Practicing Ho’oponopono in Four Simple Steps
Ho’oponopono
There is a Hawaiian psychotherapist who cured an entire ward of criminally insane patients, without ever meeting any of them or spending any time with them. Sound crazy? It really happened! The therapist was Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len and instead of the typical process of reviewing each patients’ files, and then meeting with them in person, Dr Len focused on healing them by healing himself.
Sound like a miracle? It was, but one performed with conscious effort using the right tools. Dr Len used Ho’oponopono, what he calls Self IDentity Through Ho’oponopono (SITH).
I have been following his lectures for some time and started practicing Ho’oponopono immediately. I am now a certified Ho’oponopono practitioner. I can guarantee the results are nothing short of miraculous. Maybe you need a miracle, or just a way to become more effective as a healing practitioner?
You might be thinking; how can this possibly work? What does healing yourself have to do with healing anyone? The “New Age” ideas of creating your own reality, take on a whole new level of responsibility with Ho’oponopono. If you do subscribe to the belief that you do create your own reality then it is no secret that there is no such thing as “out there” – everything happening to you right now in every moment is happening in your own mind. Everything you see, everything you hear, every person you meet, is not “out there” its happening in our own mind and shaded with all of our perceptions, fears, beliefs about that experience.
Unfortunately, because of how the mind is designed, we want to think what is happening is outside of us. This takes away any responsibility for what is happening. In reality, it’s quite the opposite: we are responsible for everything we think, and everything that comes to our attention. If we watch the news, everything we hear is actually our responsibility. That might be a little difficult to accept at first, but the good news is that we are now able to clear it, clean it, and through forgiveness change what is happening in our reality.
The good news is that you can do this process yourself, without anyone to help you. All you have to do is “say” the words in your head. The power is in the feeling and in the natural order of how our “universe” is designed.
Let’s face it, our lives unfold base on how we think. The good news is that if we think the right thoughts then life unfolds accordingly. The bad news is that if we think the wrong thoughts then life unfolds accordingly. Controlling our thoughts is one of the most difficult things we can do, because the mind, left to its own devices is like a drunken monkey sometimes, randomly jumping from one thought to the next. One thought makes us happy, another makes us sad, another thought starts us worrying about something that only “might happen”. It is pretty crazy sometimes. Do you know what your next thought is going to be? Not usually, it just shows up.
The good news is that whenever you are having difficult thoughts that are non-productive and stressing you out, it is time to take control of your thoughts and focus on happier thoughts. The practice of Ho’oponopono will do just that and the good news is that you can do it in just four easy steps.
Step 1: Repentance – JUST SAY: I’M SORRY
The first step is to realize that you are responsible for everything in your mind, even if it seems to be “outside” of you. Once you accept that, it’s very natural to feel sorry. When I read about all the heartache and destruction in the world and take responsible for becoming aware of that reality in my consciousness, I am very sorry. This realization can be difficult to accept, and our ego will definitely resist this level of responsibility, but once you start to practice this method and see results it is nothing short of miraculous. A great exercise is to choose something that you already know you’ve caused for yourself? Over-weight? Addicted to nicotine, alcohol or some other substance? Do you have anger or self esteem issues? Health problems? Start there and say you’re sorry. Just say I’M SORRY. That’s it! It is even more powerful to say it more clearly: “I realize that I am responsible for this (issue) in my life and I feel remorse that my consciousness has allowed this.”
Step 2: Ask Forgiveness – SAY: PLEASE FORGIVE ME
Don’t worry about who you’re asking. Just ask! PLEASE FORGIVE ME. Say it over and over. Mean it. Remember your remorse from step 1 as you ask to be forgiven.
Step 3: Gratitude – SAY: THANK YOU
Say “THANK YOU” – again it doesn’t really matter who or what you’re thanking. Thank your body for all it does for you. Thank yourself for being the best you can be. Thank God. Thank the Universe. Thank whatever it was that just forgave you. Just keep saying THANK YOU.
Step 4: Love – SAY: I LOVE YOU
This can also be step 1. Say I LOVE YOU. Say it to your body, say it to God, say it to the universe. Say I LOVE YOU to the air you breathe, to the house that shelters you. Say I LOVE YOU to your challenges. Say it over and over. Just say I LOVE YOU and mean it. There is nothing as powerful as Love.
That’s it. The whole practice in a nutshell. Simple and amazingly effective.
- Soothe pain
First of all, massage therapy is great for pain relief. During your session, your muscles will be soothed and relaxed. By staying fluid and flexible, they will also feel less painful and strained. Studies show massage therapy is ideal for decreasing stiffness. Since tension and stiffness can exacerbate the injury, this will help you keep your injury recovery on the right path.
- Promote blood circulation
Massage also promotes good blood circulation, which is valuable when recovering from an injury. The touch of massage is shown to increase tissue temperature, which encourages blood flow to that area. Because blood carries nutrients throughout the body, healthy blood circulation is critical for injury recovery.
In addition, blood circulation is linked to loosening muscle cramps and spasms. Depending on your injury, this is important for making sure you stay fluid and don’t regress during recovery.
- Break up scar tissue
Another key benefit of massage therapy is that it can help break up scar tissue. When you have an injury, your body heals much as a scab does. The body regenerates the injured area and these tissues accumulate. Massage therapy can boost recovery by breaking up scar tissue with certain techniques so that your muscles continue healing.
Moreover, massage therapy techniques can help with tissue regeneration. By warming and touching specific muscles, the regeneration process will be stimulated. This is especially advantageous for trying to speed up your recovery time.
- Enhance motion and flexibility
If you’re looking to recover from an injury and prevent a future one, massage therapy can support new motion and flexibility in your body, according to a chiropractic massage therapy expert in Anchorage. Techniques that enhance the range of motion can both reduce inflammation and make your body more flexible. This can be beneficial for strengthening neighboring muscle groups or preparing your body to stay flexible when facing a potential injury-producing situation.
- Reduce stress and anxiety
Massage therapy has also been shown to have positive psychological effects on patients. Getting injured involves a lot of stress and anxiety for anybody, but especially for an athlete or those with seriously reduced motion. Oftentimes, this anxiety is connected to recovering as quickly as possible or having feelings of uncertainty about the future.
Fortunately, massage therapy is linked to relaxation, stress alleviation and mood boosting.For those struggling to stay stress-free during injury recovery, massage therapy can also be good for your emotional health.
Final Takeaway
In general, there’s no shortcut for recovering from an injury. But you can take certain steps to put yourself in a position to potentially recover faster. Depending on your injury, massage therapy can be customized to relieve pain, increase blood circulation, break up scar tissue, enhance a range of motion and reduce stress.
Talk to a chiropractic massage therapist near you. By receiving the right massage therapy, you can increase the likelihood of a quick recovery so that you’ll be back at the gym in no time.
is a graduate of the University of Nevada where he earned his bachelor of science degree before moving on to complete his doctorate from Western States Chiropractic College. He founded Better Health Chiropractic & Physical Rehab in Alaska in 1998. He became passionate about being in the chiropractic field after his own experiences with hurried, unprofessional healthcare providers. The goal for Dr. Wells is to treat his patients with care and compassion while providing them with a better quality of life through his professional treatment.
