tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68331441416742891322024-03-05T21:55:13.666-07:00Mana for the Doctor's SoulExploring Mana, the pure energy of Love that holds this world together. This infuses all our lives, and brings forth healing, creativity, and beauty.
"It [Mana] is a living, breathing essence that the wise can pluck from the air at will and then like a master artist, mold it into something beautiful."
-- Syd Banks, "Second Chance"
Pam Pappas MDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03820479204183581736noreply@blogger.comBlogger137125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6833144141674289132.post-77300325854706591752024-01-13T17:31:00.004-07:002024-01-14T08:10:15.330-07:00Messages from the Yei-Be-Chei to the Rest of Us: What Are We Creating with Our Precious Breath of Life?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2wnEz3v-Q63N46MCoLxIxDt6A8r1DcpewM95E6VhHuh1Dav0va-jsx6U3ngohpdzqSo8BPYvxiihzp_bgkASmOI5Qyv0GMpaDq0cJ6U90m5K3_PfhS6eymUL8shW_TWstFTOods-bVEvPtGo1qUp_U1Y4VUq10RlKy7TDw50ScDX9ds5q0xyd3DjQzJbj/s715/RATliff_Emergence_Song_t715.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="557" data-original-width="715" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2wnEz3v-Q63N46MCoLxIxDt6A8r1DcpewM95E6VhHuh1Dav0va-jsx6U3ngohpdzqSo8BPYvxiihzp_bgkASmOI5Qyv0GMpaDq0cJ6U90m5K3_PfhS6eymUL8shW_TWstFTOods-bVEvPtGo1qUp_U1Y4VUq10RlKy7TDw50ScDX9ds5q0xyd3DjQzJbj/w400-h311/RATliff_Emergence_Song_t715.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">This is a painting by Navajo (</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Diné)</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> artist <a href="https://www.facebook.com/david.k.john" target="_blank">David K. John</a>, called "Emergence Song." Not many paint female deities, but he created this one in honor of his mother, who had passed away not long before (2017). </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Many of his paintings represent Yei-Be-Chei, sacred spiritual messengers of the </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Diné. His great grandfather was a medicine man, who instilled strong spiritual beliefs and practices while raising him. David grew up attending and participating in many healing events, from seasonal rituals to sand painting. The most revered members of his culture instructed him, as he grew. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">His work has always held me spellbound, and this image especially touched my heart. A peaceful yet powerful quality exudes from it. <br /><br />He often shows his Yei-Be-Chei with the breath of life coming from their mouths. These are holy people who were here before humans -- and in </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Diné</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> culture, they created everything in the universe. So, these are creation images. In ceremonies today, people wear masks to portray and remember the Yei-Be-Chei. <br /><br />Here is another of David K. John's images, where you can also see this breath of life clearly. He says there is also a lot of sand texture in this painting, reminiscent of the sand paintings created in healing ceremonies like the Night Way:</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic8eEjNpIuFaI5jx62o1jZFgQygbSyeGxAP6PcE87iMCOVqytx-FZiBYB1fqPblrEUf1pbIwyHgTFu3LQ94byZfo6MnZD6IxxSKZkEE_gtIaBwNn3DWVSBzMOk8WIn0IzUSXuEp2sJwnFfqUVrFiKbGoUOBnOaZ6kuuioqNxTVsQMImFZsGOEFSKW5UtPh/s2048/419817709_7204214146304304_7200943868802188512_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="2048" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic8eEjNpIuFaI5jx62o1jZFgQygbSyeGxAP6PcE87iMCOVqytx-FZiBYB1fqPblrEUf1pbIwyHgTFu3LQ94byZfo6MnZD6IxxSKZkEE_gtIaBwNn3DWVSBzMOk8WIn0IzUSXuEp2sJwnFfqUVrFiKbGoUOBnOaZ6kuuioqNxTVsQMImFZsGOEFSKW5UtPh/w400-h260/419817709_7204214146304304_7200943868802188512_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><br />From David K. John, when I asked him about this:<br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #2b00fe; font-size: 15px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><b>It represents the breath of life. Also represents winter.
So these dancers come in the wintertime to impersonate the deities.
It represents that there is a person behind the mask. The person is alive and breathing.
The 9-day ceremony is only done in the winter. This dancer is a female. She is carrying good healing...hummingbirds carry healing messages traveling through the wind.</b></span></span></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p></p></blockquote><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Our own "breath of life" as humans is ongoing, until it is not. You can imagine that this is quite visible in these dances during cold northern Arizona winters! <br /><br />However, more comes out of our mouths than breath alone; our words come out as well. We create our entire experience of living through the words we say to ourselves and others, whether aloud or not. Our thinking is also going on 24/7, both consciously and unconsciously. This determines our perception, which goes on creating our lives forward. What comes from inside, shows up outside. <br /><br />The well-known coach <a href="https://www.facebook.com/steve.hardison.14" target="_blank">Steve Hardison</a> has referred to the mouth as a "creation hole," speaking words which impact everything. He helps people uncover the internal declarations (or "document") they have been unconsciously living by, through the words they say to and about themselves and others. Many of these are adaptations to painful events and situations experienced early in life. Through clarity and self-forgiveness work, he helps them transform these old, often trauma-related declarations into new ones that they now want to live by, going forward. He calls this process "creating your document."<br /><br />This "creation hole" metaphor really synchs with me, although I don't know whether Steve has ever seen these paintings of Yei-Be-Chei breathing their holy essence into the world. If he hasn't, I might be the first person who has connected these dots in this way.<br /><br />Along with this oral "creation hole," there's of course another "hole" at the opposite end of our humanity. Those who have studied biology will know this part of our anatomy well. We all have one, and we need to tend and keep it clean. The trouble is that intentionally or not, many of us are led in our lives by this hind end. Some of us may even merit the descriptor, "a**hole." I see this a lot in medical culture, with people being impatient, arrogant, and rude to each other. We mock and ridicule, making nasty judgmental comments under our breath or aloud. Especially where power imbalances exist, we treat each other as "less than." We criticize other people cruelly for any mistakes, sometimes even blaming them for our own lapses. Sometimes patients do this to us and other healthcare staff, orally and through Press-Gainey reviews. Though this may be a way to dissipate suffering when people are in unbearable pain of their own, it creates even more hurt, discord, and distress than before. I help my clients deal with their own inner pain, so they don't have to spew it out onto others this way. I also help them create more intentionally and lovingly in the world, through their "creation hole." <br /><br />In doing this work for some 40 years now, I've seen that most of us get caught up in defending or inflating our self-image, at least occasionally. It may be innocent, as we're in survival mode and don't realize what we're doing. Unfortunately, too much of what we say to each other is in this realm. Fortunately, when feeling calm and grounded, there's a much healthier and more rewarding possibility. We can send forth loving creations from the very heart of our being to ourselves and others. It's an entirely different experience when we do this ourselves, and when we receive this from others. When being our authentic selves, we can speak powerful words of courage, clarity, support, compassion, and love out into the world. When busy inflating or protecting our ego or self-image, our words get complicated, angry, knee-jerk, tangled up, and easily misunderstood. We become the other kind of "hole." Who really wants to create from that end?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Today David K. John posted the second painting above on his Facebook page, saying it was available for sale. I identified with it immediately, as it is also a female Yei -- in movement, color, energy, and power. Her breath of life is coming from the right place. Tears sprang into my eyes when I saw her. He and I connected online, and we agreed on a purchase price. Exciting news: she will soon be gracing my office, reminding me to center myself before meeting each of my clients. Her beautiful energy will also help me create new programs for them. <br /><br />About this image David said further:<br /><br /></span></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: verdana;"><b>The hummingbirds appeared after I finished the painting, it wasn't planned. I just added enough detail. Sometimes things [come] onto my canvas as they are sent by the Holy People. Glad it's going to a good home. Many good blessings will come to you.</b></span></span></div></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />He didn't know how much I love hummingbirds, but I surely do! I indeed feel very blessed, and so will my clients. Most are physician-healers and other creative professionals. They want to move beyond burnout and other kinds of suffering, and to create peaceful, loving, joyful lives. They want to be contributing positively in the world, making it a better place. I am so grateful to be doing this work, and to be sharing Aloha from my true self in this way. <br /><br />Care well for your own precious Breath of Life, my friends -- and tend carefully what you send out through your "Creation Hole." It will manifest in all kinds of ways. And many thanks to David K. John and Steve Hardison for sharing their creations with the rest of us as they do!<br /><br />With Aloha,<br />Pam </span></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "segoe ui", Roboto, "helvetica neue", Arial, "noto sans", sans-serif, "apple color emoji", "segoe ui emoji", "segoe ui symbol", "noto color emoji"" style="background-color: #f8fafc; border-color: initial; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; font-size: 18px;"></span></div><p></p></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span face="ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "segoe ui", Roboto, "helvetica neue", Arial, "noto sans", sans-serif, "apple color emoji", "segoe ui emoji", "segoe ui symbol", "noto color emoji"" style="background-color: #f8fafc; border-color: initial; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; font-size: 18px;"></span></div><p></p></blockquote><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span face="ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "segoe ui", Roboto, "helvetica neue", Arial, "noto sans", sans-serif, "apple color emoji", "segoe ui emoji", "segoe ui symbol", "noto color emoji"" style="background-color: #f8fafc; border-color: initial; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; font-size: 18px;"></span></div><p></p>Pam Pappas MDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03820479204183581736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6833144141674289132.post-71714739753077289232023-05-13T19:10:00.002-07:002023-05-14T18:38:44.227-07:00Bilbo the Cat: Bearer of Compassion and Soother of Souls, Before I Realized I Needed Those Things<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJFSLqs_Uo1UdAKEtfw7LSAKEY2jwFxkzhtHg3SFq5tylDkmUfKevDuXjMxyrouHGjw2x1ZgHAuXfwgnywcS171WDfnbpwPsOJ0edNj-S-wDVQJNRFF7uYW7ttOgiCNN615-tKAI9CBIdIN8zmrib0FpCJHO4PVLj-66R1atPtk_-wilUG-Gz2xxUXeA/s671/Bilbo_Grimesland%20NC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="467" data-original-width="671" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJFSLqs_Uo1UdAKEtfw7LSAKEY2jwFxkzhtHg3SFq5tylDkmUfKevDuXjMxyrouHGjw2x1ZgHAuXfwgnywcS171WDfnbpwPsOJ0edNj-S-wDVQJNRFF7uYW7ttOgiCNN615-tKAI9CBIdIN8zmrib0FpCJHO4PVLj-66R1atPtk_-wilUG-Gz2xxUXeA/w400-h279/Bilbo_Grimesland%20NC.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />Have you ever loved a pet -- and had that pet love you in return? I surely have. The photo above is of Bilbo, who was my loving companion in medical school, residency, and beyond. <br /><br />My then-boyfriend gave him to me as an early Valentine's gift. At least that was the story he told.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">More truthfully, we rescued him from Zayre's Discount Store one snowy afternoon, when we were shopping for a few other things. Bilbo was a scrawny kitten sitting all by himself in a much-too-big cage, yelling his head off as I walked by. A sign said he was "free to a good home." I knelt down to his level on the floor, and was smitten from the first eye contact. The little fluff-ball knew it, too. Reaching his paw out through the bars of his prison, he fully claimed my heart with one tender touch. That was it. D's objections were futile. <br /><br />Our shopping list expanded to include kitten supplies and toys, along with food for his hungry belly. (Zayre's profited by giving him away that day!) Home he came, sitting on me and purring the whole way. Of course his name was "Bilbo," after the Hobbit in Lord of the Rings (my then favorite book). I fancied that his feet were furry like the Hobbits' were, plus his expressive ears registered all manner of emotion. His perky pink nose added to the sweetness of his face.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Although he wouldn't admit it openly, D loved him in his own way. This gruff, macho-behaving guy ended up sewing a furry "snug sack" that echoed Bilbo's black and white fur. Zipped up, it was big enough to fit one human; unzipped and laid across laps and legs, it was perfect for two. Its warmth was essential, since our multi-windowed apartment was very drafty. Bilbo would stretch out over us like a purring Superman, laying claim to us both. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Being on a Navy scholarship for medical school, D had many clinical rotations away in other towns. I made sure I could walk to most of mine locally, since I didn't have a car. I also wanted to be home each night to care for Bilbo. It was somewhat like looking after a child, watching him grow -- minus the need for day care while I was at school. There were happy times making a snow elephant one winter, and vigorous gardens in the springs and summers. Bilbo would pad along beside us as we worked in the yard; he never tried to run away. Sometimes he even helped us dig, but he didn't poop in the garden. He knew we were his family.<br /><br />In spring of our 4th year, we married. Fearing my alcoholic mother's probable shenanigans at a traditional wedding, we chose a small private ceremony with only the pastor and 2 of our medical school classmates as witnesses. I made my dress and embroidered D's shirt, with Bilbo supervising the process. I am sure there were cat hairs woven into both of our garments! We announced our marriage after the fact. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">D's parents and grandmother Mimi were kind enough to care for Bilbo while we interviewed all over the nation for residencies. This was especially gracious of them, since his mother was allergic to cats! Mimi loved him dearly, and she enjoyed having him in her downstairs apartment (where his dander wouldn't cause reactions for Georga, either). By the end of our travels, Bilbo had Mimi heating his canned food. "Oh, he doesn't want that old cold stuff!" she told us. She was reluctant to let him go when we returned, but we somehow prevailed. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Bilbo was my ongoing companion through the perils of internship, psychiatric residency, multiple moves, and eventual marital distress and dissolution. He was patient while I cried, and he would lick my teary face. I nurtured him through several illnesses, including lymphoma and occult abscesses from cat fights I hadn't known he'd been in. I was suicidal and in treatment myself; I knew I could not kill myself though, because no one would be left to look after him. So in his gentle feline way, Bilbo's presence helped me hold on to life when it might have been otherwise. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">After the divorce, Bilbo and I lived out in the country. I was full-time faculty at the medical school, developing and running a busy mental health service for medical students and residents. Between working, playing with Bilbo, writing papers, and playing music, I somehow took up birding as a hobby. He loved to watch all the colorful visitors come to the feeders, and there were so many! He and I were quite a pair -- huddled down a dirt road by the river, listening to the calls of barred owls and foxes. I continued in my own psychotherapy, and some feeling of aliveness started to return.