4 Step Ho'oponopono Healing

Ho'oponopono is a Hawaiian practice of forgiveness and reconciliation.

It translates to:

“I Love You, I'm Sorry, Please Forgive Me, Thank You”

This is a mantra I turn to often and find great solace in. These words are ones we all need to hear and speak more often. May this bring you ease and deepen your compassion.

Step 1: Repentance – I’M SORRY

You are the only one responsible for your thoughts. No one else can make you feel or think anything. They can help inspire the thought or may be the subject of your emotion, but your thoughts and actions belong only to you.

Choose something that you are responsible for. The way you spoke to a loved one in the heat of the moment. The way you may abuse a substance. The lies you’ve told to protect yourself in some way. Hurtful actions of your past.

Now, with that in mind. Say “I’m Sorry”. Repeat this out loud. It can be helpful to go into specifics here, “I’m sorry that I spoke to my beloved disrespectfully this morning”, “I am sorry that I use alcohol excessively and am hurting my body”. Repeat this out loud.

Step 2: Ask Forgiveness – PLEASE FORGIVE ME

This does not need to be as specific as step one. Ask for forgiveness and really mean it. Remember how sorry you felt during step one and embody this. Really ask for forgiveness out loud over and over.

I sometimes will shift this into “I Forgive You” depending on what I’m working with. Both are powerful and sometimes I feel “I’m sorry” is an ask for forgiveness. I feel it’s important to express clearly that I do forgive others. I can release, I can allow, I can forgive.

Step 3: Gratitude – THANK YOU

Say “Thank You” out loud with your entire being. Thank yourself, thank the universe, thank the people in your life, thank the animals, thank the Earth, thank God. Keep repeating, “Thank You”. You can think of specific events or experiences. You can also keep this wide open to touch and awaken less conscious gratitude.

Feeling and expressing gratitude is powerful for your wellbeing and inspires others to notice what is here, what is beautiful, what amazing gifts surround us.

Step 4: Love – I LOVE YOU

Repeat “I Love You”, out loud over and over. Say it to yourself, to the Earth, to those dear to you, to yourself, to the moon, the sun. Embody this overflowing love. Allow it to start in your heart and expand outwardly in all directions. In Buddhist practice, we often do Metta meditations. This may begin with bringing someone very dear to you into your heart. Feeling the love you have for and with this person. From here you expand out to someone that is harder for you to feel this same level of care for. You continue to expand and envelop all beings with this overflowing and expansive love.