Forgiveness is powerful medicine and greatly needed in our culture (62% of Americans feel they need more forgiveness in their lives). When we do not forgive others or even more importantly, our self, we are at greater health risk. People who carry resentments often feeling angry or done wrong by others, disappointed or upset with themselves and can loose their trust in life itself.
These harbored feelings create stress in the body, and switch our nervous system’s fight/flight/freeze system ‘on’ more than is healthy. Medical research shows that this leads to a weakened immune system, increases anxiety & depression, heart rate and risk of heart attack.
The ancient Hawaiian peace making practice of Ho’o pono pono, defined as: To Set Right, to make right, to rectify, to cleanse, to make restitution, is a powerful remedy.
Ho’o pono pono believes that illness comes from anger or unresolved feelings that must be set right in order to heal the health of a person or a dynamic in a family or community.
Growing up in Hawai’i I have a kindred connection with the cosmology that holds Ho’o pono pono. The Luminous Life Maps work and a NeuroImaginal framework hold that energy is everything and everything is energy. This includes feelings, emotions, thoughts and actions we take in the world. When we are out of harmony with our thoughts, feelings, actions/behaviors we can experience dis-ease and experience more distress in life.
Amplifying the healing medicine of Ho’o pono pono with right brain, movement and image based experiential therapy accesses the Right Brain where non-linear image and body based memories are held. Working with Creative Arts Therapy intentionally accesses the Right brain, bypassing the rational order of the Left brain and allows access to places of sorrow, anger or disappointment held in the body and psyche. Our experiential, Creative Arts Therapy approach also includes ritual for release and unbinding of energies in the body to clear the way for deep transformation. These modalities together create a powerful synergy of ancient practice with modern, neurologically based therapeutic practice.
The seemingly ‘simple’ practice of saying the four phrases of Ho’o pono pono is really a profound journey of inner work. I like to begin with what is considered the final line:
- I love you (setting intention for right action)
- I’m sorry (truly making amends for one’s part in the wrong doing towards others or towards your self)
- Please forgive me (for the ways I have harmed you, or your own spirit)
- Thank you (to the great spirit for the opportunity to learn through this experience and to have this life rich with experience, growth and healing potential)
- I love you (to great spirit for these gifts in life, for the opportunity to learn and grow and for life itself)
New stories begins to emerge and energies lighten as Ho’o Pono Pono works it’s peacemaking magic through the body and imagery. Clients begin to soften, finding new perspective, feeling resolution, new insight and calm in their body and psyche. When positive resolution is reached, new right action emerges from the process of Ho’o pono pono that reinforces forgiveness and the process of setting things right becomes Pono: correct, put right, eased.
Image credit: Tanyya@fanpop.com
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