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">One day I came home from work, to find blood all over the kitchen. Sweet Bilbo was laying on his side in a closet, doing what cats do when feeling poorly. I quickly got him to an emergency vet, who determined that a tumor under his tongue was the bleeding source. One day he'd been fine, eating and playing; the next day, he was not. He'd had regular checkups every six months since his lymphoma 5 years before, and this tumor had not shown up until it erupted in its current form. <br /><br />Bilbo lost weight quickly; he could not eat, drink, or groom himself. He was clearly miserable. The vet allowed me to bring him home for one last night together; he slept on my head the whole time. I imagine a lot of heat was coming off that part of me, for him -- but he was still shivering. I added a blanket for him there, and he purred softly. I couldn't imagine him not being a part of my daily life anymore, but I knew it was time to let him go.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The next day we drove back to the vet's office, and I held him gently in my lap as his Rainbow Bridge IV was given. I didn't want him to be alone or frightened, so I stayed with him to the end. He was "with" me one instant, looking up at me. Then suddenly he went limp. All the years of love and compassion between us were right there, in the room. The vet left me alone with him. We had decided he'd be buried on some land the vet had, which would never be disturbed. I was grateful for that kindness, during such a sad situation. That vet had many other ill pets to attend to that day, but he took time to speak of these things with me. He said many people just leave their pets to be euthanized, and he was glad I stayed with mine. I couldn't imagine just dropping him off alone like that, so there was no question at all about what I'd do. I sat with Bilbo's body in my lap for about an hour after that, silently thanking him for his presence in my life. I prayed he would know peace, wherever he had gone. He'd seemed peaceful in this process, but what did I really know? This was long before I'd had my own near-death experience, so I was even more clueless than now.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">When I think of those years of severe trauma and grief in losing my marriage, it is Bilbo who was my main comfort and companion. Not even the psychiatrist I was working with matched what "Little Bill" (as some called him) provided for me. Bilbo was simply always present for me, in the wordless places of my soul. It didn't matter how I looked, smelled, or what I was feeling. He seemed to understand suffering, and his eyes seemed soft and gentle with wisdom. He communicated care with his whole body, rubbing up against me. It was a language and comfort beyond the verbal. He also witnessed my evolution from medical student, to resident, to faculty member. It was a long and harrowing road, and I am filled with wonder that I survived. As above, he's a big reason I did.<br /><br />I could tell you more -- but I won't, just now. What I do know for sure: our pets are compassion embodied in flesh. Loving them is a 2-way street. I hope everyone gets a chance to experience this with some creature in life.<br /><br />With Aloha,<br />Pam</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p>Pam Pappas MDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03820479204183581736noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6833144141674289132.post-62790327614542992942023-01-22T19:45:00.000-07:002023-01-22T19:45:08.202-07:00Loving, Holding, and Letting Go<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgej1Y3kouTOepcM8zCxMuaN2nrkWti1YsstTJjQTdobZBpGn1TtoAUHHvWG3gC8tij6y0jT9fGnJghla22s3LvLYczil-cDVqevS1q3vY4cd0ApG_q0uNg6Hh14jnabLWG20Jr6QpcbbWsOIgyHZebEBM-FIIgwWJLvWOpI_CDZD5ZvSEx9gLksvSaKg/s600/Pinckney%20Wildlife%20Refuge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgej1Y3kouTOepcM8zCxMuaN2nrkWti1YsstTJjQTdobZBpGn1TtoAUHHvWG3gC8tij6y0jT9fGnJghla22s3LvLYczil-cDVqevS1q3vY4cd0ApG_q0uNg6Hh14jnabLWG20Jr6QpcbbWsOIgyHZebEBM-FIIgwWJLvWOpI_CDZD5ZvSEx9gLksvSaKg/w400-h266/Pinckney%20Wildlife%20Refuge.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">I haven't been in South Carolina for many years, but am here now for a dear friend and colleague's memorial. She didn't live here herself, but her parents moved to Hilton Head in 2000. The place became home for her family, and served as a delightful setting for many joyful reunions. <br /><br />So it's no wonder her memorial would be held here -- amidst palmettos, salt marsh, and constantly changing skies. I took a sweet walk at Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge [pictured] yesterday, just to savor the place. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">It has been a time of fullness, connection, weeping, laughter, remembering, and dwelling at the confluence of spirit and flesh. Since it's January, the skies wept along with the humans. There have also been multiple uncanny events which I will not describe right now, because I do not yet understand them. Later, for that. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Sue and I met when she decided to change her specialty from Ob-Gyn to Psychiatry. I felt so fortunate to participate in her training, because she was bright, funny, and open-hearted. Psychiatry was evolving from psychotherapy-based to domination by pharmacotherapy and managed-care, but in those days we still had time to get to know our patients. Our usual length of inpatient stay, in fact, was around 3 weeks. I know she went through some times of burnout as we all did, but she was deeply committed to learning a new specialty. Through her astute and probing questions, she helped me grow too. We became comrades, observing healthcare systems and departments with curiosity -- often wondering aloud in "Whiskey-Tango-Foxtrot" terms at what we saw.<br /><br />After she graduated, we stayed in contact and became trusted friends. She was kind and supportive as I went through an extremely difficult divorce. I listened to her dilemmas also -- not as a therapist, but as a friend. I don't think I've ever felt so heard and cared for as a person, or had my seemingly "weird" ideas held with such kindness as she offered. <br /><br />She also had a gift for writing, and a heart for wandering in beautiful places. We were both drawn to the Southwest, and had many a hike in Arizona where I eventually moved and she also worked for a time. She and her lovely RN wife Michele were often guests in my home, and we were a lively trio. All of us had a fondness for Native Americans and their culture, so was it any wonder that Sue would eventually land a job on the Navajo reservation? Gosh, she was ever-learning and growing -- and not afraid to traverse the nation back and forth as she explored and worked in new places. I so admired her courage to pick up and GO, when she felt it was time. I had done a good bit of that, myself.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">When this vibrantly healthy, organic-foodie, humor-loving, and self-care embracing woman showed up with metastatic bladder cancer, we all were shocked. At the time she was diagnosed, she'd been planning to join me at one of my physician burnout workshops not far from where she lived. The biopsy news made it clear what was coming though, and she needed to cancel the conference and attend to her health. By then she was medical director of an integrated primary care/mental health system in Washington state, and also had to plan for transitions in her work capacity. None of that did she love. She kept saying, "I'm just not ready to be a cancer patient." She hated that part, and devoted all kinds of energy to being more in her life than in her illness.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Yet in typical Sue style, she also pursued consultations and participated in multiple treatment trials all over the nation. We talked about pros and cons, and the great trepidation and sadness she felt over selling the beautiful property she and Michele had bought on the water. It had been their dream, but was more than one person could comfortably manage. Its locale was a blessed solace for 2, but potentially isolating for someone living alone. She didn't want to imagine dying -- but had to plan for "just in case." Knowing that I had been close to death just a couple years before, she wanted to hear about what I'd learned. We talked as much about that as she would ask for and/or tolerate.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Today there was a wealth of family and friends who loved her, and who especially enjoyed her laughter and zany stories. When she listened to you, you felt like the only person in the room. And, her warm laughter opened hearts. I don't know "why" these illnesses show up in people who are so loving and connected, but they do. I wish they didn't. She was part of so many lives, and we all miss her profoundly. Our time with her though, has brought healing to all of us in one way or another. We are better human beings because Sue has been in our lives. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">As Mary Oliver wrote in her poem, "In Blackwater Woods":<br /></span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-bottom: var(--global-md-spacing); margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: verdana;"><b>"To live in this world</b></span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-bottom: var(--global-md-spacing); margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: verdana;"><b>you must be able<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />to do three things:<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />to love what is mortal;<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />to hold it</b></span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: verdana;"><b>against your bones knowing<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />your own life depends on it;<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />and, when the time comes to let it<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />go,<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />to let it go."</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I can't help but wonder, what's she seeing now? Thinking of her in my heart, and breathing a "thank you."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">With Aloha always,<br />Pam</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p>Pam Pappas MDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03820479204183581736noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6833144141674289132.post-14019348509025381212023-01-08T19:22:00.000-07:002023-01-08T19:22:34.485-07:00Creativity in Physicians: Vital to Our Lives, and to Medicine Itself<p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifdDrA8QjDbmXnQHoRit77KlYOVxRb9Mk5wpRNfBgQpZ8hIbzIXgNatoZbN-pd0zPXqKbb0dqgrv1bjy4IafYDvsj8Nw07P2JamcXDWJtieWTvWiPVY8VDy-ovIVswkl2hVLRprR4tF2GgYr7-i11gxSEJ3H0koqTMAjCcZZvvZE1Ibj04ui0n1nl3TA/s355/Crushing%20soul.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="355" data-original-width="355" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifdDrA8QjDbmXnQHoRit77KlYOVxRb9Mk5wpRNfBgQpZ8hIbzIXgNatoZbN-pd0zPXqKbb0dqgrv1bjy4IafYDvsj8Nw07P2JamcXDWJtieWTvWiPVY8VDy-ovIVswkl2hVLRprR4tF2GgYr7-i11gxSEJ3H0koqTMAjCcZZvvZE1Ibj04ui0n1nl3TA/s320/Crushing%20soul.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">I met
with a new coach the other day, as part of a business-building program. "Why
are you focusing so much on physicians?” he asked. “There are so many other
people out there, after all." <br />
<br />
It seemed a reasonable enough question. Yet my first response (kept to myself) was
thinking that in his eyes, I was doing something "wrong." <br />
<br />
I felt inadequate and shamed – as if caring for my colleagues as a psychiatrist
my entire career, was lackluster. These people have always sought me
out, everywhere I’ve worked. They've been in all stages of career, from medical
school through retirement; many have also been medical leaders. Helping them through whatever
they’re experiencing, has come very naturally to me. <br />
<br />
Beyond my office though, I knew many physicians were suffering even if not diagnostically
ill. What about them? <br />
<br />
Thousands were slogging through burnout, just as I had multiple times myself. I
knew they didn’t need psychoanalytic “there and then” approaches so much. While
being heard with compassion for their past, they now needed more focus on their
present and future. To respond more effectively in these areas, I sought
additional training as a coach. Over the years in fact, I’ve graduated from multiple
coach training programs, and decided to certify in several. <br />
<br />
Clearly, I've been honing my skills for a definite purpose -- even though this may have been unclear to that coach. </span><span face=""Segoe UI Emoji", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">😉</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"><br />
<br />
Life transformation for physicians and other creative souls is a perfectly
legitimate focus. It's something I know a lot about personally and
professionally. In the words of Carlos Castaneda and Jack Kornfield, it’s a
path that has heart for me. And there’s a definite need for it.<br />
<br />
My initial shutting down at the coach's question though, was curious to me. Like most
long-term trauma survivors, I dislike feeling misunderstood, judged, or
dismissed. I've come to know this is simply my human desire for love and acceptance, but I can still get hung up there. It’s also
true that wanting to "fit in" can lead to shutting down creativity
and spunk in general, especially when others seem to be brushing us off. <br />
<br />
Many of my physician clients have also experienced trauma in their personal
lives, training, and practice (particularly through the COVID pandemic). No less sensitive than me, they've shown the same "self-squelching" tendency that I'd had with that coach. Though coming from all different specialties,
they frame their distress similarly. Some common ways I've heard:<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"I feel
like Medicine [or my specific job] is crushing my soul."<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"I feel
like I've lost my soul [in Medicine]."<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"I've given
my heart and soul to become a doctor, and it's not at all what I thought
it would be."<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"I feel
like nothing is left of me. I feel numb all the time, and don't know who I
am anymore."<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">Such
experiences illustrate huge suffering for individual physicians, their
families, and their teams, of course.<br />
<br />
What's often overlooked though, is the losses to healthcare itself when
intelligent, high-performing physicians dare not express themselves fully in
their lives and work. What if they don't ask questions, share clinical
observations, or research unfamiliar areas? What if they don't seek out and find
ways to apply promising new treatments for their patients’ illnesses? What if
they don't review and improve service delivery, making sure all is completed
efficiently and safely? For starters, Medicine and healing never advance, patients can't
access the help they need, and some may even be harmed. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">When
physicians stay connected with their sense of soul and unique perspective, they can be
more present with their patients AND enjoy their personal and professional
lives much more. Also, unleashing their collective creativity allows their
insights to improve and heal Medicine itself.<br />
<br />
To me, this connection between soul and creativity is direct for
all of us, despite differences in background and vocation. Impressions and
intuitions are coming through us all the time when we simply listen. These are
vital to us all as a species sharing a planet and universe. <br />
<br />
When these insights are fresh though, they can be very tender; we can feel
vulnerable to others' criticisms. About this situation, Martha Graham (one of
the 20th century's most influential modern dancers and choreographers) famously
said:</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #2b00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening
that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of
you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will
never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. The world will not
have it. <b>It is not your business to determine how good it is nor how
valuable nor how it compares with other expressions.</b> It is your
business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open.”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">
Physicians are some of the most creative, loving, and skilled people I know,
though many may temporarily squelch anything they feel might make them "odd." I feel called to help them revive
their sense of soul and creativity in their lives and work, so that they can
express this vital, authentic energy Martha Graham described. Everybody
benefits, not just physicians personally.<br />
<br />
Our work combines non-religious spiritual understanding with practical
strategies for the issues showing up. Some of my clients naturally move into
new pursuits beyond Medicine. Others gradually reconfigure the way they're
practicing Medicine, to better align with their deepest felt and most unique
expressions in life. Some find new jobs that work better for them, at this time in their lives.<br />
<br />
Though I work successfully with all kinds of creative people, my background uniquely
positions me for supporting other physicians through these deep transformations.
