Many years ago, I discovered the Hawaiian prayer of Ho’oponopono. It is the practice of getting into a meditative state and repeating the mantra:
I’m sorry.
Please forgive me.
Thank you.
I love you.
As I became comfortable with it and practiced it, something unusual happened. I experienced a feeling that I had never felt before. During the prayer, my muscles would become wholly relaxed, and my mind became – I can only explain it as – blank. The cares and concerns of my conscious state left behind. It was not just that. I began to feel a movement, like subtle energy flowing like a river around inside my body.
From this happening, I decided to try something on my own. When a person came to mind, someone in whom I was having a conflict or who I knew was struggling with a personal issue, I would skip the prayer portion of Ho’oponopono and simply sit with the intention of sending that person love. I experienced much the same feeling within myself described above, but the “energy flow” changed. Instead of just flowing around inside of me, it felt like it swirled within me, then gently surged away from me.
Now, I have no evidence that this practice caused any reaction other than in my own body, or that it helped anyone in any way, but I am optimistic that it makes a positive difference.
There is an eastern school of thought that believes that energy or “Qi” flows through our bodies. Western medicine has begun to adopt some of its healing practices (like acupuncture and Tai Chi) without fully accepting it’s philosophy. I am of the opinion that if it doesn’t hurt you, and there is anecdotal evidence or even the possibility it might be beneficial, why not?
There are many unexplained phenomena that has an overwhelming number of examples that are hard to deny. So, it may be that your “energy” is a factor in helping someone overcome a problem or feel the presence of love, whether they know where it came from or not. Or that may all be nothing but hooey.
What I do know is that it makes me feel better. I feel empowered. Like I am helping someone in an extraordinary way. I immerse myself in the satisfaction of loving someone who may not feel the same way about me. With so much hate and revenge in the world, I indulge myself in the possibility that I can counteract it in some small way. This in itself makes it worth the effort.
You also can use the intention of love, making its target yourself. If you intend that love back toward yourself, you will know its power first-hand. Say you need a confidence booster before a big event, or you simply struggle with self-esteem, it can be a powerful meditation to use alongside therapy and other tools for building self-confidence.
Either way, the power is there. Love, with all its subtleties, is the most powerful of emotions. Harnessing that power is a positive growth practice. Give it a try. What have you got to lose?
Copyright 2022, Monica Nelson
