The Ho'oponopono Prayer is one of the most fascinating healing methods I've encountered. There are few things that I consider a staple of mine when it comes to powerfully processing emotions and moving energy, and the Hawaiian tradition of Ho'oponopono is one of them.
In this article, I'm going to explain what the Ho'oponopono prayer is, its effectiveness & benefits, how to practice it and further tools for exploring and implementing it.
What is the Ho'oponopono prayer?
“If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration.” Nikola Tesla
The Ho'oponopono prayer is a method of forgiveness that clears the blockages in your thoughts and cell structures. It cleanses and releases us from thoughts, beliefs and emotions that separate us from the one universal energy.
Ho'oponopono comes from an ancient Hawaiian teaching called the "Huna". The "Hu" translates to "knowledge" and "na" to "wisdom". The overall teaching is that we create everything in our world, which means we have the power to heal it.
A Course in Miracles teaches is that there is only one truth, and that is love. This is what Ho'oponopono is all about and the reason why it's so powerful–because it reunites you with this one true, universal energy.
When we get disconnected from our divinity, we believe in all the things that are not love, like fear, guilt, blame, judgement and shame. When this happens, we disrupt our own energy flow and begin to manifest unwanted things in our lives.
Ho'oponopono corrects this energy disruption and returns you back to wholeness, unity and harmony. Ho'o means "to make" and pono means "right", so ho'oponopono translates into "to make rightly right."
Ho'oponopono benefits
The power behind Ho'oponopono is forgiveness, and new research is proving more and more just how much it impacts our physical health.
In an article from John Hopkins Medicine titled "Forgiveness: Your Health Depends on It", the act of forgiveness is linked to major health benefits, such as lowered risk of heart attack, improved cholesterol levels, reduced pain, blood pressure and levels of anxiety, depression and stress.
“There is an enormous physical burden to being hurt and disappointed,” says Karen Swartz, M.D., director of the Mood Disorders Adult Consultation Clinic at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. Chronic anger puts you into a fight-or-flight mode, which results in numerous changes in heart rate, blood pressure and immune response. Those changes, then, increase the risk of depression, heart disease and diabetes, among other conditions. Forgiveness, however, calms stress levels, leading to improved health. Source
We are now coming to understand that everything is energy and because of that, it only makes sense that everything, from our bodies to our money flow, is all energetic. Same with emotions, thoughts and beliefs.
Negative emotions, thoughts and beliefs cause energy blockages in the body. When these negative emotions are corrected, our mind and thus, our whole life experience, is brought back into balance.
When the mind is healed, the body follows suit.
The story of Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len
"The only purpose in your life and mine is the restoration of our Identity—our Mind—back to its original state of void or zero (Buddha), of purity of heart (Jesus) and of blank (Shakespeare) through nonstop cleaning." Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len
Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len is the doctor who healed 28 psychologically ill prisoners in the state prison of Kaneohe beginning in 1983 using the Ho'oponopono method of forgiveness.
He never actually spoke with the prisoners but instead would read their reports several times daily and ask himself, "What is there in me of darkness and negativity, of power and hatefulness, that something similar should exist in my world? What is my part in it that my brother has done such a thing?"
He would contemplate on this until he found within himself that which matched what he was witnessing (anger, resentment, jealously, hatred, etc). He would then say the Ho'oponopono prayer: I am sorry. Please forgive me. I love you. Thank you.
Dr. Len only focused on the cleansing of his heart and consciousness, and in the process of doing so completely transformed the prison's atmosphere. After four years, all of the inmates except for two were cured and the institution was closed.
How Ho'oponopono works
Dr. Len has stated that he only worked on his own purification and subconscious. The power of the Ho'oponopono is each person taking full responsibility for what is in their reality and doing the work to absolve, cleanse and release it.
Most people think that what happens to them is by chance and that things that happen to the people around them have nothing to do with them, but this is not the case at all. Everything that comes into your conscious awareness, even the news on the tv at night, is part of your creation.
As stated previously, forgiveness is the acknowledgement that releases the energetic blockages within us that are the cause of things like illness, relationships problems and lack of abundance.
Love is the only truth and resides in reality zero, which is the non-physical. When we disconnect from this place and believe we are separate, we feel fear, anger, anxiety, resentment and all the other emotions that are not love.
Forgiveness brings you back to that original state of love and is the magic behind Ho'oponopono.
To prepare for Ho'oponopono, it helps to come into alignment with the following:
- Connect with a higher power (whatever you believe in)
- Reflect on the issue at hand and how you think you came to this place
- Take 100% responsibility for it
- Be ready and willing to move forward with a different mindset
- Be ready to both forgive and pardon
- Give thanks for this inspired awareness being given to you
I find it easier, especially in the beginning of practicing Ho'oponopono, to write down my issue and my reflections on it. Try to connect your problem with an emotion inside of you. You do this by asking "how does this whole issue make me feel?" Therein lies the emotion that needs healing.
How to practice Ho'oponopono in 4 easy steps
The energy of the phrases below will bring you back into union with your higher self/subconscious mind and restore your balance and harmony.
