or shape, correct, revise, adjust, amend, regulate, arrange, rectify, tidy up, make orderly or neat.”

​

Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len, a Hawaiian therapist, learned this method from Morrnah Nalamaku Simeona and cured an entire ward of criminally insane patients without ever meeting any of them or spending a moment in the same room. He reviewed each of the patients’ files, and then he healed them by healing himself. The amazing results seem like a miracle, but then miracles do happen when you use Ho’oponopono.

​

You may be asking how this can possibly work. How can you heal yourself and also heal others? How can you even heal yourself?

​

Why would it affect anything “out there”?

​

The secret is there is no such thing as “out there” – everything happens to you in your mind. Everything you see, everything you hear, every person you meet, you experience in your mind. You only think it’s “out there” and you think that absolves you of responsibility. In fact, it’s quite the opposite.

​

You are 100% responsible for everything you think and everything that comes to your attention. It also means that you are able to clear it, clean it, and through forgiveness, change it.

​

There are four simple steps to this method, to begin with, and the order is not that important. Repentance, Forgiveness, Gratitude and Love are the only forces at work – but these forces have amazing power.

​

Ho’oponopono

 

The best part of Ho’oponopono is that you can do it yourself; you don’t need anyone else to be there, and you don’t need anyone to hear you. You can “say” the words in your head. The power is in the feeling and in the willingness of the Universe to forgive and love.

​

You can say these words in any particular order or as follows:

​

Step 1: Love – I LOVE YOU

Say I LOVE YOU. Say it to your body; say it to your God. Say I LOVE YOU to the air you breathe, to the house that shelters you. Say I LOVE YOU to your challenges. Say it over and over. Mean it. Feel it. There is nothing as powerful as Love.

​

Step 2: Repentance – I’M SORRY

As I mention above, you are responsible for everything in your mind, even if it seems to be “out there.” Once you realize that, it’s very natural to feel sorry. I know I sure do. If I hear of a tornado, I am so full of remorse that something in my consciousness has created that idea. I’m so very sorry that someone I know has a broken bone that I realize I have caused.

​

This realization can be painful, and you will likely resist accepting responsibility for the “out there” kind of problems until you start to practice this method on your more obvious “in here” problems and see results.

So, choose something that you already know you’ve caused for yourself. Overweight? Addicted to nicotine, alcohol or some other substance? Do you have anger issues? Health problems? Start there and say you’re sorry. That’s the whole step: I’M SORRY. Although I think it is more powerful if you say it more clearly: “I realize that I am responsible for the (issue) in my life, and I feel terrible remorse that something in my consciousness has caused this.”

​

Step 3: Ask Forgiveness – PLEASE FORGIVE ME

Don’t worry about who you’re asking. Just ask! PLEASE FORGIVE ME. Say it over and over. Mean it. Remember your remorse from step 1 as you ask to be forgiven.

​

Step 4: Gratitude – THANK YOU

Say “I'm Grateful” or Thank You– again, it doesn’t really matter who or what you’re thanking. Thank your body for all it does for you. Thank yourself for being the best you can be. Thank God. Thank the Universe. Thank whatever it was that just forgave you. Just keep saying THANK YOU.

​

 There are advanced methods you can also implement, and I would be happy to discuss them with you. It is simple yet amazingly effective when you use it every day.