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This is a deeper technique I have designed for my clients and it will take five consecutive days to carry it out, opening a space of at least half an hour each day. The main requirements are honesty and patience. During each session you are going to ask yourself five questions that will help you find the origin of a situation, attitude or problem. We are going to use the idea of the five elements (air, water, earth, fire, Spirit) to work with a particular aspect or sphere of life on each occasion. Just a note before we start: ask yourself the questions professionally, with a certain detachment and from a place of compassion. The idea is not to bring yourself down, but courageously to find the truth hidden behind an opinion, idea or belief.
Let's start with an example and say that you are not happy with your job. The first question to ask would be, "why am I unhappy with my job?" Let's say the answer is "I don't like my boss." So, the second question would be, "why don't I like my boss?" Answer: "because he's rude and doesn't pay attention to me."
Now, initially, question 3, could be "why doesn't he pay attention to me?" But the Hawaiian Pentacle is a technique for self-reflection, hence you cannot really answer a question from the point of view of another person. So we should change question 3 a bit and make it something along the lines of "why do I think/feel that my boss is rude and does not pay attention to me?" Answer: "because when I talk to him, he doesn't look at my face or make any comments about what I'm saying." Again, we cannot say why the boss is acting this way, but we can question the circumstances around this situation. Hence, question 4 would be something like: “what is my boss doing when I talk to him and he ignores me?" Answers may vary, but they can give a clue: "just drinking his coffee," "talking on the phone," "speaking to other people," "giving a report during a meeting." So question 5 can be: “why do I talk to my boss when he is doing this?" Once more, the answer may vary: "because otherwise I will never speak to him;" to "because I'm not confident to speak to him in a different time/setting."
Usually, by question 5, we have begun to see what's behind a belief, perception or situation. Maybe more questions are needed to reach the core of the problem. But for argument's sake, let's stop our example at question 5. If the answer is "because otherwise I will never speak to him," company communication protocols should be used or checked or a little research about timings should be carried out. If the answer is more along the lines of "I'm not confident to speak to him in a different time/setting." then more reflection and inner work is needed.
The whole process helps to clarify that one may not necessarily hate the job, but there is a particular situation that needs addressing in order to feel good about the workplace. It may turn out that such a situation cannot be changed. Still, one can decide if there are other benefits to the job that compensate for the situation or not, and according to this analysis, take a specific action. Even if no action is taken, there is a totally different frame of mind when you say: "There are many things I like about my job, although there is a situation that makes it somewhat challenging, but overall I enjoy what I do" than to say (to yourself and others) "I hate my job."
Now that we have examined the self-reflection part of the Hawaiian Pentacle, let's add to the mix the idea of the five elements. In the esoteric world, each element is related to a quality or aspect of everyday life: the element of air is linked to mind and intellect; water to feelings, emotion and intuition; fire with ideas, plans and projects; and earth with practical action, resource management, fruits of action, family life and social connections. So each day, we are going to apply the self-reflection questioning method to one of the qualities of an element.
Let's say that on day one you are going to work with Air. You may very well start with a statement such as "I am confused about this situation" and turn it into question 1: "why am I confused about this situation?" Or you may want to work with a specific belief that is somehow limiting your life and ask yourself: "why do I think this is so?" or "why do I hang on to this idea about myself?" or even "what benefit is there to keep on believing this about my life?"
Day two you can work with the element of Water, emotions, feelings and intuition. You may start saying "this situation or person makes me feel like this." Or, "I get the feeling that this situation or person is after this…/going to bring this…/attract me… because." Apply the self-reflection questions and see what comes up.
On day three you may choose to work with the element of Fire to create future plans. You can start by saying "I'd like to do this," and then apply the selfreflection method to clarify your true intentions and reasons behind the original statement. This will help you decide if the idea is a real desire or just a whim.
On the fourth day connect to the qualities of the Earth element, related to specific actions in relation to work, resource management, family and even learning. Your initial statement could be: "I think that to fix/
obtain this I have to do the following..." You may also start your self-reflection questions with, "what can I gain by doing this?" At the end you will probably finish up with a series of ideas on different actions that can help you solve the problem or reach the goal.
