Ho'oponopono and healing -- Something worth hearing

Many people wonder how ho'oponopono or other spiritual practices could help them with conditions such as hypertension, depression, and even hearing loss.


Ho'oponopono and hypertension? Spirit, meet blood vessels

Some people doubt that spiritual or meditative processes can affect physical conditions.

Yet there are many studies supporting the adjunctive use of mindfulness-based stress reduction, for instance, in conditions such as chronic pain, heart disease, psoriasis, and hypertension -- not to mention conditions said to be 'emotional', like anxiety disorders.

Enter another area for consideration: Ho'oponopono, a spiritual practice developed and used in Hawaii for centuries.

Ho'oponopono, which means "to make right" or "to correct an error", is a step-by-step problem-solving approach to identify and relieve stress. Though it one learns to care appropriately for the self through a practice of repentance, forgiveness, and transmutation. This process helps one develop a better working relationship between the conscious mind, subconscious, and superconscious (mind, body, and spirit), increasing self-understanding and self-acceptance.

Self-Identity through Ho'oponopono is a modernized version of the process created by a kahuna healer named Morrnah Simeona, and is now taught worldwide through The Foundation of I.

Might this spiritual practice also have physical health effects?

Kikikipa Kretzer PhD et al recently published a pilot study, "Self-Identity through Ho'oponopono as adjunctive therapy for hypertension management," in Ethnicity and Disease. They wondered whether Self-Identity through Ho'oponopono along with standard medical therapy might better control hypertension than standard therapy alone.

Serving as their own controls, 23 adults over age 30 with hypertension or pre-hypertension participated in a half-day class on Self-Identity through Ho'oponopono. They learned how to apply this process in their everyday lives. Systolic blood pressure decreased after the intervention, averaging 11.86 mm Hg below pre-intervention levels. Diastolic blood pressure decreased by 5.44 mm Hg. These findings were both statisically and clinically significant.

Reading the actual research paper shows that blood pressures decreased more over the 1-2 months following the intervention, than on the class day itself. Intriguingly, blood pressures even increased slightly on the class day. Why?
I wondered if class participants might have experienced increased stress with new (and maybe unfamiliar) ideas about themselves and their health. This possible effect, mirrored in the blood pressure readings, does seem to have tapered with ongoing time and practice after the class.
How many of our blood pressures rise when someone or something first challenges our long-held assumptions? What if the world really is drastically different -- and much more complex -- than we'd like to believe? hmmm . . . .
Having such spiritual resources within us can be a great relief, once we get over the shock of having them. :-)
The study included measures of spirituality before and after the classes; these scores increased significantly after the intervention.
Also, 91% of study participants wanted more personal involvement in their healthcare treatments. Providing a simple way to deal with stress, Ho'oponopono could allow such involvement while also improving blood pressures.

In this study, Self-Identity through Ho'oponopono offered a low-cost, low-risk, and readily accessible intervention associated with lower blood pressures and improved feelings of well-being in participants.
 
Though some will say the study is "small" (only 23 subjects), it carries big implications. I'm hoping the authors will explore further -- and that people like us will stay tuned.

The September 2007 issue of Ethnicity and Disease published a study showing that adding classes in ho'oponopono helped hypertensive people improve their blood pressure more effectively than medications alone. It was a relatively small "pilot" study, but is a beginning in exploring what people might be able to accomplish through such processes. Others' experiences with ho'oponopono and their health situations fascinate and inspire me.

Jimmy Piver, one of my friends in North Carolina, has written about his own challenges with hearing loss in his blog "Ho'oponopono for Today". The post is titled: Why Hearing Loss and Deafness were Blessings: Or Why My Hearing Went South. He shares wisdom about mind-body interactions, how he feels these apply to him . . . and how ho'oponopono has helped him through all this. Hoʻoponopono

Hoʻoponopono (ho-o-pono-pono) is an ancient Hawaiian practice of reconciliation and forgiveness. Similar forgiveness practices were performed on islands throughout the South Pacific, including Samoa, Tahiti and New Zealand. Traditionally hoʻoponopono is practiced by healing priests or kahuna lapaʻau among family members of a person who is physically ill. Modern versions are performed within the family by a family elder, or by the individual alone.

one has to repeat constantly the mantra, “I'm sorry. Please forgive me. I love you. Thank you.” It is based on the principle of 100% responsibility, taking responsibility for everyone's actions, not only for one's own. If one would take complete responsibility for one's life, then everything one sees, hears, tastes, touches, or in any way experiences would be one's responsibility because it is in one's life. The problem would not be with our external reality, it would be with ourselves. To change our reality, we would have to change ourselves.

Healing and cure may be very different. I have seen many people healed who were not necessarily cured; they may rebalance and feel whole even while still experiencing symptoms. This is certainly a gift in itself. But in some cases once this point of peace is reached, the symptoms themselves have resolved over time.

For instance, Evy McDonald RN, MS, MDiv is one of the first people ever to have reversed amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) . This is a usually fatal illness, and she is now over 20 years in remission. Her intent was not to cure her disease, but to experience unconditional love for the first time in her life. Hers is a powerful story.

One of the graces of ho'oponopono is that we apparently don't need to know the full extent of the problem in order to invite Divinity's help in its release and transmutation.

Even better, we can ask Divinity's help in letting go of our reactions about the situation. That's where ho'oponopono says the real problem is anyway. Dr. Hew Len often reminds us: "Problems can be solved without knowing what the heck is going on!" What a wondrous relief.

My ears are always open for people's healing stories -- they're definitely worth hearing. Please pop on over to Jimmy Piver's blog to see what he's talking about.

Peace begins with me,

Pam