We may not know all the specific outcomes when we start, but we know the
results will include feelings of aliveness, fun, and spaciousness that elude us
when living through "I've lost my soul" times! Though painful, I
believe even these times can be transformation points for each of us.<br />
<br />
I wish I'd been able to say all this when that coach first questioned my interests,
but I wasn’t. He may not have been able to hear me anyway. The important part
is that eventually, I did. <br />
<br />
Peace begins with me – your loving disruptor,<br />
Pam</span></p><div><p></p></div>Pam Pappas MDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03820479204183581736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6833144141674289132.post-13232109021747559642022-12-31T18:21:00.001-07:002022-12-31T18:32:23.039-07:00When Mindful Self-Compassion Turns Painful: How to Work With "Backdraft"<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMHmP9jjeyv7xO9RUIVzh-Bs1PgkS7IbLVOwOEdqwqsaHZ2xjmRgTCbibpAeTOpaemaOJm8suX7bt-HVMhuMHXp3x1j7tb_UBfSN0cgJu5LAQkzb47tfkXNbOFw06gcjwuWS62NQCyxdAeiyyODiAhz6G9P6umFLDr2Y-iLWtuENK8PPMKff8S98iDbA/s1200/Backdraft.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="631" data-original-width="1200" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMHmP9jjeyv7xO9RUIVzh-Bs1PgkS7IbLVOwOEdqwqsaHZ2xjmRgTCbibpAeTOpaemaOJm8suX7bt-HVMhuMHXp3x1j7tb_UBfSN0cgJu5LAQkzb47tfkXNbOFw06gcjwuWS62NQCyxdAeiyyODiAhz6G9P6umFLDr2Y-iLWtuENK8PPMKff8S98iDbA/w400-h210/Backdraft.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Physicians and other healthcare professionals naturally extend compassion to others; they want to ease suffering. This deep urge calls many into Medicine as their vocation, despite realizing that the path will be difficult. Compassion for others is part of our very nature. <br /><br />We're often uncomfortable or unfamiliar with extending this same compassion towards ourselves, though. <br /><br />We may have grown up in families who valued outer achievements over inner experience. We know how to work hard, and push through pain. We've few (or no) real-world models for approaching life in any other way, or even imagining that we deserve love and compassion ourselves. While serving these up generously for others, we don't even include ourselves at the table. <br /><br />Enter an onslaught of online information about self-compassion, as if it's the answer for every ailment. Since our whole world seems to be starving for compassion, the topic's popularity makes sense. Naturally, my physician clients start investigating and using these practices. Some, however, are surprised to find that they feel worse rather than better.<br /><br />How can this be?<br /><br />It's actually not uncommon to experience intensified feelings of shame, unworthiness, fear, and sadness with self-compassion practice -- especially if our previous experience has been as described above. Thoughts of being a failure, or being all alone, may follow these reactions. We might think: "No one else feels this way. I'm the only one. I'm hopeless." Physical tension, body aches, deep fatigue, or GI distress can show up too. Tears or anger may pop up during meditations, for seemingly no reason. And then we may feel agitated, withdraw from others, numb out, or criticize ourselves and others. It's not at all what we thought would happen, with self-compassion practice.<br /><br />What on earth is happening here?<br /><br />In a nutshell, our hearts have begun to open -- maybe after being closed for years. (I have certainly been in that state!) It's the beginning of a needed healing process. The resultant pain is like when the nerves in our hands "wake up" after being out in the cold -- or we've been in an awkward position for too long. You know that "pins and needles" feeling as sensation returns? It's like that, with our human hearts. <br /><br />Another metaphor is that of "backdraft," like in the photo accompanying this post. Firefighters know that a fire can use up all the oxygen in a room, and seem to die down temporarily. But when fresh oxygen enters (like through a suddenly opened window or door) the flames can explode and rush outward. Swoosh!<br /><br />Receiving self-compassion can feel likewise to our newly opening hearts. Some of us have pushed old wounds aside for years, in order to keep functioning in our work and daily lives. No time or attention has been there, for any of that. When we begin to feel loved and the door of our heart opens, the love goes in -- and the pain comes out. Another kind of "swoosh"! <br /><br />It's not that self-compassion practice <i>causes </i>these feelings, though. We're just re-experiencing pain that's presenting to us for healing. <br /><br />Although the "backdraft" metaphor may sound scary, it's not dangerous. Our resistance to its sensations does create suffering, though. <br /><br />So, what can we do when we feel pain with self-compassion practices?<br /><br />One step is to learn from firefighters. Because they understand that backdraft can happen, they enter new spaces gradually. They don't yank doors open suddenly or without thinking. Instead, they mindfully (and with precision) use their hatchets to create smaller holes into the space. Air does come in, and the flames may rise -- but the firefighters are prepared to meet and contain them. (We don't need anything as harsh as hatchets with self-compassion practice, though. We just need self-kindness, with an observant, honest, yet gentle approach.)<br /><br />Simply understanding how "backdraft" applies in this context, can prepare us as we experiment with these new attitudes and practices. Realizing that backdraft is common for many people -- especially high-performing physicians! -- can help relieve our fear that we're irrevocably damaged. We're not. <br /><br />Another piece is noticing where we are emotionally, as we do this work. Are we in our comfort/safety zone, our zone of challenge (optimal for growth and learning), or our zone of overwhelm? This can change from time to time. It's important to monitor and ask ourselves what we need along the way. <br /><br />The main idea is noticing when we're suffering or overwhelmed, and responding with kindness. Do we maybe need to step away, have a cup of tea, take a walk, or pet our dog? Maybe we need to take shorter periods to meditate, rather than forcing ourselves into preconceived schedules. Maybe we need to connect with our coach or a friend. Maybe it's helpful to listen to some favorite music, and to move with it. <br /><br />It may help to name the strongest emotion coming up ("Ahh, that's grief," "Ohh, that's shame," etc). This engages frontal cortex rather than limbic brain alone. We can also explore the physical sensations we're noticing in our bodies, and offer soothing touch in those places. We can practice tactical breathing. (I'll post about this another time.) <br /><br />You may have found still other options already that assist you. <br /><br />One last possibility I'll mention is <b>"Soles of the Feet"</b> meditation, which comes from my Mindful Self-Compassion Teacher Training. It helps anchor awareness in the present moment, in our body sensations -- especially when we're upset and can't seem to calm ourselves down. Here it is:<br /></span><p></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">• Stand up and feel the soles of your feet on the floor. Rock forward and back a little, and side to
side. Make little circles with your knees, feeling the changes of sensation in the soles of your
feet.</span> </p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">• When you notice your mind has wandered, just feeling the soles of your feet again.</span></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">• If you wish, you can begin to walk slowly, noticing the changing sensations in the soles of your
feet. Noticing the sensation of lifting a foot, stepping forward, and the placing the foot on the
floor. Doing the same with both feet as you walk.</span> </p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">• As you walk, perhaps also noticing for a moment how small the surface area of your feet is, and
how hard your feet work to keep your body off the ground. See if you can notice that with
appreciation or gratitude.</span> </p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">• When you are ready, returning to standing</span> </p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
• Adapted from Singh et al, 2003</span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">May some of these offerings help us extend compassion to ourselves, each other, our families, our teams, and our patients. These are perilous times, and every little bit matters.<br /><br />Peace Begins With Me,<br />Pam</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p>Pam Pappas MDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03820479204183581736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6833144141674289132.post-8407446450395378452022-12-25T17:06:00.002-07:002022-12-25T17:34:33.578-07:00What is Mana -- and Do You Have to Be Special to Merit Some?<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQo6nndi48GJ0T4nlu83t4xm2ozWmqaTxTSaVLyhFq--KD350nyiRiPzfczUq1xEDvivMms0XJLQ18ctWEtrEUMubJ9alUhbA4inV-ghFFUv6DI0rjJLCIUsBL1pBXV1yZWdLj4Zfa_fETrLq-OHs5nxZCMgfwjfLgW46UP60fD83XFcSubFsuEbHsSQ/s2000/Lava%20Flow%20Ocean%205.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1335" data-original-width="2000" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQo6nndi48GJ0T4nlu83t4xm2ozWmqaTxTSaVLyhFq--KD350nyiRiPzfczUq1xEDvivMms0XJLQ18ctWEtrEUMubJ9alUhbA4inV-ghFFUv6DI0rjJLCIUsBL1pBXV1yZWdLj4Zfa_fETrLq-OHs5nxZCMgfwjfLgW46UP60fD83XFcSubFsuEbHsSQ/w400-h268/Lava%20Flow%20Ocean%205.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">"Mana, my young friend, is a power that holds the secret to your very existence. Mana on its own has neither definite shape nor form, yet it is in everything that exists.</span></div><p></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Mana is the power that holds this world of ours together. Mana is pure energy. It is virtually impossible for anyone to explain what Mana really is because it is of spirit essence. Mana cannot be seen by the naked eye. It must be absorbed by a positive feeling.</span></div><p></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">It is Mana that helps wash away the illusionary values you place on life. It is the sustenance of the wise."</span></div><p></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">-- from "Second Chance," by Sydney Banks. (pg 68-69)</span></div><p></p></blockquote><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The above quote comes from the author's character, Mamma Lila, a Hawaiian elder who some considered "plain crazy." Nonetheless, she had the gift of 'ike papalua, or being able to see multiple realities at the same time. She had been guided in this understanding from childhood by her grandfather, who was a wise and well-known kahuna. <br /><br />Such capabilities exist in all of us, though perhaps they aren't as well-developed. <br /><br />And of course, energy can show up in all kinds of ways -- including some that people may view as "destructive." <br /><br />For instance <a href="https://www.nps.gov/havo/learn/nature/ml2022.htm" target="_blank">Mauna Loa</a>, the largest active volcano in the world, very recently erupted on the Big Island of Hawaii. Relatively quiet since its last eruption in 1984, Mauna Loa has drawn people from all over the world to witness her current activities. Her power and magnitude have been stunning, as lava can cover and destroy roads and whatever else might be in the way. Yet this is also how new land is formed on volcanic islands -- and there are 5 different volcanos making up the Big Island itself. (The photo above is actually lava from Kilauea, falling into the sea. Brian Harig is the photographer) <br /><br />Had you ever imagined that we humans are part of the same transformational energy behind everything else in the universe -- including orange trees, koala bears, and volcanoes? <br /><br />It may appear that we are separate beings -- but at the energetic level behind and before our current physical form, we are all completely connected. In fact, it can't be otherwise. Ever since the Big Bang itself, we've simply been exchanging atoms, molecules, and energy.<br /><br />Some years ago I attended a leadership retreat where one of the activities was leaning out over a high, windy cliff, secured by ropes that vigilant others held. We could say (or scream!) anything we wanted to -- and due to the noisy wind, no one else could hear. It could be a time of prayer, initiation, or letting go; or anything we could imagine, all at once. <br /><br />Hanging out over the abyss (with my arms outstretched as if flying), I found myself buffeted by the wind. Through racking sobs, I begged whoever ran the universe to PLEASE let me be part of it -- to help me find my place, if there was one. It was as if belonging was only for the cool kids, and I had never been one of those. I longed to contribute something meaningful and useful to others; to love, connect with others, and share what was most real and true to me. <br /><br />When you realize that I'd been a physician and psychiatrist for at least 20 years by that point, it was a real "head snap" moment. You'd think acceptance into humanity would already have been complete, for me -- yet it wasn't. I realized painfully that I'd never felt worthy of the gift of life (or love) itself. <br /><br />Yes, of course there are incongruities here. I am also not the "only" person who has ever felt this way. (Gathering from the hundreds of other physicians I have treated or coached over the years, at least.) <br /><br />Though I'd always felt deeply connected to nature, I'd felt excluded from the ranks of other humans. There were reasons for that, as I saw it at the time. It was like others had a specialness I could never attain; I had fallen so unspeakably short of "acceptable," the gap was permanent. My life had been an ongoing treadmill of repair attempts, ever since. Degrees, fellowships, seminars, books, workshops, additional certifications, many thousands of dollars invested -- you name it, I pursued it. (Including that leadership retreat.)<br /><br />I've learned a lot in the years since. I had never FELT the visceral sense of connection with life and other humans I had begged for though, until recognizing that the same Mana behind the ocean and the volcano, is also in me. I just happen to look different, is all. My 'ike papalua fell far short of Mamma Lila's. <br /><br />I don't know exactly "how" this insight came to me, but it did. A near-death experience certainly helped -- but that story is for another time. I simply saw that any sense of separation from that "Mana" energy of Life, came only through my own misunderstanding. This is a blessed relief, even when events in my life seem to be going sideways. <br /><br />The best part? You don't have to be "special" to merit Mana; it pre-exists and infuses your current form. No hierarchy, no cliques or "cool kids" are involved -- except at the level of human misunderstanding. That alone might be something for Pele and her lava to take care of, though.😉<br /><br />Peace begins with me,<br />Pam<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span></div><br /><p></p>Pam Pappas MDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03820479204183581736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6833144141674289132.post-50553157812212963122022-12-17T14:30:00.000-07:002022-12-17T14:30:53.032-07:00Beyond Ho'oponopono Alone -- and into the Intelligent Energy (Mana) Within Us All<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_3RX_tn4PVcaLdptpbSkazRZmWqmGMeouwEtboGZXRb3bRbJbBcls05DZ-a6puHRXtGoNmgIcccz2AYsiT938IlAN_5gab4nEJv48b4VomIDojT5U6CEoCtB6GJiUFD7KokattvuiiaXBqOA1lhRMuuE6GsZX_jwCUHdmvY3G2-qYvDJldIasd2o1PQ/s4032/shutterstock_1959210943.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_3RX_tn4PVcaLdptpbSkazRZmWqmGMeouwEtboGZXRb3bRbJbBcls05DZ-a6puHRXtGoNmgIcccz2AYsiT938IlAN_5gab4nEJv48b4VomIDojT5U6CEoCtB6GJiUFD7KokattvuiiaXBqOA1lhRMuuE6GsZX_jwCUHdmvY3G2-qYvDJldIasd2o1PQ/w400-h300/shutterstock_1959210943.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the formless, into form</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">I am expanding the subject area of this blog beyond Ho'oponopono alone, although Ho'oponopono remains a beautiful part of my life. <br /><br />For all the peace Ho'oponopono brings in this world, it is still a formed practice. <br /><br />By their very nature, all formed practices can become niduses of argument. People react, judge, examine and shred with fine-toothed combs, quibbling over each point. They debate what various aspects "mean," especially in the case of religions. They draw lines between themselves and others -- with self (of course) being "right," and others being "wrong."<br /><br />Ho'oponopono has certainly been an inflammatory subject like that. For my support of teachers like Morrnah Simeona and Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len, I have been criticized by native Hawaiians who feel these teachings and practices disrespect or even attempt to steal their culture. Or they describe it as a watered-down, fake approximation of the "real" Ho'oponopono practiced through the ages.<br /><br />I hear and respect those feelings, even though they miss my true intent.<br /><br />I have also been remonstrated by some in other countries who argue that THEY have Morrnah's final wishes and full techniques -- and are the only rightful heirs and teachers of Self-I-Dentity-Through-Ho'oponopono. (Rather than others who are also teaching widely under Morrnah's name.)<br /><br />Morrnah received and developed her form of Ho'oponopono through personal meditations, and began sharing these with others. She said these teachings "updated Ho'oponopono for modern times," especially in cultures where people were geographically far-flung. She wanted them to have processes through which they could come to inner peace, even when not everyone involved in a misunderstanding could travel physically to a Ho'oponopono gathering for collective resolution. Her practices incorporated elements of ancient Hawaiian spirituality along with more recent Christian ones. Some feel this was an attempt to make Ho'oponopono more "relatable" to non-Hawaiians, at the cost of authenticity to ancient practices. Morrnah saw universal applications and implications through Self-I-Dentity-Through-Ho'oponopono -- not just for Hawaiians alone.<br /><br />One of the practical applications of this insight of Morrnah's? At every in-person Ho'oponopono training I've attended, all nationalities and backgrounds are welcomed. Dr. Hew Len often asked for volunteers to read the opening and closing prayers in their native languages. You would hear Hawaiian of course -- but also Spanish, French, Portuguese, and many others as well. Sounds can open hearts.<br /><br />For me, larger questions arise about spiritual practices like Ho'oponopono (along with other meditative and/or religious ones as well).<br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Why are people seeking them out in the first place? </li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">What inner longings do they attempt to answer? </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Are there underlying aims and desires which are similar across cultures?</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">What moves people to grow and evolve at all?</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Are there fundamental energies (or Principles) which guide our lives, regardless of cultural or religious background?</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">If so, what is the nature of these energies, and how do we understand them (if we can at all)?</span></li><li>And more<br /></li></ul></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">As a human, physician, psychiatrist, and homeopath for many years, I have always been a seeker of understanding. Not just an intellectual understanding, but one of the heart. One that grounds and connects me lovingly with life itself, which expresses in infinite ways. <br /><br />Therefore this blog opens into the energy of Life, before and behind the form in which it shows up. New insights become possible in that way. The experience of inner peace becomes more consistent. I am fascinated to see how we humans create formed ideas from formless energy -- which we do every moment, through Thought. These are the areas we'll be tuning into, in the time to come.<br /><br />Thank you for reading and considering.<br /><br />Peace begins with me,<br />Pam<br /><br /></span><h4 style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-weight: 500; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style="color: #2b00fe;">“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.”</span></i></h4><h4 style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-weight: 500; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style="color: #2b00fe;">-- Morrnah Nalamaku Simeona</span></i></h4><p></p>Pam Pappas MDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03820479204183581736noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6833144141674289132.post-42134760128429503692018-01-06T22:25:00.000-07:002018-02-01T06:03:41.664-07:00Ho'oponopono or "Faux-o'ponopono"?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/PwVfPARt2h8/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PwVfPARt2h8?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This is a very brief video conversation with Morrnah Simeona and Dr. Ihaleakala Lew Len. Morrnah passed into spirit in Germany, in 1992.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The sincerity in both of them comes through for me. Morrnah became known for "updating" the ancient Ho'oponopono process of correcting errors and making things right, for modern times. She termed her method "Self-I-dentity Through Ho'oponopono."<br /><br />They speak of allowing Divinity to help each of us heal ourselves and our relationships through repentance, forgiveness, and transmutation -- the last of which, only Divinity can do. They point out that Divinity created us, not any other person. The traditional Ho'oponopono process involved an entire group of people, moderated by an elder who might make suggestions to dissipate family conflict. Here, Morrnah explains that her amendments rely on each person's bonding directly with Divinity, rather than relying on any other human to solve his or her problems. Further, she comments that she knew this process in "other lifetimes." <br /><br />I am sure her teachings were and are controversial, as they diverge markedly from traditional Hawaiian Ho'oponopono practices where an elder (with prayer and deep listening) might determine what each person "should" do to heal family problems and relationship breaches. <br /><br />Some have taken issue with certain phrases attributed to Morrnah, which may or may not have actually been part of her teaching ("I'm sorry, Please forgive me, Thank you, I love you" etc). She taught an at least 12-step process to use, and it involved quite a bit of preparation. This is what I have been shown in the many Self-I-dentity Through Ho'oponopono seminars I have attended and helped staff with IZI, LLC over the years. Many of these, Dr. Hew Len taught himself -- and his teachings were handed down from Morrnah. I do not know where the tradition of "cleaning tools" originated, but this is what the 4 phrases (and some other items) represent. They are said to condense the "cleaning" process into shorter segments that can be used as needed in everyday life. They are also ways to engage one's inner child to help with the cleaning, 24/7.<br /><br />The challenge with this, though, is that some call this "Faux-o'oponopono." They feel this "all inside the self, between you and Divinity" method leaves out the mutual, interactive Ho'oponopono practices successfully used for generations.<br /><br />Even more disturbingly, many non-Hawaiian trainers have jumped on the bandwagon, proclaiming the 4 phrases as "all you need to know" about Ho'oponopono to work with it effectively. Some also suggest it can be used to enhance financial wealth. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">To me, this </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">seems to cheapen and truncate a very rich and deep self-healing process. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Some have read about this "mantra" in Joe Vitale's book,
