Ho'oponopono comes to us straight from Hawaii. Derived from ancient traditional wisdom, this philosophy invites you to release the emotions that stand in the way of personal peace and tranquility. Four powerful yet simple words: " Sorry, pardon, thank you, I love you ". This is the magic formula that dissolves psycho-emotional blockages. Here's how...
Ho'oponopono, returning to the origin
In the Hawaiian Dictionary, ho'oponopono is defined as "spiritual cleansing, a family reunion, during which relationships are restored through prayers, the act of contrition, repentance and mutual forgiveness."
The word hoʻoponopono is composed of hoʻo meaning "to begin an action" and pono meaning "goodness, honesty, morality, moral qualities, correct and just actions, excellence, prosperity, attention, usefulness, natural state, duty, just, equitable, right, relieved, necessary"; ponopono means "to put in order; just, reworked, harmonize, correct, regularize, order, clean, tidy up, act correctly."
This practice was ordered whenever disagreements arose within a family or within the same village tribe. Indeed, according to popular Polynesian belief, illness takes root and feeds on anger and lack of forgiveness. To ward off bad luck or heal a sick person, ho'oponopono was practiced by all: the patient himself and/or all concerned members of the family.
Formerly under the direction of a traditional priest or doctor, then under the order of a traditional judge, this method was adapted to be practiced independently.
Ho'oponopono, the technique in practice
" Sorry, pardon, thank you, I love you ". Each of these 4 words should resonate with you and, above all, make sense to you. Saying them awakens a sweet, gentle melody in you. These words are not insignificant. They invite you and your unconscious to recognize the sacredness of yourself. They are a call to repentance. By agreeing to make peace with yourself, you set in motion a general process of forgiveness that extends far beyond your own person. Indeed, by healing your wounds, everyone around you benefits. As the saying goes: "Be the change you want to see in this world".
Sorry, the first step towards inner peace
When you say "Sorry", you're addressing that part of yourself that's suffering. You're telling it that you're sorry for inflicting this suffering on it. You're acknowledging your responsibility for your emotional handling of this or that event, which is, objectively speaking, completely neutral. This is the first step towards inner peace.
Forgiveness, the act of faith towards oneself and the world
You forgive yourself for making yourself "sick", for getting "bad blood". You forgive yourself for allowing yourself to be invaded by fears which surely don't belong to you, or which are the projection of other people's fears.
You also forgive the Other who, in the end, is also suffering or is nourished by his or her own fears.
Forgiveness is the greatest of liberations. Of course, forgiveness does not mean forgetting. It's about moving on, moving forward and rebuilding. Holding on to grudges is not a healthy solution, and can, according to Hawaiian tradition (and not only), lead to illness.
Thank you, or learn from your mistakes.
Thanks to the event, however painful or uncomfortable it may have been, you were able to put your finger on an unhealed wound and work on it for your liberation. As they say, "it's a blessing in disguise". It's also an opportunity to learn from your mistakes, so that you can stop perpetuating unfulfilling patterns
Thank you for taking care of yourself - at last - and releasing some of your limiting beliefs.
This "thank you" is also a mark of gratitude, a form of gratitude to Life.
I love you, the most important
Love is the remedy for all ills. How can you give love to others if you don't give it to yourself? " I love you " is generally the hardest to say or to integrate. It requires you to re-evaluate your self-esteem. It's not easy for everyone... but it' s so liberating!
To say "I love you" is to recognize all your beauty, your shadow and your light, your authenticity, your uniqueness, your power, but also your weakness and sensitivity.
Saying " I love you " may sound silly, but try it out and see what it feels like...
To consciously say this formula, with the intention of emotional liberation... will help you through many a crisis. With ho'oponopono, you gain access to intimate, sincere and profound forgiveness for yourself and others.