In the esoteric/spiritual communities the fifth element is Ether or Spirit.
On day 5 we are going to take a little more time to connect to the Divine of your understanding (this could be your Higher Self or Inner Wisdom) using the Hawaiian practice of Ho'oponopono. Ho’oponopono is a very powerful selftransformational technique that is beginning to take the West by storm. It has been practised for centuries in the Pacific Islands, with variations from place to place and time to time. The idea behind it is to bring peace to the individual, the family and the community.
In its classic version, the spiritual leader of the village (Kahuna) or the elders of the community, bring together the conflicting parties and create rituals to liberate each person from the negativity embedded in the relationship. In the 1980s, a Hawaiian healer called Morrnah Nalamaku, created a contemporary adaptation of Ho’oponopono which bypasses the Kahuna and elders and even the physical presence of the second party. One of Morrnah’s most devoted students, Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len used the technique in the psychiatric ward of a county jail, and the results were nothing short of miraculous. He achieved this by using Ho’oponopono on himself, as he believed that, at a certain level, we all are responsible for everything, the good, and the bad. So by working on healing himself, Dr. Len became, as Gandhi said, the change he wanted to see in his world.
Deceptively simple, the Ho’oponopono technique helps clear away negative energy from our relationships (including the relationship we have with our own self), our mind, body and soul. Basically, all we have to do is to repeat the following phrases:
I’m sorry
Please forgive me
Thank you
I love you
In the Hawaiian Pentacle we are using the idea of Ho'oponopono for our fifth day of clearing in the following manner. Get a pencil, paper and a mirror. Think of a situation or memory that binds you to resentment, anger, sadness and/or which places you in the victim mentality. What lessons or positive things can you draw from such an event? Start the process by stating: "everything is for my own good. The lessons and gifts I see in this situation are the following: “(you may wish to write these down.)" Now apply the self-reflection questions. Finish this part by saying "thank you for everything: for all the lessons about myself, the world and my relationship with others."
Take a few deep breaths. Look at yourself in the mirror and say: "I am sorry, for not comprehending the things that now I understand better. Forgive me, for allowing fear and resentment to close my awareness to these truths. Thank you, for giving me the courage and fortitude to carry this clearing process. I love you, for being exactly as you are." Do leave a pause between statements (make them as long as feels comfortable) and say them looking at the reflection of your eyes.
Now think about a friend, a relative, a guide who may represent all those who offer counsel but to whom you did not listen to at a given time. With the image in your mind, repeat the words you have just said to yourself. Breathe in deeply a few more times and connect to the Divine of your understanding /Higher Self/ Symbol of Inner Wisdom, and repeat the words with as much emotion and truth as you can.
Know that at a spiritual level, your words have been heard and been welcomed. Say a few words of gratitude or a prayer. Breathe in deeply a few times and then write down all the ideas and thoughts that come to mind, without judging or editing. When you are finished, put the paper away and re-read it in a few days.
You can use the practice of Ho’oponopono daily, either generally, saying the four sentences in a mantra-like fashion - that is repeating them for a certain amount of time (let’s say 10 to 15 minutes) or to acknowledge a situation or a feeling that you want to clear. Perhaps you just can’t get along with someone, and yet can’t find consciously the reason why. Then you can say: I’m sorry I can’t understand the reasons why we don’t get along. Please forgive me for my present inability to understand them. Thank you for the lessons. I love you as a fellow human being, doing the best that we can. Or simply think about the situation and say the four statements with the person/feelings/event in mind. I use it every night before going to bed, as a way to clear the day’s event. The more you use it, the more ideas you will get on how the Ho’oponopono practice can enhance your life.
This is an extract from A Life by Design: A Handbook for Creating Your Blueprint to Success by Karem Barratt
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Life-Design-Handbook-Creating-Blueprint-ebook/dp/B00L81C1P2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422025709&sr=8-1&keywords=Karem+Barratt
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