"Zero Limits." Dr. Hew Len is listed as a co-author, but he has
commented publicly about never having even read this book. </span><br /><br />I have recently received comments from associates of Michael Micklei, who for 5 years worked closely with Morrnah Simeona in Germany. In fact, she lived with Michael and his wife for the last year of her life. Michael expresses dismay at purported, inappropriate changes in the training -- specifically "the mantra" which he says Morrnah never taught in all his experience with her. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I cannot claim to know what she was
teaching at that time, which overlaps with the 10 years she also worked
with Dr. Hew Len. I only learned about Ho'oponopono for the first time
in 2005, and took my first trainings with Dr. Hew Len in 2006-7.</span><br /><br />The whole situation is painful for me, and I wish the 2 organizations could discuss and resolve their differences directly. Perhaps this is a situation where having all involved parties in the same room together, might really be helpful? It seems the technology available today could make this possible.<br /><br />Another reason it's painful for me, is that I don't</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> want to come across as attempting to co-opt something from another culture. For sure I don't want to promulgate incorrect information about it! If I have somehow done any of this through this blog, I sincerely apologize. <br /><br />Over many years now, the spiritual practice of Self-I-dentity Through Ho'oponopono (SITH) has become a guide in my life. It is definitely more than uttering a few phrases, and then waiting for my "order" to be filled. :-) Eons of memories are in every single one of us -- and can show up as relationship conflict, illness, life problems, etc. I have also read much about traditional Hawaiian culture, and heard from Kanaka Maoli (indigenous Hawaiians) who regard non-Hawaiian involvement in these practices as harmful, arrogant cultural misappropriations. It breaks my heart to find myself placed in that category. I am deeply respectful of the Hawaiians I have met -- and while curious about their perspectives, I do not mean to intrude into areas that belong to them alone.<br /><br /> Ultimately, the truth of these practices can only be verified through one's personal experience. Some of SITH for sure is Hawaiian; some may have evolved over time and has other origins. Morrnah herself was certainly Hawaiian, and so is Dr. Hew Len and many other participants I have met through my SITH seminars. I am told that Morrnah was and is a controversial figure though, so I guess this will continue to be a flash point in some circles. I know I cannot solve it myself. I can only live my life, respect the rights and feelings of others, and practice in a way that feels authentic to me. I have been through much in the last year -- more on that, later.<br /><br />Peace begins with me,<br />Pam</span></span>Pam Pappas MDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03820479204183581736noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6833144141674289132.post-6195558663748946402017-12-26T15:49:00.000-07:002017-12-28T11:48:56.728-07:00Is Ho'oponopono a "Magical Fix"?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkyD6Gqp09R3veBlx2wzTpiac062tDok6b3ewsV50SFIRFHKiRaqd6zZeRh5wy-eG759vCetlj4DUoI5VJHVq9UxUP8pLe_IVjemqYdqB7vNiMitc6cvf2DYoiHzM_MiGEfQj9-f1egcBP/s1600/good-fairy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="327" data-original-width="400" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkyD6Gqp09R3veBlx2wzTpiac062tDok6b3ewsV50SFIRFHKiRaqd6zZeRh5wy-eG759vCetlj4DUoI5VJHVq9UxUP8pLe_IVjemqYdqB7vNiMitc6cvf2DYoiHzM_MiGEfQj9-f1egcBP/s320/good-fairy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Something has been bothering me, and I want to share it here. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Ho'oponopono has a rich tradition of restoring harmony in families experiencing conflict -- and it long predates Christian missionaries ever visiting Hawaii. <br /><br />Traditionally, the practice required gathering the entire family (including children!) together for an extended and honest discussion of their difficulties, in the context of prayer, sincere listening, repentance, and forgiveness. A family or community elder guided and arbitrated the process, making sure that explosive emotions were contained. Otherwise, the proceedings themselves could traumatize the group further. All layers of feeling and action were examined, though. And as needed, contrition and restitution were encouraged, planned for, and carried out. <br /><br />You couldn't just dismiss someone's feelings about you -- you had to truly take in and consider them, and see how your own behavior was impacting others. I am sure many of these sessions brought out painful feelings, as each person took responsibility for his or her contributions to the problems. There was a releasing of ill feelings that might have been held for long periods. Not necessarily a "forgetting" of what had happened, but a letting go of hard, entrenched attitudes and grudges against each other. <br /><br />Despite requiring lengthy, challenging sessions, these methods proved effective in remedying (and even preventing) family discord over time. In the widely quoted book, <i>Nana I Ke Kumu (Look To The Source)</i> psychiatrist E.W. Haertig MD says, </span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>"Ho'oponopono may well be one of the soundest methods to restore and maintain good family relationships that any society has ever devised."</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Producing this effect required ALL parts of the Ho'oponopono process, though -- not just one or two. Clearly, the internal attitude carried by each participant was important, as was the intention and experience of the elder arbitrating the process. <br /><br />It was far more than a matter of saying 4 phrases and calling things "done." Describing the complexity of such family issues, Victoria Shook uses metaphor very skillfully: </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"</span></i><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The metaphor of a tangled net has been used to illustrate how problems
within a family affect not only persons directly involved but also other
family members. The family is a complex net of relationships, and any
disturbance in one part of the net will pull other parts. This metaphor
reinforces the Hawaiian philosophy of the interrelatedness of all
things." -- </span></i><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Victoria Shook, Ho'oponopono: Contemporary Uses of a Hawaiian Problem-Solving Process</i></span></span></i></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Enter the current publicity about Ho'oponopono, which has exploded since Joe Vitale published his book <i>Zero Limits</i> with long-time Ho'oponopono teacher Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len (who was trained by and taught with Morrnah Simeona for over 10 years). Much of the book seems to quote seminars and conversations with Dr. Hew Len, who has said publicly that he hasn't even read the book. This makes me wonder how much of <i>Zero Limits</i> he actually wrote himself, if any. <br /><br />Morrnah is said to have updated traditional Ho'oponopono for modern times. She noticed that it was difficult to physically gather everyone who might be involved in a family or group issue, and meditated on "how" to make the process an internal one -- between you and Divinity. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I did not know Morrnah Simeona personally, as others I've encountered did. Some have questioned the Ho'oponopono phrases attributed to her ("I'm sorry, Please forgive me, Thank you, I love you," etc) -- because they say she never mentioned those phrases in her teachings. They describe concerns that use of these phrases by themselves, may be an over-simplification of the very rich, deep Ho'oponopono process -- reducing it to a type of magical thinking, essentially. <br /><br />It can also be a kind of New Age misappropriation of something which rightfully requires its entire context and culture, to be fully appreciated. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">People often object to the specific phrases "I'm sorry, Please forgive me." They ask why they should "have" to apologize to anyone, when they feel they're the ones victimized? And is it also possible to end up inadvertently "punishing the victims" further, by using this "updated for modern times" Ho'oponopono -- without honoring its complexity? ("Oh, you say you were raped -- what did you do to cause that?" etc). Of course, all this can happen -- in the service of human self-protection and defensiveness.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In response to such reactions, I've often heard Dr. Hew Len talk about human arrogance and alienation from ourselves. After all, if all parts of us are in alignment, things would already be "pono," or "right." We would see that our own "stuff" is part of the presenting mess, so to speak -- and we would take responsibility for it without shame or guilt. We'd do what is right and perfect to do about these things, and then move on. The process of Ho'oponopono is about doing what it takes to set things right, when they're askew -- to untangle that fish net of interrelatedness mentioned above. It might even go all the way back to the beginning of time, if our minds could encompass all that. </span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> <i>"</i></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Today Ho’oponopono is just like family therapy. This has been really
influenced by the Christians. But I’m talking about the real
Ho’oponopono from before they came. [Back] then the Hawaiians didn’t
need to talk anymore. They could go straight to the Light. This is very
ancient. It goes back to the start, because that’s where Hawaiians came
from."</i> – Dr. Hew Len, <i>Shamanic Wisdomkeepers</i></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This is where the going gets rocky, between the shoals of over-intellectualism (too many "words" and questions) and magical thinking ("just say the 4 phrases and you're good" -- nothing else needed to heal those relationships). Dr. Hew Len has been personally helpful to me in letting go of some of my own defensiveness and intellectualism, and I am very grateful to him and others who have taught me. His suggestion is that even if I do not completely understand all the issues myself, Divinity (who created me) certainly does. So if I am authentically repentant -- assuming responsibility for my own contributions to that tangled relationship net above, and willing to accept help -- Divinity will help sort things out. The process starts with me -- and I can signal my willingness through use of the phrases. Or the use of many other "cleaning tools" shared at Self-I-dentity Through Ho'oponopono trainings. The IZI group specifies that their work is "<a href="http://www.self-i-dentity-through-hooponopono.com/newsletter-2-20-17.htm" target="_blank">different from traditional Ho'oponopono problem solving."</a><br /><br />Does this use of Ho'oponopono principles, represent magical thinking? I don't personally think so, because my orientation has always been towards caring for the deeper meanings of life. But I've also seen how some seem to glibly toss out a few phrases -- and then give up when these utterances don't seem to "work" (meaning things are not going according to their preferred plans, etc). This sort of expectation DOES seem like "magical thinking." So I can really understand why native Hawaiians are bothered by the "New Age Ho'oponopono" so common on the internet today. I don't want to contribute in any way to the cultural misappropriation of sacred Hawaiian practices -- nor do I want to suggest that Ho'oponopono offers "the cure" for any specific ailments or problems in our society. Nevertheless it has helped me grow as a human being, and to deal with certain issues in my own experience. For that, I can take 100% responsibility.<br /><br />Will I continue using Ho'oponopono personally, in my own life? Yes. And will I keep being open to more learning and understanding? You betcha. <br /><br />With love to all,<br />Pam<br /><i>Peace begins with me</i></span>Pam Pappas MDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03820479204183581736noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6833144141674289132.post-73700315927883023422015-11-28T22:49:00.000-07:002015-11-28T23:58:43.590-07:00Ho'oponopono Blessings, from Alaska to You<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDbDrwiCQJHzX1Nk8l7NnyUYla72BO-r4XwnJCP4TkctjvnXGHYal60xTwifhbN89ZduDrrzXgf78ko0T3vFaBBvW1ZNO_FehnrrcO27u_UJfSNvJkjGpMKz4DLJ56SON3g3dgwHZtICrc/s1600/543200451_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDbDrwiCQJHzX1Nk8l7NnyUYla72BO-r4XwnJCP4TkctjvnXGHYal60xTwifhbN89ZduDrrzXgf78ko0T3vFaBBvW1ZNO_FehnrrcO27u_UJfSNvJkjGpMKz4DLJ56SON3g3dgwHZtICrc/s400/543200451_640.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I've just enjoyed a 1987 video of Morrnah Simeona and Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len conversing about Ho'oponopono, through <a href="http://zerolag.biz/">Zerolag.biz</a>. What a wonderful gift for a Thanksgiving weekend! Zerolag.biz is making this vintage 29-minute video <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">ren<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">table</span></span> for $1.00, until Sunday evening 11/29/15. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In it, Morrnah describes her familiarity with traditional Ho'oponopono, which translates from Hawaiian as "making things right." Morrnah shares that <a href="http://self-i-dentity-through-hooponopono.com/" target="_blank">Self-Identity Through Ho'oponopono</a> is her own process, updated for modern times. She remarks that she knew this in previous lifetimes as well. Morrnah believed we all have MANY lifetimes, and that their memory traces come with us wherever we go. In fact, this residue is the root cause of all problems everywhere. <br /><br />The entire conversation is beautiful to me, as it encompasses the parts of the Self, our relationship with Divinity, healing, and health issues like diabetes, addiction, and schizophrenia. It was filmed in Alaska, and the moderator asks some very useful questions. <br /><br />Both Morrnah and Dr. Hew Len emphasize that Self-Identity Through Ho'oponopono is a way to work directly with Divinity ourselves -- rather than appealing to others who, after all, have not created us. <br /><br />Making sure all three parts of the self are well-connected is the first step, and Ho'oponopono seminars explain how to do this. This process aligns us with our Creator in ways no other human can accomplish -- which may be startling for some, and liberating for others. We can each appeal to the Divinity within for cleansing and healing, even when we don't consciously understand the myriad issues showing up in our lives.<br /><br /> For sure though, our Creator DOES know about them and their root causes. <br /><br />Dr. Hew Len describes some of his experiences with criminally psychotic patients at Hawaii State Hospital. Though employed as a clinical psychologist for 4-5 years, he did no talk therapy with these patients. Instead, he used Ho'oponopono processes to clean with his own reactions to their behaviors and histories. When other clinicians called them "crazy," he also cleaned with his own judgments about this rather than speaking directly with the people involved.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">He would ask the Divinity what he needed to do within himself in connection with each of these patients (and staff) so that Divinity could do His own work with them. This self-cleansing clears the way for Divinity to transmute all problems and symptoms -- which only Divinity can do, in His own time and rhythm. <br /><br />This may be one of the most difficult aspects of Ho'oponopono for us to grasp. Both Morrnah and Dr. Hew Len mention that people come into our lives in the present, because of old memories or data from the past. This is equally true of our parents, spouses, children, siblings, patients, and anyone else in our lives. When they arrive, it's an opportunity to let go of associated "stuff" within ourselves that might show up in any form including anger, hurt, judgment, physical symptoms, addictions, etc. We can ask Divinity to correct the errors we've unwittingly committed over time (all our shared previous lives!) that show up as these issues now. As we practice Ho'oponopono cleaning with each of these situations, the associated pain and suffering (manifesting as "problems") gradually lessens. <br /><br />Who knows how many layers we're dealing with though, or what level we're at in the process? Only our Divine Creator really knows -- and that's why we may think our Ho'oponopono isn't "working." <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">No matter what a<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">pp<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">ears to be happening on the outside, our best bet is to <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">heal the relationship between <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">the mother and child parts of our<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">selves on the inside. "That's the most important relationship in creation," says Dr. Hew Len. </span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><br />As a doctor, <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">one</span> part I contemplate <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">deeply</span> is why certain patients come to me, and how their healing proceeds. In medicine, I'm trained that it's up to me to figure out what each person needs, and to apply my skills in helping them achieve that. This might include various talk therapies and/or medicines -- homeopathic, but still these are medicines. In Ho'oponopono, it's my task to get myself out of the way as much as possible so that the Creator can work with them. And that's why I clean before going into the office every morning, and as I leave each evening. Hopefully, any <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">care I provide <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">is </span></span>then more likely to <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">come</span> through Divine inspiration than through my own errors. :-)<br /><br />I work towards similar repentance, forgiveness, and transmutation in my personal relationships too. <br /><br />If you'd like to see a brief part of the video, here's a link -- and no, it's not an "affiliate" one. :-) <br /><br /> </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/143030595" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe><br /><a href="https://vimeo.com/143030595">Morrnah Simeona and Ihaleakala Hew
Len, Ph.D in Alaska</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/user12456759">www.Zerolag.biz</a> on
<a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
<br />Peace begins with me,<br />Pam</span>Pam Pappas MDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03820479204183581736noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6833144141674289132.post-708805381050597182015-11-07T22:26:00.002-07:002015-11-07T23:21:30.774-07:00Ho'oponopono: to Clean or Not to Clean? Or: Who Gets the Non-Stop Flight :-) <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A fool and her luggage are soon parted. -- Pam Pappas MD</div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Ho'oponopono is a process which can be used in ALL of life, not just sometimes. It can cleanse memories or data from us, which would otherwise show up as problems. The trick is to remember to DO IT. Even the most caring and genuine among us can sometimes forget.<br /><br />Ordinarily, Ho'oponopono preparations before an airplane trip would include gently talking with your Inner Child (or Unihipili) about where you're going -- and making sure s/he is willing to come too. You<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">'</span>d cover all the legs of the journey, offering protection and care. You<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">'</span>d do your "HA" breathing, to make sure all parts of you are connected and energized before setting out; you might use a specific cleaning tool as inspired, multiple times before leaving. Think of how you'd prepare a small child for such a trip, and you've got it.<br /><br />Usually I clean with each of the steps beforehand, from door to door -- and talk with the plane when I board. Sounds weird, I know; but I do. Planes are often grateful somebody notices what all they do. Sometimes for all of this, an abbreviated process is fine.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />And here's what happens when you don't do ANY process, even connecting with your Inner Child. :-( <br /><br />I'd been at a coaching workshop in Asheville, and was very tired. The event ended on Friday evening, and I had a long flight home to Phoenix -- non-stop (so I thought) from Charlotte. <br /><br />Things began innocuously enough, and we even arrived in Charlotte early. But then, we had to sit on the runway for about 20 minutes because traffic was backed up. First sign of "uh-oh." Then we ended up parking at a gate at the very end of the "E" terminal<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> --<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> making it</span></span> a LONG sprint to my next flight.<br /><br /> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Coming inside, I checked the departure schedule for my next gate. There was only one flight to Phoenix listed -- showing a different flight number from the one on my ticket. Yet it was to leave within minutes of th<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">at</span> flight. Feeling uneasy, I wondered whether the recent US Airways<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> merger with </span>American Airlines had caused some change they hadn't told customers about? <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">With</span> no other option, I scurried over to Terminal B. <br /><br />Arriving at Gate B12, I asked the agent for help. "You're the only flight to Phoenix this evening, but your flight number is different from my ticket. Can you please tell me if something has changed?" She looked puzzled, called her manager, and then told me the flight on my ticket was at Gate D6. Indeed it wasn't listed on the departure screen, but she assured me it existed and was boarding now. <br /><br />Huh? A "secret" flight? And <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">y</span>ikes! <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This</span> meant</span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">streaking</span> back across the airport -- where crowds created a nightmarish obstacle course. As I zipped and maneuvered through folks with rollerbags, I'm sure I was part of somebody else's nightmare too. <br /><br />Breathlessly jogging to Gate D6, I found the boarding well underway. The flight number was correct, but the destination was Dallas-Ft. Worth! No mention of Phoenix at all. Handing my ticket to the gate agent, I asked her about this. With an exasperated tone of voice, she told me, "It goes straight through to Phoenix, ma'am." The crowd shuffled along obediently, me with it.