Living in Harmony and Alignment with Lomi Lomi and Ho'oponopono

Health & Humanities: An extension of Wellness Chats & Anatomy Facts

Its with great humilty, reverence and recognition of the Indigenous-Hawaiian culture, identity and lifestyle that I begin this post. Photo above was taken under a palm tree at Magic Sands Beach in Kona,HI.

After recently attending a women's ConnectHER brunch that included a panelist of speakers, lots of lovely women and a recurring theme of alignment, gratitude and moving with intention, I couldnt stop thinking of Ho'oponopono as I listened to alignment be brought up over and over again. Seeing the "222's" and watching how alignment played out throughout the event with the curation of items in the swag bags, the connections among the women present and all the little synchronicities occuring throught the afternoon. Some people live Ho'oponopono withouth even realizing and thats a beautiful thing. It reminded me of something my kumu (teacher) in Hawaii told us-- "If you're not in awe, you're not paying attention."

So what is Ho'oponopono? It's how native Hawaiians have been able to live on tiny little islands in relative peace for centuries.

First, Let's Understand the Translation & Significance of the Words:

In the Hawaiian language, words are contexual. So, they can be used interchangably depending on the sentence. Using a word two times places extra emphasis on its meaning, because in Hawaii, even language is a spiritual connection to the divine. Which is why they only have 8 consonants, vowels are believed to be sacred sounds. The okina (') is a break in the pronunciation, each vowel is meant to be vocalized. "Ho'o" denotes taking action, or doing something. "Pono" means harmony, alignment, peace, balance, truth, making "right." "Lomi" means to knead, rub, massage, press.

Magic Sands Beach

The Magic of Lomi Lomi:

There was a time when only people called upon by the ancestors or chosen at childhood could become Lomi Lomi practitioners. You couldnt pay a deposit on a course, you had to earn the right to learn the sacred knowledge. Traditional Lomi Lomi involves chanting, prayer and requires you to set an intention for each massage. Its a complete representation of nature and Hawaiian spirit. Meant to mimic the waves of the ocean, with your strokes and each body part or technique being described not by technical or anatomical terms but their comparison to nature.

Your forearm is a canoe, your thumb- a knife. The ridges in between your hands and fingers are hills and valleys. Massaging on top of bones is a no-no because the bones are sacred. In some techniques, your hands mimic a fish swimming down the back or a leg. There is a deep connection to water and the land. What truly makes Lomi Lomi special is the integration of Ho'oponopono, a philosophy of happiness, harmony and alignment among people.

Punalu'u Black Sand Beach

Ho'oponopono; Finding peace in our hearts:

Conflict is an unavoidable aspect of human interaction. Ever notice how you, or someone you may know, keeps running into the same problem, or pattern, over and over again, just a different person? Or why we lament and complain about something someone did to us, even months and years after we've "moved on"?

In order to move on and finally be truly free from the distress, pain or trauma someone caused us, we have to cut (oki) the cords that keep us bound to that conflict, person, place or thing.

Imagine each one of us has a little bubble of energy around us and when someone comes into conflict with us, now our 'bubbles' become attached by an invisble cord. This cord doesnt disappear when that person exits our life. It doesnt go away when we move to a new town or country. It has the ability of stretching really, really far...

So how do we cut the cord and live free of the negative bond to find peace?

Living Ho'oponopono means cord cutting (oki). However, its not just about cutting the cord, once you make that cut, that space where the cord once existed is now empty and if its not filled, it will only be a matter of time before it is filled by the same problem, different person. The way to truly be free, is by after cutting the cord, filling that void, the empty space, with love. Granting yourself and the other person grace and allowing balance, harmony, peace and alignment into your life. This is how Ho'oponopono allows us to "make right."

You wont need to complain about 'that person' to your friends anymore, you wont have to think about how much you dislike them. You wont have to live with resentment, anger, frustration, or constantly falling into the same patterns and the same person, different face. Doing this requires intention, belief and real honest internal work.

Ohi'a Lehua plant by the Kilauea Volcano; considered sacred to Pele, the lava goddess.

You can do short Ho'oponopono meditations such as:

" ___person___, if in anyway I (or my relatives or ancestors) offended you in thought or word or deed..

I am sorry.

Please forgive me.

Please set me free.

I love you.

Thank you."

This isnt about validating, justifying or excusing what the other person did. Its about freeing yourself from negativity and replacing it with love and forgiveness, so you both can be free from pain. Its about 'owning your side of the street' and taking honest accountability for where you went wrong, even if where you went wrong was making the decision to let that person into your life. Why did you do it? What led you there? Forgive yourself. Forgive them. Carry on in peace.

It takes honest, real, grounded intention to truly live Ho'oponopono. It's not always easy and you will struggle at times. It's not about becoming a push-over or a doormat, that's unacceptable. It's about reclaiming your power by not allowing anyone to have it over you by living rent-free in your head. Living in harmony and love is the greatest power there is.

True Ho'oponopono prayer and meditation (ho'okuano'o) is much more in depth and involved than the above prayer, but it's a great place to start entering this energy and loving light, that has been at the heart of Hawaiian culture and identity, into your life.

I invite you to experience Lomi Lomi, Ho'oponopono & learn more about the ancient, indigenous, Hawaiian systems that connect to these healing arts, by booking a session with me and requesting an "authentic Lomi Lomi experience." We can bring the island to Central Florida and I can humbly share what I have learned of this beautiful massage, philosophy and culture by allowing you to experience it's warmth and light.

Malama Pono,

In Loving Harmony-

Nicole Ortega LMT

Kealakekua Bay, a sacred site in Kona with an healing energy