Once you have identified your issue and connected it with an emotion you hold, say the following phrases until you feel a peace within you.
You can do this while you drive, in the shower, during meditation or while washing dishes. Apply the prayer to any area of your life that you want to heal and repeat it while feeling the emotions of each phrase.
Like with the law of attraction, you must trust that the matter is forgiven and that things were "made right". Your healing is on the way. Have faith, let go and move forward.
Here are examples for what each phrase could mean while you repeat this prayer to yourself.
1. I am sorry
I have perceived suffering (in myself or others) and I am sorry for that. I deeply apologize for the role my consciousness has played in mine or another's suffering.
This is where you take 100% responsibility for suffering, either your own or someone else's. Because again, everything that comes into your awareness couldn't be there unless it wasn't also in your consciousness. There is nothing on the "outside", only within.
If someone in your reality is sick or troubled in some way, you take responsibility for your role in their suffering. I am so sorry for the suffering my consciousness has caused you.
If you are sick or experiencing any kind of lack in your life, take responsibility for the role your consciousness has played in that. I am so sorry for the suffering I have caused myself.
2. Please forgive me
Please forgive me for having created, consciously or unconsciously, chaos for you and/or myself. Please forgive me for forgetting our/my divinity, true nature and spiritual connectedness.
Please forgive me for holding judgement against you/against myself/the situation.
3. I love you
I love you. I love myself. I love my body. I love you illness for the awareness you have brought. I love the pain that has come to bring me back to love. I love this life. I love the Universe.
I love myself and you unconditionally, despite our human weaknesses and faults.
FEEL the love you have for your very breath. For life. For every single thing that has shown up as a "problem" to bring you back to your true nature, which is love.
4. Thank you
Thank you for my forgiveness. Thank you for the rebalancing that is on its way. Thank you for clearing this for me. I realize I am now freed energetically from the chains of my past.
Give thanks for any and everything that comes to your mind. Fill your being with appreciation and gratitude for all that is.
As stated above, just repeat these phrases until you feel peace or love wash over you. You may want to repeat it daily on a certain subject if it's really ingrained in you, but every time you perform this prayer, you will be healing your energy and raising your vibration.
No matter how little the progress you make each time, you will be bringing your energy back into balance, which will begin to shift your reality. It's the most exhilarating self-experiment you'll ever do–to watch your life begin to transform right before you.
Ho'oponopono meditations
Below are some guided ho'oponopono meditations I found on YouTube that are free.
General Ho'oponopono Meditation: The actual meditation words start at 2:14 minutes. This is a shorter and very popular video that takes you through the Ho'oponopono prayer.
Ho'oponopono for Self-Love & Radical Forgiveness: This is a powerful guided session to forgive yourself and create healthy boundaries, using the Ho’oponopono Prayer.
8 Hour Ho'oponopono Mantra for Sleep: listen to this while you sleep for subconscious reprogramming. Someone suggested listening to this at x0.75 speed to make it more relaxing. I would even suggest x0.50.
How to use Ho'oponopono for ALL Situations: this isn't a meditation but an instructional video from a woman that I personally learned a lot from. She has several videos about it and I recommend listening to all of them as they're very helpful.
Ho'oponopono books
There isn't actually much written about ho'oponopono, but below are a few highly rated books to check out if you want to really go deeper into understanding ho'oponopono.
Ho'oponopono: I highly recommend this book specifically because it's a short, easy read that really gives you a thorough understanding on the background and power of Ho'oponopono.
Zero Limits: this is the most popular Ho'oponopono book, written by Joe Vitale and co-authored with Dr. Len.
Ho’oponopono, Spanish Edition: this is a great version if you're looking for a book in Spanish.
“If we can accept that we are the sum total of all past thoughts, emotions, words, deeds and actions and that our present lives and choices are colored or shaded by this memory bank of the past, then we begin to see how a process of correcting or setting aright can change our lives, our families and our society.” Morrnah Nalamaku Simeona
Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this article and found something to take away with you.
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With love,
Jessica
Jessica Dimas is the author of Sacred Self-Care for Your Chakras.
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Victoria
Thank you so much for this. My relationship recently broke down and I held a lot of blame for them, my ego refused to acknowledge my part in it. Not long after reading your article I was on Instagram a healer who I follow posted a meditation on the Ho‘’Oponopono. I took it as a sign from the universe I should try it. I fell asleep listening to the Ho’oponopono meditation last night and This morning I have sat and wrote the prayer out multiple times following your advice. I feel so much lighter and brighter. Thank you so much for bringing this to us. Stay safe and well in these crazy times xx
Anonymous
Thank you for this beautiful article 💕
Jessica Dimas
Thank you for your comment <3
Brototi
Very accurately explained. Thank you. Hooponopono however simple it may seem is not very simple. It requires courage to acknowledge that I am responsible for forest fires, earthquakes, air crashes, my knee pain, my neighbour's job loss. Your article has expressed the philosophy very well