Releasing Fear Ho'oponopono Ritual

For most of us fear is our biggest block and it can manifest as generalized anxiety or daily fears. Fear has several parts, not trusting the self, false perception, past experience, feeling inadequate, which leads to fears that you won't be equal to your own life experience.

Just as an animal always remembers a hurt, the lower self retains the memories of both the emotional and physical injuries. If the hurt represents a pattern, example, a parent that was habitually hurtful, the fear may become a complex and lodge deep in the lower self.

Generalized fear presents a special challenge, sometimes one can not remember a traumatic incident. Journaling and dialoguing with the Lower self, one can begin to understand where their fear stems.

The traditional Hawaiian practice called ho'oponopono literally means "to put to rights" and refers to a family conference where relationships were set right through prayer, discussion, confession, repentance, mutual restitution, and forgiveness.

This is a valuable tool which is an ancient practice that remained in the Hawaiian culture after Christianity arrived and continued to be used in traditional families.

The ancient Hawaiians believed that illness and misfortune came from an imbalance in the relationships between people and between people and their gods. They believed that everything in life was related, and thus a problem between two family members was a problems for the whole group. The family also included the extended relations, adopted children and close friends.

A ho'oponopono session was often called when a family member became seriously ill. To the Hawaiian Kahuna working to heal a person, a negative entanglement of emotion could block the channel to the gods and made any work attempted with the patient ineffective. The session laid the groundwork for the Kahuna healer by revealing the source of the problem. Ho'oponopono was sometimes used before childbirth in a troubled family, because it was thought that discord was an obstacle that would hinder the baby's healthy birth.

The process of ho'oponopono is first the family is called together. Family members were expected to make every effort to attend the session and to travel long distances if necessary. Once the family was assembled, the process could take a few hours or it might last days or weeks with multiple sessions being needed. The senior member of the family directs, or if he or she was too involved to be objective, a family friend or a kahuna that was known by the family.

The session starts with a prayer addressed to the family's special guardians, asking that they be present and assist in the process. The rest of the ho'oponopono process follows in a ritualized form that includes definite steps. The steps are; identifying the problem, stating the transgression, discussion, identifying the negative entanglement, sharing of feelings, confession, releasing the problem, cutting off the problem, summary and reaffirmation of bonds, and closing prayer with a meal.

There were certain rules that were observed when going through these steps. Because the proceedings might be emotional, family members were encouraged to communicate through the leader and to avoid raising their voices in anger. Everyone was expected to make a sincere effort to reach the truth in a spirit of openness without hurting or insulting one another. If tempers flared during the session, the leader could call for a cooling off period before continuing.
Family members attempt to get to the root of the problems in a process similar to peeling an onion. Discussion of the problem invariably would lead to deeper and deeper layers of conflict. Once the problem was identified and discussed at length, the family found ways for the negative aspects to be released. This might involve a person making a confession as well as restitution. Then the problem was ritually released by everyone taking part. There was a reaffirmation of family ties and closing prayer and a meal.

Ho'oponopono is also used in Huna practice to clear out negativity and blocks so that prayer can be effective, and mana can flow to the Higher Self. Allan P. Lewis offers a general ho'oponopono to free the mind. It begins, Infinite Divine Creator, If I, my relatives, or ancestors did ever offend You or Your children by thought, word, or deed, from the beginning of Creation to the present, we sincerely ask forgiveness of You and all concerned. Forgive all our errors and offenses. Forgive all our guilt's and resentments. Forgive all blocks and attachments we ever created."

An individual ho'oponopono requires a great deal of mental preparation for it to be effective. Spend time with a journal writing your thoughts and feelings about the problem you are having. Be very honest with yourself. Go into the Silence and ask both your higher self and lower self for information about the problem. In other words, do the steps of ho'oponopono on your own, identifying, learning about, and fully fathoming your conflict. If you don't do this very important homework, and simply release the problems with a ritual, it may vanish for a time but will come right back. Going to the root of the conflict may involve seeking outside help. Do what you have to to restore harmony in your life. Once you have gone into it fully, find a way to take action on the physical plane to solve the problem. Make sure both your Higher, Lower and Middle selves are in agreement with your course of action.
To sum up ho'oponopono is an immensely useful ritual that can be used in the family, individually, and in many situation of conflict. The Hawaiian principles underlying it are:

Unresolved hurt, anger, shame or guilt can result in physical illness or other disharmony.

A problem between two family members affects the entire group.

Superficial conflicts are often symptomatic o hidden hurts.

Higher powers will assist those who work to resolve their difficulties.

There is strength in the shared purpose of a family working together to solve problems.

Sincere forgiveness and release negative emotional entanglement

Prayer is essential

Relationships can be healed.