I recently wanted to go deeper with the ho’ponopono prayer practice.
For those of you who don’t know, Ho’oponopono is a traditional Hawaiian healing and reconciliation practice centered on forgiveness, love, and personal responsibility. In its modern form, it teaches that by healing the memories, emotions, and unconscious patterns within ourselves, we can transform our experience of life and relationships. The practice is often done by repeating four simple phrases: “I’m sorry. Please forgive me. Thank you. I love you.” Through sincerity and inner reflection, Ho’oponopono aims to restore peace, harmony, and emotional healing.
The story that illustrates the most the power of this healing practice is the one of Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len, a Hawaiian therapist who worked at the Hawaii State Hospital in a ward for criminally insane patients. His ward was considered extremely dangerous. Patients were heavily medicated, many staff members quit. Instead of meeting with the patients directly in traditional therapy sessions, Dr. Hew reportedly did something very unusual.
He reviewed each patient’s file privately. As he read about each person, he practiced Ho’oponopono inwardly. Rather than trying to “fix” the patients, he focused on healing whatever within himself was connected to the suffering he was witnessing. That is reminiscent to the law of attraction which states that you create your own reality… Therefore,
if something seemingly out of harmony appears in my experience, there is something in me that can be healed.
Over time, staff reportedly noticed changes:
- Patients became calmer.
- Some required less medication.
- Violence decreased.
- Patients improved enough to be released.
- The atmosphere of the ward transformed.
To me this is very counter to how the therapists of this world are told to work. There is less dissecting others and more work on the part of ourselves that relate to others.
I practiced this very simple prayer and I can honestly say that it is very immediate and powerful. This is very simple indeed and that is definitely a tool anyone can heal to energetically cleanse oneself at the root level of emotional trauma.
Don’t be surprised if after a couple of days of practice, you feel more uplifted, people start waving at you in the street or others remark that you are illuminated. At least that has been my experience so far.
Try it! You will not regret it!
