Mana for the Doctor's Soul

A fool and her luggage are soon parted. -- Pam Pappas MD 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. 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 ' d cover all the legs of the journey, offering protection and care. You ' 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. Usually I clean with each of the steps beforehand, from door to door -- and talk with the ...

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. 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.  I've attended multiple more Ho'oponopono trainings over the past year, and have been pondering them deeply. One question many ask: "Why shoul...

The Ebola outbreak in West Africa is leaving thousands of children orphaned, without help. Today I was fortunate to be part of an MsKr Ho'oponopono Conversation about  Care of the Self -- with many participants, including Kamaile Rafaelovich and Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len .  Today's specific topic was : "How does the Care of the Self (unihipili) through SITH® affect the physical body?" For those who haven't previously taken Self I-Dentity through Ho’oponopono® classes , 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'opono...

One of the main tenets in Ho'oponopono is taking 100% responsibility for everything that shows up in our lives. Yes, everything. By nature, we balk at this -- it sounds so overwhelming! 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? You get the picture.  Think of the most recent outrage in your life, and just fill in the blank. One reason the idea of 100% responsibility seems overwhelming is a follow up question: If I'm responsible for everything, does that mean I have to fix everything?  All by myself? 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?"  :-) He's not really saying that we directly did anything to ...

Many have written me asking for proof that Ho'oponopono "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. 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 Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len has always been a timely example and guide. He has laughed, cajoled, goaded, offered useful metaphors, and held compassion during my journey.   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.  I lost a profoundl...

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. 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.   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? 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. So how do w...

I was reviewing some events in my life recently and noticing certain patterns that recur over and over again. How easy it is to overlook my part in things, just like the regal cat above! He looks so relaxed, and he's got a good story to explain the mess (those fighting paper towels, indeed!) -- as if there is no relation to him whatsoever. Moments before, he might have been a tornado of flailing claws and kicking feet. Perhaps he was just playing, or practicing long-submerged hunting instincts. The result is shredded paper towels all over the floor. Just how did they get there, hmmmmm???? He surveys his tattered domain in seeming puzzlement. Entire lives can be like that. One of the fundamentals of Ho'oponopono, though, is taking 100% responsibility for everything that appears in our lives. Everything. I don't know about you, but sometimes things show up in MY life that I'd rather not claim. Much easier to ignore them, or shuffle them over to somebody else's pile. ...

Over the last few months I've been dealing with a family situation that's had me stumped. A mixture of love, concern, anxiety, hurt, anger, and guilt comes along with it. The specifics aren't so important here, but one issue for me has been what -- and how much -- I personally should "do" about this situation. After all, one tenet of Ho'oponopono is that we are "100% responsible" for everything that shows up in our lives. Does this mean that when the proverbial you-know-what hits the fan, we have caused it -- with all attendant blame and guilt? And if we have caused it, does it mean we need to fix it? Maybe other people get confused about these questions too. My feeling of stuckness led me to ask Mabel Katz last night to talk about the "100% responsibility" part of Ho'oponopono. We were chatting on one of her Thursday night Ho'oponopono question and answer calls . When in the thick of things, she said, "it can be hard to rememb...

Yesterday I shared some thoughts about Ho'oponopono and the United States' financial crisis. The most salient aspect of this is our personal, individual, 100% responsibility for what we're experiencing -- always. Rather than feeling burdened by guilt and shame, though, I feel hopeful with this. It means we can choose how we'll respond. Will we point fingers and scream that the government did it to us? That we have been tricked by "bad", money-grubbing financial advisors? This would be engaging in the chaos, leading nowhere but into more misery. Or will we find another way? As a step-by-step problem solving process, Ho'oponopono does offer another way -- and excludes no one. People from all traditions and religions may find solace in it. It also allows a larger universal view than what's on our individual screens right now. It acknowledges that whatever we see on the "outside" is also in us. Further, it acknowledges that we as humans cannot kn...

"What is done by what is called myself is, I feel, done by something greater than myself in me." ~James Clerk Maxwell, physicist, on his deathbed in 1879 The artwork above is a painting by Navajo artist David K. John , and hangs in my office. Titled "Rain Chanters," it depicts beings that are sacred to the Dine (the Navajo people), and which can offer healing assistance. It blesses the space where I see my patients. I am grateful for any feeling of help when working with my patients. To me this is a huge responsibility, and doctors, nurses, therapists, and other caregivers can easily feel overwhelmed. We're all the time trying to understand and solve others' problems. It sometimes amounts to what Dr. David Reilly of Glasgow Homeopathic Hospital in Scotland calls " fixitology ". We act as if we think the patient is broken , needing to be "fixed" -- as quickly as possible (" quickfixitology "). Further, we reduce the person to b...

Recently I experienced a very challenging situation. (At least it seemed so to me.) I'd been asked to speak on a very controversial topic at a large conference in another city. Wanting to share the material but also feeling anxious, I researched and prepared my presentation over many months. Travel arrangements solidified, and all seemed to be moving ahead. But a few days before the conference, the chairman reported that its accrediting body had withdrawn physician Continuing Medical Education units. Why? It turned out that the accreditation committee objected to certain presentations, including mine. Removing educational credit from the conference could severely discourage attendance. This threw me into a tailspin. What to do? Shock, hurt, anger and fear roiled inside me; what kind of reception would there be for our talks? I briefly described the situation to Mabel Katz . "Good for you!" she exclaimed. "Good for me?! What are you talking about? I'm suffering, h...