<br /><br />Finding my seat, I promptly fell asleep. Still no cleaning, and no talking with the plane. Woke up realizing I was hungry, and asked if they were selling those chicken wrap sandwiches they advertised? "Oh no -- all we have is snacks, ma'am." None of them looked appealing. <br /><br />(Um, another step in preparing for a trip is to bring your Inner Child a bag with all needed supplies for the day. Check.)<br /><br />Arriving in Dallas, we taxied to the gate. The steward FINALLY mentioned that any passengers going on to Phoenix should get off the plane and re-board. So I did -- and was still hungry. It was 10pm in DFW's airport. What quarry might there be? Some corn chips in a vending machine. Yes, I confess to eating them. May my Unihipili forgive me. <br /><br />Back on the plane an hour later, there were babies crying as if their little hearts would break. I finally said "Ice Blue" -- first sign of cleaning all night. Fell asleep again, exhausted. <br /><br />Once in Phoenix, everyone migrated to the baggage carousel -- and waited, and waited, and waited. Finally it started up, letting out 3 bags . . . then stopped for about 20 minutes. Then started again . . . producing nothing. People paced, rumbling in low voices to each other. It was 12:45am, and even college co-eds looked bleary-eyed. After another 10-15 minutes, a baggage handler guy popped up from the chute, and started hauling bags up onto the carousel by hand. I could just imagine the work he had ahead of him, doing the whole flight's luggage that way. I said to myself, "Ice blue." <br /><br />From somewhere in the ceiling rang a voice: "Ladies and gentlemen, there's been a -- a baggage jam -- for Flight 894. We ask your patience while we get your luggage to the carousel." Then they announced a change to another carousel . . . which released a few more bags. While this was happening, bags started appearing (unannounced) on the original carousel. Everybody shuffled back and forth to collect their belongings. <br /><br />I waited until the last bag came . . . and mine was not there. By now it was around 1:20am -- and those of us remaining had to search out the baggage office. Long line there, and only 1 agent at first. Then 2 more materialized. <br /><br />My turn came, and I told the nice lady that my bag had a purple ribbon tied on the handle. "Purple?" she repeated. "Purple," I said. <br /><br />She disappeared into the bowels of baggage claim -- and came out with my bag! "Where was it?" I asked. "Back in our office," she replied. "No -- I mean it wasn't on the carousel," I said. "Well, it got here before you did." "Before me?" "Yes -- they put it on the other flight from Charlotte and it arrived 2 hours ago." <br /><br />This means my luggage got the non-stop trip to Phoenix, that I thought I had purchased when buying my ticket. The flight number it rode in on, left from the first gate in Charlotte that I'd tried (and failed) to fly out from. <br /><br />So this, my friends, is what happens when you forget to do your cleaning. I'd started to feel irritable with the airline -- but suddenly, when <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">m<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">y bag didn't show up</span></span>, I realized <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">the truth</span>. I thought of Morrnah's leaving so many wonderful prayers and processes for us. <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I remembered</span> Ihaleakala, Kamaile, Mabel, and everyone else who has ever t<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">aught</span> me how to clean. <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">What a ni<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">gh<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">t of<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">, um -- accentuated </span>learning!</span></span></span> <br /><br />My Inner Child and I went home, holding hands with our suitcase. I'd say it did a better job cleaning than me. <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">:-) And I'll do <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">m<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">y job next time, for sure.</span></span></span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Peace begins with me,<br />Pam </span></div>
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Pam Pappas MDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03820479204183581736noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6833144141674289132.post-55722049539466843752015-10-31T14:59:00.000-07:002015-11-01T12:54:33.472-07:00Ho'oponopono: Changing situations, or changing ourselves?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ho'oponopono is an ancient Hawaiian method of problem solving and stress release, which Kahuna Lapa'au Morrnah Simeona updated for modern use. Practiced consistently, it can change everything about our lives. Yet instead of focusing on outer situations, the focus is entirely on working with ourselves. <br /><br />On top of that, there's complete acceptance of whatever shows up -- with no need for self-flagellation about past "mistakes." We simply recognize that the problems present opportunities for release, nothing more. Practicing the Ho'oponopono process is embracing Divinity's constant presence and helpfulness in our lives. Accepting that we are not "in charge" (Divinity is!) opens the very doorway to all possibility inside and outside of us. It's both miraculous and enigmatic at the same time. <br /><br />I've attended multiple more Ho'oponopono trainings over the past year, and have been pondering them deeply. One question many ask: "Why shouldn't we teach this to others who don't know about it?" </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's a sensible enough question -- after all, here's a wonderful way to deal with the seeming problems in our day-to-day lives. Why wouldn't we want to tell everybody in our lives about it? I love the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1Km-6rxPaU" target="_blank">response from Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len below</a>: <br /><br /><b><span style="color: blue;">"Why would you want to teach it if you're the problem? If you teach something to somebody who's not ready for it, it could come back and slam you in a way that you would not want . . . I don't mean to be threatening, but it's incredible what will come back and slam you. Whatever you put out will come out and get you."</span></b><br /><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1Km-6rxPaU" target="_blank">You can hear the entire interchange here.</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Many of us want to be the bearers of "good news" for our friends, family, and others. We forget to practice the Ho'oponopono cleaning ourselves, before speaking -- and that's when we get into trouble. Ho'oponopono holds that it's the data IN US that causes whatever issues we might think we see in others. (And that makes us think, "gosh, they need to clean.") :-) Our views of other people and situations can be skewed by the unconscious memories we carry. If we just take care of that as best we can inside, that's plenty. <br /><br />Often it's our ego wanting validation -- not inspiration from Divinity -- that pushes us to say or do things. We can tell when this is the case, because we get irritated if others make fun of, or don't seem to listen to, what we're saying. We get hurt feelings if others don't seem to appreciate our efforts. <br /><br /> If instead we clean first before saying or doing anything, we're less likely to get into this kind of trouble. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Dr. Hew Len refused to teach Ho'oponopono to anyone, unless they asked for this first. This has always been his stance, even when he was working at Hawaii State Hospital in the 1980's. No matter how much of a saving grace Ho'oponopono might be for anyone, Morrnah showed him that teaching without being asked was out of alignment with Divinity -- and could throw everyone off. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I think of this in my own life also, both individually and professionally. In my office, it's extremely important that my patients learn to align with the Creator inside themselves, rather than anything I might say to them. I would much rather them receive help from their Creator, than me! The same is true with every other person I meet as well. I don't have to say anything at all about Ho'oponopono -- I just need to do my own cleaning. <br /><br />This is what students agree to in writing, before attending any Ho'oponopono training with <a href="http://self-i-dentity-through-hooponopono.com/copyright.htm" target="_blank">IZI, LLC</a>. We sign a release stating that we will not teach or share their copyrighted materials without written permission. In contrast, some people purport to teach others this process online. Some even create and sell their own "Ho'oponopono products." I don't know whether they've asked for this written permission from IZI, LLC or not. I also don't know whether they've done the necessary preparation and spiritual cleaning to use the materials the way they do. Only Divinity knows. <br /><br />I've considered what I myself am doing by writing about Ho'oponopono. In this blog, I share only about my own experiences, and am not teaching anything at all. I am no authority. I am a sincere person and physician, engaged in my own ongoing healing process. My writing is part of the way I heal, and in doing this I'm taking care of my own self. If anyone finds usefulness in their own lives, it can be positive. Still, I refer people to <a href="http://self-i-dentity-through-hooponopono.com/" target="_blank">IZI, LLC</a> for further information. <br /><br />Peace begins with me,<br />Pam </span></div>
Pam Pappas MDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03820479204183581736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6833144141674289132.post-48772453242710181812014-10-04T15:05:00.000-07:002014-10-04T15:39:14.879-07:00Ho'oponopono Cleaning with Our Inner Children -- and with the Children of Ebola<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Ebola outbreak in West Africa is leaving thousands of children orphaned, without help.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Today I was fortunate to be part of an <a href="http://zerolag.biz/live-event---care-of-self-series.html" target="_blank">MsKr Ho'oponopono Conversation about Care of the Self</a> -- with many participants, including <a href="http://zerolag.biz/who-we-are.html" target="_blank">Kamaile Rafaelovich</a> and <a href="http://zero-wise.com/ihhl-2" target="_blank">Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len</a>. <br /><br />Today's specific topic was</span>: <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"How does the Care of the Self (unihipili) through SITH® affect the physical body?"<br /><br />For those who haven't previously taken </span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="auto-style31"><span class="auto-style31"><a href="http://self-i-dentity-through-hooponopono.com/index.htm" target="_blank">Self I-Dentity through Ho’oponopono® classes</a>, the unihipili is that part of the Self which is subconscious. It's like a small child needing love, concern, and gentle guidance from a caring parent. It's also the part of our Identity which runs all physical processes in our bodies, and which holds all the memories our soul has collected through eternity. These memories (or data) can show up as "problems" in our lives -- repeating over and over like an endless loop. Until we choose to let them go through Ho'oponopono cleaning, they cause us to suffer. Examples of such problems include physical or emotional symptoms, interpersonal conflicts, car accidents, financial difficulties, and even things which we might feel are completely unrelated to us -- like wars, famines, crimes, and epidemics. <br /><br />The bottom line is that once we notice a problem -- no matter what it is -- there IS a connection with us. We then have a choice: take 100% responsibility to start the Ho'oponopono cleaning, or ignore it. Ignoring it adds further suffering to our Inner Child (unihipili), which has to continue holding the burden for even longer. After all, the "problem" is only showing up because it's a memory within us that needs to be released. Choosing the "ignore" option is like abandoning our own Inner Child all over again -- and this happens billions upon billions of times.<br /><br />Alternatively, we can choose the Ho'oponopono cleaning path. One way is to simply say inwardly, "Thank you." Or "I love you." There are countless other ways too. All are simple, and Divinity takes over from there to transmute whatever is correct to transmute. Divine mana, or energy, is left in the memory's place -- freeing our unihipili a little more each time. Ahhhhhh.<br /><br />In a sense, every problem we notice is a great opportunity. We can release "gunk" that's clogging us up! As Dr. Hew Len has often told me when I'm complaining about my problems, "Good for you! You get to clean and let that one go!" Then he might also say "thank you," because when memories come off of others, they come off of him too. Sometimes I can laugh when he says this; other times I'm grumpier. :-) <br /><br />The physical body can experience all kinds of things: aches and pains, cancer, indigestion, obesity, fevers, depression -- you name it. People on today's call mentioned all sorts of situations they might be experiencing; many expressed gratitude for the Ho'oponopono process to apply to these things. There may or may not be noticeable improvement; but in some cases there certainly is. <br /><br />These calls themselves are opportunities to clean with what anyone else raises; they are definitely not passive experiences. <br /><br />So near the end of the session, the call's hosts unexpectedly called on me. Listening and cleaning with the subject of abandoned, suffering Inner Children, I had also been cleaning with the people of West Africa suffering with Ebola -- especially the <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-29424919" target="_blank">children left behind</a><a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-29424919" target="_blank"> when their parents or whole families died</a>. If they're lucky, neighbors or extended family might feed and care for these children; in many cases, they're shunned instead. No one wants to touch these [possibly infected] ones, who are feared and sent away. My heart broke completely open for all these suffering kids -- who are so like the rest of our inner children that we have left behind for eons. <br /><br />Not able to contain my tears, I apologized for weeping as I spoke about these issues. "Don't apologize," said Dr. Hew Len. There was silence on the line for a time -- yet I could feel him, Kamaile, and all the other participants cleaning with these children and me. A new cleaning tool arose, and was shared.<br /><br />Somewhere inside, a tender peace eventually came. It still felt raw, yet authentic. I'm not in Liberia or Sierra Leone myself, and have felt that my financial contributions aren't doing enough to help. "Those" people are actually part of me. We are kin, and this transcends any geographic border.<br /><br />In this experience I realized that cleaning with Ho'oponopono may be a worthy contribution in the Ebola crisis -- though not as visible as others. If you feel likewise, you can help by connecting with your own inner child -- who is waiting for you. Take good care of him or her. When you do, s/he will work with you, letting go of painful memories showing up as problems even when you're asleep. We never know what can happen when we practice this way, what Divinity can do, and what Divine inspiration might lead us to do next ourselves. Thank you to Morrnah for developing Self-I-Dentity Through Ho'oponopono, and to all who were with me today. <br /><br />Peace begins with me,<br />Pam </span></span></span>Pam Pappas MDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03820479204183581736noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6833144141674289132.post-24736074696741191722014-06-28T18:38:00.000-07:002014-06-28T18:38:14.687-07:00Growing Ho'oponopono in My Life: With Love for the Gardener<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuEjvE6Hv1X2dmgiSTy1Jj4fFcf9btafWSJLqRoPCS02p2Aem31WpHH4rt18OeeFxsARCthl8DYl7tytKsWIcWfNDs2OLKnnb1CaXbvgY9fxoqcr4gC8UFvnMKPpJd7xHdGhOKKw2XCnuQ/s1600/IMG_0038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuEjvE6Hv1X2dmgiSTy1Jj4fFcf9btafWSJLqRoPCS02p2Aem31WpHH4rt18OeeFxsARCthl8DYl7tytKsWIcWfNDs2OLKnnb1CaXbvgY9fxoqcr4gC8UFvnMKPpJd7xHdGhOKKw2XCnuQ/s1600/IMG_0038.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This beautiful double hibiscus graces my patio -- cared for lovingly, moment by moment. </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Last weekend I enjoyed a <a href="http://self-i-dentity-through-hooponopono.com/index.htm" target="_blank">Self-Identity through Ho'oponopono</a> seminar in Woodland Hills, CA -- led by the lovely <a href="http://self-i-dentity-through-hooponopono.com/ins-bio.htm" target="_blank">Momilani Ramstrum and </a><span class="auto-style35"><a href="http://self-i-dentity-through-hooponopono.com/ins-bio.htm" target="_blank">Christine Leimakamae Chu</a>. No matter how many of these trainings I attend, something more always shows up.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="auto-style35"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="auto-style35">There's an outline of essential information, yet each instructor has his or her own way of conveying it. Momilani mentioned that she responds to inspiration in each class as much as possible, since groups differ in personalities, focus, and patience. I appreciate the individualization.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="auto-style35">"I want you to experience the Divine for yourself," Momilani said. "I'm not really teaching you anything. I'm doing the cleaning. Most of all I don't want to say anything that gets in your way."</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="auto-style35">This attitude differs from what some might expect in a teacher. How can a teacher "get in the way"? There are thousands of possibilities -- including insisting that students revere the teacher's interpretations, rather than encouraging them to find their own way through personal practice. This is such a challenging tightrope to walk: one must provide necessary starting points, while also encouraging </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="auto-style35"> people to work with the process individually. Only in that way can the student truly own a new life practice.<br /><br />Facilitating Self-Identity Through Ho'oponopono is especially tender -- and in this I felt both Momilani and Christine were caring for all of us. I've often heard <a href="http://zero-wise.com/blog/gallery/video-gallery" target="_blank">Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len</a> say that people need connection with Divinity, rather than any human's ministrations. Some might be offended by this, yet it makes complete sense to me. We humans can so easily project and misinterpret; unless we know when to shut up, we can inadvertently make more messes. <br /><br />Through these classes, we can start knowing and appreciating all parts of ourselves, as well as the relationships between these and others too. When attended to gently, we can begin a lifelong practice of "making things right" -- releasing memories showing up as problems, in a moment-to-moment way. <br /><br />In some books and web sites, Ho'oponopono is described as a "clearing technique" through which a person can manifest desired outcomes in the world. This is one point of view -- possibly a very limiting one. Divinity has much larger ideas than we humans can ever dream of. Vision boards may have their place, but Divinity's viewpoint far surpasses any collage I might create! <br /><br /> So the attitude we hold in practicing Ho'oponopono is very important too, since trying to "manifest" is very different from practicing simple purity of heart. The latter feels peaceful, warm, and gentle. I am open to inspiration. The former feels more forced, as if trying to make Divinity into my genie. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="auto-style35">Another example: nurturing a garden. Can you force a garden to grow? No. One must partner with the soil, environment, and plants. One must observe what's needed, and plant in correct light and surroundings. Watering, weeding, pruning, feeding, and other sustaining care must be provided too. Only then will double hibiscuses bloom fully, and will grapefruit trees grow delicious fruits. Gardening is an excellent teacher for life, I think. Would you ever say, "I already watered that plant once -- why aren't there tomatoes yet?" Yet I've often heard people say, "I cleaned with that problem -- why isn't it gone?!" We humans are real pieces of work, sometimes. :-) </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="auto-style35">This time, I came away with even more love for the relatedness between myself, other people, material objects, and the natural world. I always had this as a little girl, and used to talk to the flowers. I silenced it when adults and other kids thought it was stupid, though. Yet with Ho'oponopono, I can say "ice blue" to the plants -- talking with them again. It's very nice to be home within myself, these days.<br /><br />Thank you Divinity, Momilani, Christine, Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len, and Morrnah for lovingly sharing Ho'oponopono with the world -- and with me. You are good gardeners, and I am grateful.<br /><br />Peace begins with me,<br />Pam</span></span>Pam Pappas MDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03820479204183581736noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6833144141674289132.post-48019844454987394832014-05-25T20:12:00.002-07:002014-05-25T20:16:53.410-07:00Ho'oponopono: What Are We Cleaning? Lessons from Morrnah and the River Iao<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj95VjSIbxEKB1uzVSZJtd7jIT-TxQm9fLzWvk1IHLfoheFVZ909q5EILsPhFGSFQkrPrpmxXxhnaGvzmnIPZnb8C9XNNhSRs7jlNSn_sgeFQJz2elfhbEt6GXYbuqYQEFR_r_NfrxUVePn/s1600/Maul+3-14+023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj95VjSIbxEKB1uzVSZJtd7jIT-TxQm9fLzWvk1IHLfoheFVZ909q5EILsPhFGSFQkrPrpmxXxhnaGvzmnIPZnb8C9XNNhSRs7jlNSn_sgeFQJz2elfhbEt6GXYbuqYQEFR_r_NfrxUVePn/s1600/Maul+3-14+023.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Iao River on Maui, whose Iao Valley was the scene of the battle of Kepaniwai ("damming of the waters") in 1790. So many warriors died that the river was jammed with their bodies. Today the river runs clean and free -- and is still a very sacred place.</td></tr>
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<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Someone asked me the other day what Ho'oponopono is about, and what we are "cleaning" when practicing this process. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Morrnah Nalamaku Simeona, the Kahuna Lapa'au who was inspired in meditation to simplify Ho'oponopono for modern times, provided one of the best answers to this I've ever read. Ho'oponopono literally means "to correct an error," or "to make right." But what kind of errors are we talking about, and what is there to make right?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://self-i-dentity-through-hooponopono.com/article1.htm" target="_blank">Morrnah explained</a>:</span><br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We
are the sum total of our experiences, which is to
say that we are burdened by our pasts. When we
experience stress or fear in our lives, if we would
look carefully, we would find that the cause is
actually a memory. It is the emotions which are tied
to these memories which affect us now. The
subconscious associates an action or person in the
present with something that happened in the past.
