Ho'oponopono is an ancient Hawaiian practice of forgiveness and reconciliation. It is like a mantra where you repeat the words "I'm sorry, please forgive me, thank you, I love you" as a form of mental and spiritual cleansing. By doing this practice, the ancient Hawaiian people believed it would clear the mind, and it is wrong thinking and doing which is the root of all evil. Similar to many other cultures around the world.

We all sometimes say and do things that are not aligned with the truth and, instead of examining our thoughts, words, and deeds, we become defensive as if the only goal is that we are right at the end of this battle. We often say and do things we know are hurtful, and we later regret, but often, due to shame or guilt, instead of owning our mistakes and saying we're sorry, we go on with our lives pretending it never happened. But, it did, and these things lie heavy on our Soul and slowly but surely, dim our light. Why is it so hard to say I'm sorry, forgive me? Why is it so hard to say I love you? I guess the answer is manifold and different for each of us, but for many, it lies in the way we have been brought up, as well as in the deep unconscious, shadow self which makes us see ourselves, our actions and the world through distorted glass.

Each of us carries a light and a shadow. The shadow self is unconscious, defensive, angry, jealous, insecure etc. So, when we think, say and act from this space, we hurt ourselves, other people around us, our family, friends, communities, other living beings, mama Earth. Is the shadow partially already there from the moment we are born, a residue from a past life or karma, or are we born as beings of light only to be labelled, conditioned, moulded, imprinted with fear, doubt, shame, and false belief since the day we are born, we don't really know. It's a philosophical question to which, I believe, the answer isn't that important for our growth. 

There aren't many awakened or enlightened beings on this planet, so we're all in the same boat. We all say and do things from the shadow part, but becoming aware of it is the first and the most crucial step. Our shadow lives in the unconscious, and from that hidden, unaware space, it can wreak havoc on our health, lives, relationships and everything around us. 

What is important is that we are willing to grow and bring darkness to light. What's important is we question our words and actions and, when we find wrongdoing, we can say:

I'm sorry. 

Please forgive me. 

Thank you. 

I love you.

Say it to yourself. To your loved ones. To friends and colleagues. To any living Soul, you might have hurt or caused harm. It will shed light on the dark. Let go of the shame and guilt attached to it; we are all in this together. It will lift the burden from your Soul. It will raise the burden from another's. It will help us grow together.

I'm sorry. 

Please forgive me. 

Thank you. 

I love you.

This article first appeared on Nina’s website

Nina Vukas

Nina is the founder of Spanda Institute, Program Director and a Lead Teacher for Advanced Study Programs. She has been a Yoga practitioner since 1998, started teaching full time in 2005, and has been educating yogis on their journey towards becoming Yoga Teachers, as well as educating Yoga Teachers to advance their knowledge and teaching skills since 2009 Nina is also a Somatic Psychotherapist, Mindfulness and Meditation teacher, and forever a student. Currently, she is studying Psychology as well as Yoga Therapy.