Ho'oponopono Keeps Me Chill + Creative (here’s how to do it)

I hop between Japan and the states a lot. And sometimes, to break up the long flight, I like to stop over in Honolulu. This is where I am right now (and probably what’s inspiring this post).

Ho’oponopono is a Hawaiian word focused on making things right and balanced. As a literal translation, it means to correct.

It’s a way to heal through forgiveness, gratitude and love. And it works.

But what does this have to do with carefreeness and creativity? In my experience, everything.

So this post shares everything you need to know about ho’oponopono and how I’m using it in my own (artistic, nomadic) life.

Let’s do this.

Table of Contents Show

What Is Ho'oponopono?

Ho'oponopono is the Hawaiian practice of reconciling and forgiving (something) for more balance in life.

It’s a way to transmute negative energies or emotions into forgiveness and love. I first heard about it from Aaron Doughty and it’s something I’ve been using to boost my wellbeing, creativity and carefreeness in life.

Ho'oponopono is made up of four mantras, which are:

1. I’m sorry (ownership)

2. I forgive you (letting go)

3. I thank you (gratitude)

4. I love you (deep love)

So you may be wondering, does this stuff work? Like, what’s the impact of forgiving, thanking and loving your past regrets, trauma, etcetera?

Let’s look at Dr. Hew Len’s work for a quick story.

Dr. Hew Len’s Work

Dr. Hew Len was a clinical psychologist from Hawaii. And his work with ho'oponopono is of partiuclar interest.

In the 1980s, Dr. Len worked in a state hospital in Hawaii, which was known for being chaotic and difficult. But somehow, he was able to heal an entire ward of mentally ill criminals (seemingly by magic). And the way he did it was the surprising part.

He didn’t even visit patients in-person.

He would simply go through their files and intently practice ho'oponopono for each of them. He was taking on the responsibility of their traumas and forgiving them (loving them) himself.

Over time, the situation at the hospital started to improve, without any external factors or explanations besides Dr. Len’s ho'oponopono work.

So (while slightly anecdotal), this story is still inspiring and makes you wonder about the true power of ho'oponopono.

But if nothing else, it’s enough proof (for me) to at least give it a try in my own life. I mean, what do I have to lose?

What do you think – did Dr. Len heal those patients through ho'oponopono alone? Or is something else at work here?

How Ho'oponopono Keeps Me Chill + Creative

As a musician, artist and traveler, ho'oponopono helps me embrace change, deal with setbacks, heal my regrets and love my struggles.

Epic stuff — and practical too!

Because sometimes the greatest opportunities for growth are disguised as the most difficult things. Ho'oponopono helps me embody a better mindset so I can move forward more effectively.

Here’s how it helps me feel more chill and creative in life:

• Not feeling negative for having lazy, unproductive days (or weeks…)

• Loving my creative work, ideas and projects

• Forgiving and letting go of missed opportunities

• Appreciating struggles and obstacles

• Loving the creative process

• Staying optimistic and positive (a happy artist is a more creative one)

How to Use Ho'oponopono

The ho'oponopono technique isn’t hard and it’s useful for tons of things (far beyond creativity and carefreeness). So here’s how I do it and how to use it in your life.

Learn the Mantras

To do ho'oponopono, you need to know the main mantras (obviously). But what I really mean is you want to learn them to the point where you don’t even need to think.

Memorize them into your subconscious so you can recite the mantras forwards and backwards with ease.

This way, you can focus your attention and intention on the purpose of your ho'oponopono and on the emotional weight behind each mantra. Here they are again:

1. I’m sorry

2. I forgive you

3. I thank you

4. I love you

Use Emotion (+ believe)

Affirmations without emotion or belief in them working are ineffective. If you want ho'oponopono to work, you need to believe that it will.

I do this by emotionally embodying each of the mantras and accepting they have power. My belief is supported through quantum physics, the nature of energy and how frequencies (from our thoughts and feelings) interact with the world around us.

Your energy is fully invested into each phrase. You visualize its meaning and feel the impact. It’s a connection between your words and your situation.

This is how you impact your physical reality and conjure lasting changes.

You can practice this by taking your time and treating each one like an individual person you’re communicating with.

Every part of ho'oponopono (ownership, letting go, gratitude, deep love) is a different phase that has a different emotion, context and meaning attached to it. Spend time on each one to fully feel it.

And most importantly, believe in its power. Believe that it works.

Explore more:
➤ Mindset Facts That Changed How I Think

Focus on One Thing at a Time

You can use ho'oponopono for anything and in any part of your life. But whenever I try to cover too much all at once, things get messy.

So I recommend focusing on one thing at a time.

It’s like most things in life. If you spread yourself too thin, it’ll be harder to develop each individual thing. Or at least, it’ll take longer.

For example, with this blog, I tried to build too many pillars and sub-niches all at once. So they all grew really slow (or not at all). I have a multi-niche blog, but I was pretty disorganized with the content strategy. So things didn’t grow as quickly as I’d hoped.

So I readjusted my strategy (for SEO and my sanity).

By focusing attention on just one area at a time, I can properly water things until they get stronger and can stand on their own. For my blog, that means authority. For ho'oponopono, maybe that means genuine forgiveness and love.

Stay Patient + Open

Ho'oponopono isn’t something you do once and then just sit back and reap the rewards. Again, this is true for most things in life.

So this tip is about setting realistic expectations. Stay patient and open to pivots and growth along the way. It’s a journey, after all.

Here are some tips for staying patient when doing ho'oponopono:

• Don’t wait for results to ‘feel it’

• Genuinely enjoy the ho'oponopono process

• Make it a regular routine

• Don’t be stubborn with how and when you think things should unfold

Later ✌️

Ho'oponopono is the Hawaiian practice of transmuting negative emotions and/or experiences into more positive ones. It involves apologizing, forgiving, thanking and loving the thing you want to overcome.

And it’s a powerful move — especially for creativity and carefreeness.

To get started, simply learn the four mantras, practice them with emotion and focus and stay patient.

So, what will you totally own, forgive, thank and give love to?

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