When this occurs, emotions are activated and stress
is produced.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The main purpose of this process is
to discover the Divinity within oneself. The
Ho'oponopono is a profound gift which allows one to
develop a working relationship with the Divinity
within and learn to ask that in each moment, <b>our
errors in thought, word, deed or action be cleansed.</b>
The process is essentially about freedom, complete
freedom from the past." </span></blockquote>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">She also stated: </span><br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"We can appeal to Divinity who knows our personal
blueprint, for healing of all thoughts and memories
that are holding us back at this time. It is a matter of going
beyond traditional means of accessing knowledge
about ourselves."</span></blockquote>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The more times I re-read this, the more it intrigues me. Ancient Hawaiians certainly pre-dated Freud, and understood that unconscious/subconscious memories influence current behavior. These memories have nothing to do with people in our present, so they're misplaced -- and are "errors." They lead to further errors downstream in thought, word, and deed. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Modern psychotherapeutic treatments analyze these memories, hoping that this will loosen their grip on the person's present moments. Sometimes this is helpful in changing behavior; sometimes not. The person still has to apply the insights and practice doing things differently.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ho'oponopono deals with memories too -- but does not try to analyze, interpret, manage, or cope with them. And the memories concerned apply to the person's soul throughout time, not in the current lifetime alone. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Rather than analyzing, Ho'oponopono provides a process that connects us with Divinity within, moment to moment. We can ask Divinity -- the only One who can cleanse or erase memories or thought forms -- to address whatever is arising in our experiences: anxiety, sadness, anger, mistakes, delays -- anything. Fortunately, Divinity also knows our individual blueprints, and can transmute whatever memories are "up" for release at the time . . . without our ever knowing what is going on. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Simple. Direct. Elegant. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Morrnah believed that we are laden with memories -- dating from all the way back to when we were "seaweed." It's just a part of being on the earth plane. These memories are held within the Inner Child (or Unihipili) part of us, and can manifest in anything from depression, addiction, and heart disease to events beyond our bodies like car accidents and natural disasters. The land and everything on it can contain memories too. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Morrnah also believed that the Ho'oponopono process allows each of us to individually petition Divinity for help letting go of these memories or errors -- allowing things to be made right, or "pono." As these memories are released, so is our stress and other problems. An added bonus: the memories come off of not only us, but everyone and everything connected to them also. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">She recommended that health care practitioners be especially mindful to do Ho'oponopono before treating each client or patient. Otherwise, we can be like ground zero for all manner of pain and suffering. </span><br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"It is important to clear
Karmic patterns with your clients before you start
working with them, so that you don't activate old
stuff between you. Perhaps you shouldn't be working
with that person at all. Only the Divinity knows. If
you work with a person and it isn't your business,
you can take on the person's entire problem and
everything associated with it. This can cause
burnout. The Ho'oponopono gives the tools to prevent
that from happening."</span></blockquote>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've broached this with some of my colleagues, and some are curious about this interesting way to address physician burnout. Others simply give me the fish eye. :-) Of course, none of this is evidence-based in terms of modern science, so how can we know it has any effect? We really can't; we have to personally choose what we'll do. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Some long-time practitioners like <a href="http://self-i-dentity-through-hooponopono.com/affiliates.htm" target="_blank">Dr. Hew Len and Kamaile Rafaelovich</a> are able to see the process occurring. Yet even they don't claim to know what all of it means; only Divinity sees the whole picture. Dr. Hew Len often says, "my only job is to clean." </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">While walking in Maui's Iao Valley recently, I thought about this cleaning. Despite the bloody battle in 1790, the Iao River runs fresh and invigorating today. The air around it is energizing; the land exudes sacredness. I felt Divinity cleansing me like this river, washing through every part of my being. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There's no way to know all the experiences my soul has collected over time, or how they may impact people with whom I interact. I'm so grateful to Morrnah for her wisdom, and for the Ho'oponopono cleansing process that allows me a way to work with all this -- even though I don't know what's what. While on the island, I met a kahuna who told me she saw "Auntie Morrnah" standing behind me. Tears sprang into my eyes when she shared this. How could she know that I feel this woman I have never met, around me all the time? Much occurs in this world, that I do not understand. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thank you dear Morrnah, and for your students Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len and <a href="http://vimeo.com/89272575" target="_blank">Kamaile Rafaelovich</a> who have become my teachers in the flesh. They have a lovely book called "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/BLUE-ICE-The-Relationship-Self/dp/1939809002/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1401070540&sr=8-1&keywords=Blue+Ice+Ihaleakala+Hew+Len" target="_blank">Blue Ice: The Relationship with the Self</a>," that you can read if inspired. I love it; it's brief, to the point, and provides ever more beauty and grace with each reading. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Peace begins with me,<br />Pam </span>Pam Pappas MDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03820479204183581736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6833144141674289132.post-41168592671359035112014-05-04T16:22:00.001-07:002014-05-04T16:43:52.354-07:00Ho'oponopono Cleaning: When is a Blueberry More Than a Blueberry?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEP-IfV2Vo_2T449Cvli1fD1jYmXvba4zSfT-C84LiFk5fo-GCSisMZ-APUcKRnVLLH4pTRz2z5Jv4YssQU79dnISJtPWSCnJiWKcGr57BPBH5RYrgWQZ-X2U3LAVIAHwCQxuGQT4NA7Fk/s1600/blueberries.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEP-IfV2Vo_2T449Cvli1fD1jYmXvba4zSfT-C84LiFk5fo-GCSisMZ-APUcKRnVLLH4pTRz2z5Jv4YssQU79dnISJtPWSCnJiWKcGr57BPBH5RYrgWQZ-X2U3LAVIAHwCQxuGQT4NA7Fk/s1600/blueberries.jpeg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One question people often ask about Ho'oponopono, is "What is a Ho'oponopono cleaning tool? What does this mean, and are there more than one?"</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ho'oponopono is a spiritual practice and way of life. It incorporates an attitude of 100% responsibility, humility, and gratitude in every moment. It's a process of making things right, or "pono." </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The idea is that Divinity created us in perfect alignment and rhythm with Itself, and our true nature is this state of "zero." At zero we can feel peace and receive divine inspiration, which guides us. When we then take inspired action, what's right and perfect for us comes into our lives. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Unfortunately we also hold unconscious memories (or data) </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">inside us</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> -- blocking our awareness of our true selves. These memories can also show up in our lives as problems, discord, fear, illness, war, and other unpleasant experiences.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ho'oponopono is a method of solving these problems by recognizing what they are: manifestations of memories ready for release. This involves "cleaning" these memories from ourselves -- and as we do this, they're removed from everyone else too. It's important to realize that in doing this cleaning though, we're working with what's inside US -- not "on" anyone else.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Although all this may sound overwhelming, it really doesn't have to be!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">According to <a href="http://www.self-i-dentity-through-hooponopono.com/article9.htm" target="_blank">Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len,</a> <span style="color: blue;"><b>"</b><span class="auto-style36"><b>Problems can be solved without knowing what the heck
is going on! Realizing and appreciating this is
sheer relief and joy for me." </b> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><span class="auto-style36"><span style="color: black;">This Ho'oponopono problem-solving process utilizes "cleaning tools."</span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><span class="auto-style36"><span style="color: black;">Many people are familiar with the phrases: "I'm sorry, Please forgive me, Thank you, and I love you." These are certainly cleaning tools, and using them initiates the process of letting go so that Divinity can transmute problematic memories without our having to analyze them. All we need to do is recognize the fact that we have them, and that they're reminders to remain humble and work with Divinity for their release. </span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><span class="auto-style36"><span style="color: black;">Cleaning tools aren't limited to words, though -- and this is wonderful for bypassing the intellect! Otherwise, our Inner Child (an innate part of us, and essential in the cleaning process) might be confused. In the photo I've shown blueberries, one example of these tools. Blueberries can be eaten physically, or in the imagination. They're said to be aligned with angelic kingdoms.</span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><span class="auto-style36"><span style="color: black;">Other cleaning tools include hot chocolate, blue solar water, candy canes, light switch -- and many, many more. These tools are unique, and may appeal to different people in different situations. But they all accomplish the same overall result: initiating the cleaning process rather than getting embroiled in the seeming "problem." Our choosing to use them in the first place is a life-affirming choice -- as I shared on <a href="http://www.peacefuldoc.com/2014/04/taking-100-responsibility-in.html" target="_blank">this blog last week</a>.</span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><span class="auto-style36"><span style="color: black;">I used to think we had to memorize the various cleaning tools in order to know "how" to use them correctly . . . as if the cleaning depended on intellectually getting it "right." Thank heavens it does not, or we'd all be even more burdened than we are already! </span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><span class="auto-style36"><span style="color: black;">The delightful thing about blueberries (besides the delicious way they taste) is that simply choosing to use them signals Divinity that we're willing to let go. From here, Divinity transmutes as S/He sees fit -- and we can get back to Zero, our essential self. Drinking a cup of hot chocolate or blue solar water will do that too, just a little differently. </span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><span class="auto-style36"><span style="color: black;">Kids love games, and these seemingly nonsensical "tools" are fun for our Inner Child. Through offering and using these visual tools, we can engage and teach our Inner Child to do the Ho'oponopono process, just as we grownups are learning to do. As the adult (or mothering one), we can play with our Inner Child in a loving way, while also modeling skillful ways of living.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><span class="auto-style36"><span style="color: black;">When confronted with a problem, it's also possible to ask Divinity: "How do I clean with this?" An inner answer may come, perhaps in the form of an image (a cleaning tool). This may seem goofy to those of us who think of ourselves as scientific. But according to Dr. Hew Len, "the goofier it is, the more likely it is to be from Divinity. Divinity has a great sense of humor." </span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><span class="auto-style36"><span style="color: black;">This is absolutely perfect for me -- it lets me bypass all the mental junk I can get so stuck in otherwise! Worrying, judging, and generally obsessing are only making things worse. Give me a nice handful of blueberries any day! </span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><span class="auto-style36"><span style="color: black;">Even the poet Wendell Berry said, </span></span></span></span><br />
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<h4 class="quoteText">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">“Better than any argument is to rise at dawn and pick dew-wet red berries in a cup.”
