I’m often asked if ho’oponopono is the ‘answer to all our problems’ and the only method of healing we’ll ever need again if we start using it. Don’t I wish I could say, ‘yes,’ and be done with it. But that’s not real life. ‘Stuff’ is always happening to us and in this chaotic world we’re always being bombarded from all sides with more data than we can ever possibly incorporate into our lives without being overwhelmed. Which means that we still need to be aware at all times of our emotions and thoughts, so they don’t get away from us and control us rather than our controlling them.
Some practitioners of ho’oponopono feel that, as long as you are practicing ho’oponopono day in and day out, other modalities might not be necessary in the path of healing. I’m not one of those. I’m still a believer that we are what we eat, drink, think, feel, speak, do and resonate. I’m not a believer that junk food is good for you or that it won’t harm you when ingested on a daily basis. So, nutrition is still a very key element in my line of work.
But… ho’oponopono has made a huge difference in my life since I started practicing it. What, you ask, is ho’oponopono? Ho’o means ‘to make’ and ponopono means ‘rectifying a past error.’ So ho’oponopono, an ancient Hawaiian method of healing, means to ‘make right’ or correct past errors, even those that might have been committed by your ancestors. It means taking responsibility for every problem you come across, whether you believe you are a part of it or not. If you are aware of the problem, then you carry a responsible part for its existence. This seems a bit difficult to comprehend, but once you begin using ho’oponopono you ‘get it’ and realize how interconnected we all are.
In order to make right or eliminate the errors that were committed previously, one has to practice self-
forgiveness and forgiveness of others and everything. Our past ‘data’ or memories that are negative tend to have a hold on our present tense and wreak havoc on the here and now if we give them too much attention. Unfortunately, most of us tend to give most of our attention to these past memories, and we lace them with guilt, shame, anger, disappointment, hurt, and so on, forgetting that we are only replaying something that occurred in the past, holding us back from proceeding into our future joyfully.
The simplicity of ho’oponopono is also what makes it seem so difficult – living in a state of love, forgiveness and gratitude. The ability to stay focused is made easy by the mantras ‘I love you, I’m sorry, please forgive me and thank you,’ and the constant use of them begins the erasure of painful blockages that hold one back from one’s highest potential. This erasure is called ‘cleaning.’ Of course, there is much more to it than that, but not really. Anyone who is interested in knowing more about it is welcome to contact me and see if this is something that has been missing from your life.
My family knows me well – if asked to describe me they’ll tell you I’ve always been quite volatile, high in energy, very passionate about many things and vocal about them, too, and easy to anger if pushed. They’ve all been wondering the past year where I went – who is this person who acts like she’s now in control, able to analyze problems without blowing up, loving and gentle, and not one who gets angry very often anymore? I can honestly say nothing else in my life has changed, so I must believe that incorporating ho’oponopono into my daily existence has made a huge difference.
When we don’t carry around and constantly replay all the ‘data’ that is really just heavy past baggage, we feel light, happy, healthy, energized and capable of doing just about anything. Our responses to life don’t drag us down and leave us in misery.
It’s not that ‘stuff’ won’t happen to you – life happens, and it’s not always pleasant. But our responses to ‘stuff’ can either make us or break us. In the past I blew up over the least little thing and carried it with me for a long time. Resentments, judgment, guilt, anger, and more were able to define me pretty much. Then I learned ho’oponopono (forgiveness of the data that has held me down for so many years) and all the anxiety I used to experience started fading away. If I’m faced with a crisis I don’t react by panicking any more – I stop to ‘clean’ on the experience, allow the experience to happen without shoving it under a rug, and move on to make sense of the experience without carrying it around as baggage. The baggage has never served to do anything but block my abundance, so I surely don’t need it.
Is your life serving you the way you want it to? Does past ‘baggage’ get in the way and define your day? Is your past baggage serving you in some way? If it’s not, maybe it’s time for you to give it up and allow blessings to flow into your life freely. That is my wish for you.
Namaste.