Mana for the Doctor's Soul

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. Someone asked me the other day what Ho'oponopono is about, and what we are "cleaning" when practicing this process.  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? Morrnah explained : " 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...

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?" 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."   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.  Unfortunately we also hold unconscious memories (or data) inside us -- 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. Ho'oponopono is a method of solving these problems by recogni...

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...

6 months old, and being cared for  :-) 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.  :-) One of the most rewarding ways to practice Ho'oponopono is through caring for our own Inner Child -- our subconscious, or Unihipili.  Dr. Ihealakala Hew Len 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. 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 ours...

I've recently returned from a week-long, silent Vipassana (Insight Meditation) retreat. Called "Convergence" and run by teachers and staff from Spirit Rock Meditation Center , it was held at the Angela Center near Santa Rosa, CA.  The "convergence" they spoke of was bringing Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (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. My own private "convergence" included Ho'oponopono as well.  :-) 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 notic...

Our Lady of Guadalupe -- in January 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.  Maybe all days can have those qualities, if we look carefully.  Still, this one feels special to me somehow. 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.  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 rel...