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In case you're wondering, strawberries (red berries) happen to also be Ho'oponopono cleaning tools.<br /><br /><span style="color: blue;"><span class="auto-style36"><span style="color: black;">You can learn much more about Ho'oponopono and all kinds of cleaning tools by attending a <a href="http://www.self-i-dentity-through-hooponopono.com/complete-schedule.htm" target="_blank">training seminar</a> -- experienced teachers offer these all over the world. I'm looking forward to the upcoming one in Woodland Hills, CA in June! I've lost count of how many I've attended, but it always leads to more revelations. Hopefully I come home a little lighter in spirit too. :-)</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><span class="auto-style36"><span style="color: black;">Peace begins with me,<br />Pam</span></span></span></span>Pam Pappas MDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03820479204183581736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6833144141674289132.post-76736451473184871142014-04-27T15:53:00.000-07:002014-04-27T16:00:45.314-07:00Taking 100% responsibility in Ho'oponopono: the very best way to get help<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One of the main tenets in Ho'oponopono is taking 100% responsibility for everything that shows up in our lives. Yes, everything.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><br />By nature, we balk at this -- it sounds so overwhelming!</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><br />After all, how can we be personally responsible for earthquakes, tsunamis, atrocities of war, or for other countries' starving children? What about African elephants being killed, just for their ivory? What about people who lie and steal from us -- and lovers who abuse, have affairs, or leave us?</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><br />You get the picture. Think of the most recent outrage in your life, and just fill in the blank.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><br />One reason the idea of 100% responsibility seems overwhelming is a follow up question: If I'm <i>responsible</i> for everything, does that mean I have to <i>fix</i> everything? All by myself?</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><br />No, it doesn't . . . . but as Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len often asks, "Have you noticed that whenever there's a problem, you are always there?" :-)</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><br />He's not really saying that we directly did anything to harm anyone. But it's always US perceiving things as "problems," with our mental filters, opinions, and judgments. We look at other people and think THEY ought to change, when WE'RE the constant factor in our [mis]perceptions. We can't help but bring our own views and patterns into every relationship and circumstance, yet we don't even know we're doing it.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><br />It's easy to get stuck here, and feel badly for all the "gunk" we're bringing in.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><br />But in Ho'oponopono, being 100% responsible does not mean being 100% at fault or bad. Instead, it means that we simply have the <i>ability to respond</i> in every situation. And we can choose our response.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><br />One path leads to overwhelm: trying to fix everything on our own.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><br />Another path is to allow Divinity to help. In Ho'oponopono, this path is called "cleaning." By using Ho'oponopono cleaning tools, we acknowledge that erroneous data or memories are running us and showing up as problems in our lives. We can say, "I'm sorry for being unconscious, dear Divinity -- please forgive me. Thank you for the opportunity to let go of this [data] now. I love you."</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><br />It seems insanely simple -- too simple to possibly have any effects in our outer world. And yet when we give permission by using the above process, Divinity can work behind the scenes to transmute the faulty data to pure light. We are restored to our natural perfection, or returning to the "zero" state from whence we came. Then mana (life energy) and Divine Inspiration can enter us -- showing us what we can do next. We can follow that inner direction.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><br />We can continue choosing in every moment to use these tools to clean up our lives -- or not. In fact, making such choices in each moment is the biggest responsibility we have. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We can struggle and stew, or we can recognize the "problem" for what it is: an opportunity to let go.</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><br />Some problems, like the long-term one I wrote about <a href="http://www.peacefuldoc.com/2014/04/from-human-pain-to-divine-peace-through.html" target="_blank">last week</a>, simply dissolve through using this process. Others might not seem outwardly to respond for a long time, but we never know what's happening at levels we can't see. Only Divinity knows that.</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><br />So very counterintuitively, taking 100% responsibility is the very best way to get reliable assistance with any problems we have. Would you rather tangle with things all on your own, or allow Divinity to help? What if the "problem" is not what we think it is at all?</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><br />I know which of these choices I'm picking -- at least when I'm grounded and calm. Please, somebody remind me the next time I get off kilter and forget. We humans can be pieces of work!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Peace begins with me,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Pam</span></span>Pam Pappas MDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03820479204183581736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6833144141674289132.post-69012579215566824502014-04-19T16:40:00.000-07:002014-04-19T18:18:04.957-07:00From human suffering to divine peace, through Ho'oponopono<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Many have written me asking for proof that <a href="http://self-i-dentity-through-hooponopono.com/" target="_blank">Ho'oponopono</a> "works." Maybe they're looking for controlled, double-blind studies that do not exist; maybe they're just seeking hope that something they choose to do can truly improve their lives.<br /><br />I've been practicing Ho'oponopono now for almost 10 years, and have experienced both times of peace and inner turmoil with it. Fortunately my teacher <a href="http://self-i-dentity-through-hooponopono.com/videos.htm" target="_blank">Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len</a> has always been a timely example and guide. He has laughed, cajoled, goaded, offered useful metaphors, and held compassion during my journey. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />This past week something happened that I can only attribute to Ho'oponopono -- being willing to clean even though seeing no outward "results." I want to share about this here, because it's extremely meaningful to me. It may also provide some hope for you, if wondering about outward effects of this practice. Yet I also want to protect the other person's privacy. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />I lost a profoundly important relationship many years ago -- through hurt, self-righteousness, and not knowing what else to do. What began as a loving partnership lasting some 15 years, had devolved into a pattern of disengagement and painful silence. We had weathered extreme changes in our personal lives and careers, yet had forgotten how to laugh together, support each other, and share simple human affection. Love got buried under piles of resentment. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He moved on, but I continued a close relationship with his parents. In terms of personal support and authentic sharing of life, they were more my parents than those to whom I was born. The time spent with them was sheer grace in my life. How I even came to live so close to them was a miracle in itself. (A story for another time, maybe).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For many years I remained embroiled in my anger and hurt though, focusing on how I was "right" to feel the way I did. Despite this, I missed his presence deeply. From time to time I wrote to him, seeking some explanation for what had happened. There was never a reply. I worked on myself, eventually owning where I felt I had hurt him. Still no response. Over 10 years elapsed. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />When his parents both became ill with different cancers, I helped take care of them. He lived across the country and didn't respond to my communications about their treatments or progress. I felt devastated to be losing them, and knew he must be feeling something similar. Yet there was still no communication back from him towards me. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They passed away in 2004, not long before Ho'oponopono came into my life. My working with this ancient Hawaiian practice was slow at first, since I knew only bits and pieces of it. Meeting Dr. Hew Len opened a huge gateway of growth for me -- along with accepting 100% responsibility for my own behavior and "stuff." With this, my life began to utterly change. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Whenever I would think of this man I had lost [which was often], I would say within: "I love you. Thank you for being in my life. I'm sorry. Please forgive me." I wasn't really speaking to HIM with those words, but was speaking to the part of me which saw him as anything other than perfect. This view was a very heavy and painful burden on me. <br /><br />According to <a href="http://www.amazingwomeninhistory.com/morrnah-nalamaku-simeona-hawaiian-healer/" target="_blank">Morrnah Simeona</a> (who updated Ho'oponopono for modern times), we are all perfect. Only accumulated [unconscious] data obscures our views of ourselves and others. Using Ho'oponopono cleaning tools and phrases allows our inner child to let go of the data or memories which lead to our painful experiences. Divinity can then transmute whatever of these are ready to "go" -- allowing divine inspiration to fill the space now "cleaned." I'm sure layers and layers of "ick" were coming off of me (and perhaps him too?) over those years. My hurt and feelings of deep unworthiness were lifting also. Still through most of it, there was no outward sign that much was shifting.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Except that over the past year, I've lost about 45 pounds. More to come, with that. :-)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Last month sometime, I saw a video which for me encapsulated the profound connections between people -- even after you no longer see them in person. It moved me, and Inspiration urged me to send it to him. It reminded me of him, his parents, his sister, and all the times we had previously shared. So I wrote him briefly about this, with no expectations. The silence on his end continued, and I continued to clean. Weeks passed. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And then just last week, he gave a presentation in my town. I didn't know he was coming. But he emailed me, and invited me to dinner.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Reading this message from him, time stood still for me. I wept at my computer keyboard, between patients! Recovering a bit, I wrote back to accept . . . still in wonder that he would reach out to me at all -- after some 25 years.<br /><br />When I saw him again, all I felt was love, with none of the previous hurt. We shared an evening where he talked, and I listened (and cleaned). I spoke some, but without the need to justify myself. Instead, I could be myself just as I was. We apologized to each other, face to face. We enjoyed a nice meal together. We laughed. Since then, we've messaged each other several times, and I can be a support to him in what he's going through. I see all this as the most profound personal "proof" I know that Ho'oponopono brings peace, reconciliation, and ability to be what we truly are. The previous painful history mentioned above no longer "hooks" my life, and I am free. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thank you to Dr. Hew Len, Morrnah Simeona, Ho'oponopono and dear Divinity for my new life. Also, thank you to Fred and Sweet Lorraine (below). I love you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />Peace begins with me,<br />Pam</span>Pam Pappas MDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03820479204183581736noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6833144141674289132.post-46329792923541678862013-11-23T15:24:00.000-07:002013-11-25T12:21:03.130-07:00Thank You to Inner Children, All Over the World <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9vkqWWU8aCAV4eJ7S8WX04gROi4i3npFuizp_VQQh4EsGythSY7d_MDezGwXw0piwblT_yWhEK9ikWs_doveaIrGgTT-yHQG6s0FtHwO1vE-7tda_tfoqmshyqxHxOiLwYQHdNO3fjHdr/s1600/IMG+-+Copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9vkqWWU8aCAV4eJ7S8WX04gROi4i3npFuizp_VQQh4EsGythSY7d_MDezGwXw0piwblT_yWhEK9ikWs_doveaIrGgTT-yHQG6s0FtHwO1vE-7tda_tfoqmshyqxHxOiLwYQHdNO3fjHdr/s320/IMG+-+Copy.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">6 months old, and being cared for :-)</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The practice of Ho'oponopono is a deep one -- and if done consistently, it changes us. It brings us to a place beyond words, where infinite peace and forgiveness dwell. That, and laughter too. :-)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One of the most rewarding ways to practice Ho'oponopono is through caring for our own Inner Child -- our subconscious, or Unihipili. <a href="http://zero-wise.com/blog/portfolio/sith-video" target="_blank">Dr. Ihealakala Hew Len</a> teaches that our relationship with our Inner Child is the most important relationship in all creation. After all, our Inner Child not only runs our body, but also stores all memories that have accumulated in us through time (including unconscious ones). When cared for, this Inner Child is a source of creativity and delight; when ignored, its pain shows up in myriad ways.<br /><br />Many of us forget that such a part even lives inside us. We're adults who drive ourselves mercilessly with work, responsibilities, and schedules; when mistakes happen, we lacerate ourselves with self-criticism. We rarely celebrate our accomplishments, instead racing to the next thing on our "to do" list.<br /><br />No wonder we end up with insomnia, backaches, muscle pain, indigestion, irritability, depression, anxiety, and fatigue! No wonder so many of us have resentment just beneath the surface of our smiles. Our Inner Child registers all this mistreatment and neglect, expressing its suffering in symptoms.<br /><br />What would happen if, instead, we took the time to gently get to know this child? What if we looked after it, making sure it's regularly loved and nourished?<br /><br />What if we explained to it the plans for each day, making sure our Inner Child is willing to come along? Sometimes our Inner Child can warns us when plans need to change. Also, what if we prepared a little bag each day with things it might need -- healthy snacks, or other comforts?<br /><br />We as adults, or Mothers (Conscious Mind, or Uhane) can do these things -- and can lovingly show the Child how to release or let go of painful memories. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mindfulness or Vipassana meditation has a body scan, focusing on each part. We breathe into any part that feels discomfort. Ho'oponopono has similar in caring for the Child -- and when we notice a pain, we can realize that this is a memory being held. We can ask our Inner Child to please let go. In this way the Child learns to clean moment-by-moment, as problems arise. With love and care, it can become a willing companion in clearing out these old memories. And it's needed, because it's only through our Inner Child that we connect with Divinity -- the ultimate source of transmutation. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I found a little photo (above) from long ago, which shows how the Child responds to gentle care and concern. In it I'm only 6 months old, and my mother is bathing me in my grandmother's kitchen sink. I've washed many dishes in that sink -- yet totally forgot that at one time, I fit in there too. How wonderful to remember, to let go, and to forgive.<br /><br />There's a loving child inside all of us. Care for it, and connect with peace. Try this, next time you have a talk to give, or a deadline to meet. Take a moment to breathe with your Inner Child, and see what it needs. S/he just might surprise you with a smile. :-)<br /><br />Peace begins with me,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Pam</span></div>
Pam Pappas MDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03820479204183581736noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6833144141674289132.post-80081904672911695882013-06-01T21:22:00.000-07:002013-06-01T21:50:36.525-07:00Ho'oponopono Peace in Every Step<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've recently returned from a week-long, silent <a href="http://www.dhamma.org/en/vipassana.shtml" target="_blank">Vipassana</a> (Insight Meditation) retreat.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><br />Called "Convergence" and run by teachers and staff from <a href="https://www.spiritrock.org/home" target="_blank">Spirit Rock Meditation Center</a>, it was held at the <a href="http://angelacenter.com/acn/" target="_blank">Angela Center</a> near Santa Rosa, CA. The "convergence" they spoke of was bringing <a href="http://www.umassmed.edu/cfm/stress/index.aspx" target="_blank">Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction </a>(MBSR) together with the Buddha's teachings in vipassana tradition. This usually doesn't happen so openly in MBSR courses, even though many teachers have personal experience with Buddhist practice.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><br />My own private "convergence" included <a href="http://www.self-i-dentity-through-hooponopono.com/index.htm" target="_blank">Ho'oponopono</a> as well. :-)</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><br />At its heart, Insight Meditation is the practice of mindful awareness in any moment. You can use anything -- breath, body sensations, emotions, sounds, etc. -- as foci of attention. This tradition recognizes that the mind's productions are often comical and obsessive -- even sometimes tragic because they distract us from current experience. It encourages us to notice these thoughts and reactions, but not grab onto any of them. After all, they are not reality. When our present-moment awareness lapses, we can always come back to the breath -- hundreds of times in a single 45-minute "sit," for some of us!</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><br />Ho'oponopono sees our thoughts as simply "data" or "memories," which are laden on top of what we truly are. They are internal programs which run on their own. We can't help having them, yet we are responsible for them. They can also absorb our attention and run us, if we let them. We can choose instead to "clean" with these memories -- letting them go, and asking Divinity to transmute them into pure light.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><br />There's a simple process for doing this, which we can use in every moment. It's what <a href="http://www.drcat.org/articles_interviews/html/hotfudge.html" target="_blank">Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len</a> and many other wonderful Ho'oponopono teachers with IZI, LLC teach at <a href="http://www.self-i-dentity-through-hooponopono.com/classes-dates-locations.htm" target="_blank">Ho'oponopono seminars</a>.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><br />During the "Noble Silence" held at the retreat, I was able to clean with Ho'oponopono as much as humanly possible for me. Normal conversation, after all, was eliminated. Of course, there was plenty of inner conversation needing to be released! I'm not running out of memories to clean anytime soon -- yet I did experience some times of exquisite inner quietness and peace.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><br />Ho'oponopono and mindfulness tradition share certain qualities, including the gentle compassion held towards the body. Ho'oponopono tradition holds that our bodies are like our inner child, and need care and concern. They hold eons of memories and data, which may show up as physical pains, illness, and overall suffering. In mindfulness meditation there are "body scans," where you gently and without judgment review whatever experiences are present in your body. It's like asking your Unihipili (Hawaiian Inner Child part) to tell you what it's feeling -- resulting in a more tender connection as you listen and observe. Since our relationship with our Inner Child is the most important relationship we can ever have, nurturing this through a body scan or mindful yoga feels just right to me.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><br />I love both traditions for their humility, and their care for all living things. The Lovingkindness meditations found in vipassana are somewhat similar in feeling to the generosity and lovingness of "aloha spirit." Dr. Hew Len once told me that Aloha means "in the presence and breath of God." Greeting each other this way is acknowledging the Divinity in both of us.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><br />In endowing all things with a 3-part identity, Ho'oponopono shows reverence for the entire planet -- down to the tiniest being. As I moved about the Angela Center's grounds on my walking meditations, there were roses, honeysuckle, redwoods, kitties, lotuses, irises, rhododendrons, and lovely grass to enjoy. In the buildings I could clean with walls, chairs, water, doors, and beds. The practices of vipassana and Ho'oponopono are universal, and join people together in love for all things.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><br />With love and gratitude to Morrnah Simeona, Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len, </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kamailelauli’I Rafaelovich, and all who have shown me the ways of Ho'oponopono. I carry these traditions wherever I go. They have become my way of life.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Peace begins with me,</span> <br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Pam </span>Pam Pappas MDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03820479204183581736noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6833144141674289132.post-20684287332366149442013-01-21T17:46:00.000-07:002013-01-21T17:58:29.077-07:00Ho'oponopono Meets Our Lady of Guadalupe<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuiBsYo3uWp-OpmmaVLb8wDB5Ee8NDojd0UF3NX3NI0W0YPU09KmW8hIBlnlKJ4dpEVspw_racFMbqHh7uUi6Y9YZg5lejxAktAjIR3qBQIjCHNa5CRY83eD5cVNVgLbp7i-bC-sy_V033/s1600/Peace+Rose+003+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuiBsYo3uWp-OpmmaVLb8wDB5Ee8NDojd0UF3NX3NI0W0YPU09KmW8hIBlnlKJ4dpEVspw_racFMbqHh7uUi6Y9YZg5lejxAktAjIR3qBQIjCHNa5CRY83eD5cVNVgLbp7i-bC-sy_V033/s320/Peace+Rose+003+-+Copy.JPG" width="288" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Lady of Guadalupe -- in January</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Happy New Year, everyone -- especially on this day marking both Martin Luther King's birthday and President Barack Obama's second inauguration. For me, it's a day of both freedom and peace. