Could four simple phrases really be the key to health, happiness, peace and prosperity? Proponents of Ho’oponopono believe so. Developed by the shamans of Hawaii, this little known system creates effortless flow in life, allowing relationships to be healed along with blocks to health and money.
Ho’oponopono: What in the world is it?
Ho’oponopono is a practice of forgiveness while accepting full responsibility for negative situations that arise in your life. Once the philosophy of Ho’oponopono is truly understood, health, finances and overall well-being improve.
Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len is a stunning example of the transformative power of Ho’oponopono. He worked for four years at the Hawaii State Hospital which housed criminally insane patients. Staff turnover was high due to the violent nature of the environment. Astonishingly, Dr. Len never saw a single patient. He simply reviewed the patient files and “cleaned” himself using Ho’oponopono. He kept saying “I’m sorry” and “I love you” over and over.
According to Dr. Len in the book Zero Limits, “After a few months, patients that had to be shackled were being allowed to walk freely. Others who had to be heavily medicated were getting off their medications. And those who had no chance of ever being released were being freed. Not only that, but the staff began to enjoy coming to work. Absenteeism and turnover disappeared. We ended up with more staff than we needed because patients were being released, and all the staff was showing up to work. Today, that ward is closed.”
The secret? “I was simply healing the part of me that created them,” states Dr. Len
Ho’oponopono heals negative feelings and reactions. It can be practiced anywhere and doesn’t require people to adopt a new belief system or religion. As part of the law of attraction, Ho’oponopono states that we are ultimately 100 percent responsible for everything that crosses our path, including the not so pleasant. When we take full responsibility and clear the negativity within ourselves, life begins to open up and flow.
Healing practice
The quintessential practice of Ho’oponopono is comprised of four silent statements:
I love you
I’m sorry
Please forgive me
Thank you
When an unpleasant feeling, situation or interaction arises, the practitioner repeats these four phrases until a feeling of balance and neutrality arises. One key point of Ho’oponopono is that nothing manifests externally, it is all within. So when we mentally say “I love you,” we are expressing a loving orientation towards ourselves. “I’m sorry” is an apology for creating a disharmonious circumstance. Next, we mentally forgive ourselves for the digression. Finally, we express our gratitude. Joe Vitale of The Secret and long-time practitioner of Ho’oponopono, says that even just mentally saying “I love you” will help shift negativity into more positive, authentic states.
He observes:
“Being responsible for what I say or do is one thing. Being responsible for what everyone in my life says or does is quite another. Yet, the truth is this: if you take complete responsibility for your life, then everything you see, hear, taste, touch, or in any way experience is your responsibility because it is in your life. This means that terrorist activity, the president, the economy or anything you experience and don’t like–is up for you to heal. They don’t exist, in a manner of speaking, except as projections from inside you. The problem isn’t with them, it’s with you, and to change them, you have to change you.”