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Maybe all days can have those qualities, if we look carefully. Still, this one feels special to me somehow.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />Some of you may have heard about the several nights of below-freezing weather we recently had in the Phoenix area. I know many of you live where there's snow on the ground -- but central Arizona is not that place. We're in the desert, with saguaro cacti and wildflowers galore. January is usually when others want to visit us -- golf tournaments, horse shows, fancy car auctions -- all in the Valley of the Sun. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Once the weather predictions came through, people were frantic to protect their plants and outside water pipes. Nurseries ran out of garden cloth. Those of us who were slow to alert had to rely on our wits. The neighborhood became a cacophany of bed sheets, light blankets, and anything our imaginations could muster.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One home's saguaro sported what looked like long red underwear -- on its top!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I rounded up every light fluffy covering I could find, tucked everybody in, and hoped for the best. It was 5 nights in a row of high 20's -- brrrr! The days were a little better, in the 40's. Plumbers were busy all over the Valley, repairing frozen, burst water pipes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And in my yard, those plants coverings didn't come off until this morning.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I had been worried about the little rose bush I planted last year -- it's called "Our Lady of Guadalupe." Those of you who've attended a <a href="http://www.self-i-dentity-through-hooponopono.com/" target="_blank">Ho'oponopono</a> training know that "Our Lady of Guadalupe" is also the Identity (or Patron Saint) of Mexico. So it was perfect that it grow in my yard -- blending both the spirit of a nearby country with my love of Ho'oponopono, in a way. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The plant's roses are a gentle pink with soft, sweet fragrance. I have loved roses since childhood, when they grew beneath my window.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So now it was time to see what had happened to it -- in my yard where other things had died in the freeze. Anxiously, I lifted the rose bush's covering . . . . and the above photo shows what was beneath. Such a beautiful, welcome surprise! How those delicate flowers survived their temporarily arctic environment, I'll never know. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have to tell you also, they're an answer to a prayer. <br /><br />Even when we do our Ho'oponopono cleaning, we can forget that Divinity (or God, Spirit, Creator, or whatever other name you might want to use) is really with us, and has not forgotten us. I have difficulty with that from time to time. When not fully myself, I unconsciously feel that Divinity only cares for other people, and has left me here to struggle however I can. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLplBXDSfY0" target="_blank">Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len</a> teaches though, when we do our part (the cleaning) Divinity does Its part (the forgiveness and transmutation of data). It can be no other way. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So when my heart was in winter, I lifted the blanket and found sweet spring. It was needed and welcome.<br /><br />Our Lady of Guadalupe is a lady of peace. In the accompanying legend, the Virgin first appeared to an Indian commoner named Juan Diego -- and spoke to him in Nahuatl, his native language. She asked him to tell the archbishop that she wanted a church built in her honor. He tried twice and failed.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And then she produced a miracle. She bade Juan Diego pick roses in a sterile spot where normally only desert plants could grow. Then she gathered the roses into the Indian's cloak, and told him to present both cloak and roses to the incredulous archbishop. When Juan Diego unfolded his cloak before the bishop, the image of the Virgin was miraculously stamped upon it. The bishop acknowledged the miracle, and ordered a shrine built where Mary had appeared to her humble servant. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The spot is now a well-visited basilica.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My roses are not as grand as a basilica . . . but they're a reminder of the aloha present all around us and in us, when we're our true selves. Thank you Dr. Hew Len, for your wisdom, teaching, and laughter. Thank you also to Divinity, for my own little miracle in the desert today. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Peace begins with me,<br />Pam</span>Pam Pappas MDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03820479204183581736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6833144141674289132.post-11486341218918910352012-09-24T13:20:00.000-07:002012-09-24T13:20:14.206-07:00Bomb or Baby? You Choose<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You may have seen this photo on the news today. Patrolling Polish soldiers found this little girl abandoned on the side of a road in southern Afghanistan.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">How frightening it must have been to go near the towel in which she was wrapped, no one else around for a mile! The soldiers knew the risk of hidden roadside bombs along the</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> route to their Waghez military base. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But they were brave enough to look within. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They named her "Pola" (after Poland), and brought her to a medical center on their base. They also bought her some formula and a bib. :-)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I cannot imagine the pain her mother could be suffering, to have left her daughter this way -- or to have had her taken from her. Who knows what led up to this infant being left behind? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Those who practice Ho'oponopono may also find something useful here. In many trainings I've heard how we so often abandon own inner child, or Unihipili, and do not take care of it. We may not even realize this is happening. How this child has suffered inside us, for eons! <br /><br /> Being the container of all unconscious memories plus the runner of our bodies, our Unihipili carries major importance to our survival. It also connects us with higher aspects of ourselves, linking us directly to Divinity.<br /><br />Ho'oponopono trainings teach practices for caring for our Unihipili in a moment to moment way. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It can also be like a "bomb" in our lives, if we don't -- and we'll wonder what happened when situations continue blowing up. It makes itself known, and we can befriend and love it if we choose. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I often think of people dealing with trauma, who shut off their inner responses to get through the day. Later there are flashbacks, insomnia, hypervigilance, irritability, and the sense that nowhere is safe. Learning to care for ourselves -- especially our more "primitive" parts -- is an essential lifetime journey, even without histories of major trauma. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I salute these Polish soldiers for taking a chance on this little girl -- and giving her a chance too. So young, she would have died otherwise. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What about your own inner child? Is s/he safe inside you? I'm hugging mine very gently today, while cleaning along with this story.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thank you Morrnah Nalemaku Simeona, for the processes in Self-Identity Through Ho'oponopono that offer us peace no matter where we are.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Peace begins with me,<br />Pam </span> </span>Pam Pappas MDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03820479204183581736noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6833144141674289132.post-54656587517663277882012-09-18T21:08:00.000-07:002012-09-18T21:08:56.034-07:00The Dalai Lama on Responsibility, Peace, and Joy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Seeing this quote today, I'm inspired to share it on this blog. It applies to all of us, no matter what our religious or cultural backgrounds might be.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Practitioners of Ho'oponopono also speak of taking "100% responsibility" for everything showing up in our lives. Next to understanding about one's personal identity and connection with Divinity, this may be the most important concept in Ho'oponopono. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yet for many it can be confusing. It seems to ask us to take on much more than we feel is ours. What about personal boundaries, after all? What do WE have to do with riots in the Middle East, or genocide in African nations? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And what about codependency -- a state of blurring between what's ours to do, and what belongs to others? In codependency, we try to control the alcoholics or addicts in our lives rather than deal with our own issues. 12-step programs warn against taking other people's inventories, and rightly so.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So how do we understand this idea from the Dalai Lama [and his seeming brother in heart, Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len] that "everything springs only from yourself"? How do we work with this in our own lives, without becoming overwhelmed with the magnitude of suffering in the world?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I believe that when we're at peace, we can sense our interconnectedness with all of life. We are all made of the same stuff. We share molecules in continuous dynamic exchange. Dr. Hew Len often tells us that we share eons of memories (or data) too. A more folksy way of saying it might be: "If you spot it, you've got it!"<br /> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And the world can change, the instant our own perceptions of anything within it change. According to Ho'oponopono, we are perfect beings -- but the data that runs us (and through which we experience life) can be pretty scary. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The process of "cleaning" in Ho'oponopono means owning the fact that our experiences may be skewed, and that only Divinity sees things as they truly are. In cleaning, we're taking care of our own experiences -- no one else's. We can accept all opportunities to let painful data (skewed experiences) go -- with the help of Divinity. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ho'oponopono holds that if we don't do this, ALL our suffering will only increase. The Dalai Lama states this very succinctly also. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Additionally, taking 100% responsibility allows us to be our truest, most powerful selves rather than victims. But if all that happens to us is everyone else's "fault," we can never be anything but victims. In this sense, taking responsibility brings great freedom. We can clean, and receive divine inspiration that moves us into perfect action, joy, and peace. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I don't know whether the Dalai Lama and Dr. Hew Len have ever met in this lifetime. But I'm sure we're all sharing the same molecules, memories, and opportunities. And it warms my heart that their messages are so very similar.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Peace begins with me,<br />Pam </span>Pam Pappas MDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03820479204183581736noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6833144141674289132.post-62174611573022903782012-08-26T23:33:00.000-07:002012-08-26T23:36:42.067-07:00Ho'oponopono Cleaning: Which Tool For You?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Many people think that in order to do Ho'oponopono properly, we must direct our cleaning efforts towards particular problems that arise in our lives. Examples might be traffic jams, financial crises, health issues, or arguments with family members.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /><br />I used to think this too. Thus, I wanted to know specifically how to "clean" with whatever problem was happening, when it was happening. What particular process or tool should be used for each?</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /><br />More importantly, I wanted to know exactly "what" I was cleaning with at any particular time -- in order to pick the right tool, of course. And if I was doing it well enough, the problem should clear up, right? :-)</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /><br />I must have thought my intellectual mind was in charge of things, even though I had many times read Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len's article, <a href="http://www.self-i-dentity-through-hooponopono.com/article9.htm" target="_blank">"Who's in Charge?"</a>. From that article: </span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">"Memories replaying dictate what the Subconscious
Mind experiences. </span><br />
<br style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;" />
<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
The Subconscious Mind experiences vicariously,
mimicking, echoing memories replaying. It behaves,
sees, feels, and decides exactly as memories
dictate. The Conscious Mind too operates, without
its awareness, by memories replaying. They dictate
what it experiences as research studies show . . . . . The Subconscious Mind and Conscious Mind, comprising
the Soul, do not generate
their own ideas, thoughts, feelings and actions. As
noted before, they experience vicariously, through
memories replaying and Inspirations."</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> </span></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">This means that the thoughts we're "thinking" aren't coming from us; they're either old memories replaying, or Divine Inspiration. We don't know which, at any particular time. But, I know which one I'd rather have directing me! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Depending on how you look at it, this makes life either extremely disconcerting, or extremely freeing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">If we never know which thoughts are which, how do we know what to do? How do we know when to use strawberry, "I love you," or "light switch," with a given situation? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Also, this arrangement means that we may not be cleaning with what we THINK we're cleaning with, at any particular time. Layers upon layers of complexity, and eons of added "stuff," are going on behind the screen we're focusing upon. Divinity knows, of course, and we don't.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">We could get really obsessive and upset about all this. But the more freeing alternative is simply to recognize we don't know -- and clean no matter what shows up. We can ask Divinity for "how," and do it. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">"I love you" is elegantly simple for this purpose -- or anything we're guided to do. The choice we're making says it all.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">If we work with this idea, then whoever or whatever appears in our lives is there to be released -- whether we'd objectively call it a "problem" or not. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">After all, as Dr. Hew Len is fond of saying: "A problem is only a problem if we say it is." Maybe these events, experiences, interactions, etc, are just opportunities to make amends.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The other part that's freeing about this, is not having to worry so much about all those Ho'oponopono cleaning tools and what they're "supposed" to do. Yes, we receive a whole manual of them in Ho'oponopono trainings. They each have their history, and might appeal at different times. It's wonderful to have choices that bypass the conscious mind. <br /><br />But the bottom line is that in choosing to use any of them, we're allowing Divinity's help rather than persisting on our own!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Blueberry, Strawberry, Gingersnap, Candy Cane, Thank You, Hawaii . . . . all are simply ways to begin the process. And this can go on no matter what happens. Constantly. I believe it starts with intention, and re-deciding 10,000 times a day or more, perhaps. It's a pathway to freedom from entanglement in whatever has gone before.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Peace is the result -- the peace that passes understanding. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">A rare opportunity to listen to Dr. Hew Len and Kamaile Rafaelovich talking about <a href="http://www.zerolag.biz/zerolag.biz/LIVE_Events.html?utm_source=Copy+of+Copy+of+Copy+of+Copy+of+Copy+of+Copy+of++Kamaile+Rafaelovich+and+Convers&utm_campaign=Hooponopono&utm_medium=email" target="_blank">"Being in the Right Place"</a> is coming in a teleseminar this week: 8/30/12 at 12 noon Hawaii time. This is an MsKr Conversation -- and if desired, you can register here: <a href="http://www.zerolag.biz/zerolag.biz/LIVE_Events.html?utm_source=Copy+of+Copy+of+Copy+of+Copy+of+Copy+of+Copy+of++Kamaile+Rafaelovich+and+Convers&utm_campaign=Hooponopono&utm_medium=email" target="_blank">MsKr Conversation 047 </a> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have really enjoyed previous conversations, and plan to listen in with this one too. If inspired, please come -- and bring your strawberries, blueberries, or other cleaning tools of choice. Most of all, bring your open heart. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Peace begins with me,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Pam</span>Pam Pappas MDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03820479204183581736noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6833144141674289132.post-12794758127737371912012-08-12T16:17:00.000-07:002012-08-12T16:17:47.579-07:00Ho'oponopono and Our Inner Child -- Authentic Relationship, Authentic Love<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Someone wrote me not long ago asking about relating to our Inner Child -- or Unihipili -- in Ho'oponopono. We're encouraged to ask this part of us to "clean," even when we're asleep or otherwise engaged. We can become an inner team this way, aligning all parts of us with Divinity.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />It's a very good question, since the person was wondering whether this would be establishing a relationship under false or exploitative pretenses -- just to get the Inner Child to "do" something for us.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In Ho'oponopono, the Inner Child is the part of us containing all the unconscious memories which can surface as problems like illness, miscommunication, money issues, relationship discord, etc. The Inner Child also runs our bodies -- and needs care from the mothering part of us, the Uhane. <br /><br />If we don't clean, our Inner Child continues to suffer. If we choose to clean (as our Uhane can start the process by saying "I love you") it can let the painful memories go.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In Ho'oponopono training seminars, we're shown specific processes to connect with our Inner Child -- not just to "use" it, but to authentically love it. Many of us may not have experienced this kind of love in our lives, so it takes some practice. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But through the methods Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len and other wonderful Self-Identity Through Ho'oponopono teachers share, it can be done. It does require daily practice, though. Once you realize this part of you has been abused and neglected throughout time, you develop an attitude of care and compassion towards it -- genuine love.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As a doctor, I think this models good self-care, too. There are processes for preparing the Child to go out into the world, for stocking a bag of supplies he/she may need, helping him/her to feel safe, giving gentle affection, and more. This is very different from running mindlessly through life, not considering what we may need as simple humans. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Through our behavior and choices in each moment, </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">we're showing our Inner Child</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> how we approach life and its events: through cleaning, rather than getting embroiled and inflamed in them. All that stuff comes from memories or data we hold inside anyway. Best to ask Divinity's help in transmuting and letting them go! Eventually, the Child learns from us, and wants to do this too. It pleasures in joining in.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And interesting things happen, when we relate this way.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yesterday, I was sitting in a seminar in Phoenix, with ~100 other people. Things were going along, but were not finished. Inside I began to feel uncomfortable, not sure why. The speaker was engaging, energetic, and entertaining. I tried to listen, but my inner discomfort intensified. <br /><br /> Finally, I picked up my things and quietly left the room -- went straight to my car and drove home. No questions, no discussion, no confusion. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As I rode down the freeway, my car radio blasted a warning: a gigantic dust storm with 60 mph winds was on its way! I looked in my rear view mirror, and could see it mushrooming behind me. By leaving early, I had escaped having to drive through it. Just barely.<br /><br />Dr. Hew Len has often said that when you're clear, you "just do it" -- no questions. If you're still asking, you're not! I laughed, thinking of how many times he's told me that . . . . and how many times I've continued to question that answer. I'm sure my confusion has tested his patience. :-)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I can't prove it, but I believe cleaning with my Unihipili let it tell me when to GO, even though my conscious mind didn't understand why. It wasn't logical to miss the rest of a seminar I'd paid for. But that's what happened. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I surely do say thank you, many times a day. I bought some blueberries today, as a special tool to say "Thank You" in another way. (For those who may not know, blueberries are another Ho'oponopono cleaning tool. Cleaning by eating them can escape the conscious mind and its questioning. Very simple.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Dr. Hew Len says the relationship with our Unihipili is the most important relationship we'll ever have. I believe he's right. Thank you, Dr. Hew Len.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Peace begins with me,<br />Pam </span>Pam Pappas MDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03820479204183581736noreply@blogger.com9