Hoʻoponopono of Hawaiʻi: Home Sweet Home

Lost in America

Growing up in Korea, Japan and Italy, it was hard to adapt to life in Mississippi and Oklahoma. I felt lost in America. Finally, in high school we moved to Los Angeles, where I became a gymnast and loved to practice martial arts. Finally, I found someplace I fit in. I learned Spanish because no one speaks English there; at least, none of my friends did, they spoke Chinese, Korean, Spanish or other languages. The only time I heard English was when people from different cultures were forced to talk to each other.

My parents struggled to survive in California and wanted to move back to Oklahoma, but they knew my dream of attending UCLA with a gymnastics scholarship was near, so they struggled and hoped the best for my dreams.

However, one dark day, I did a double back off the rings and landed on my head, and became paralyzed for a couple of days. Therefore, I had to quit. Today, my back is killing me some 45 years later. It seems nothing changes. I also developed other pains.

At one point, I could only walk 3 steps and had to sit down and start to cry because of the pain from arthritis in my knee and the pains of electricity shooting through my back.

Understand that our body is like a cobra, a coil, for it twists and turns.Therefore, I developed a different way to heal my body. . . for I refused pain medications.

The Art of Somatic Mindful Weight Training

The key is to use light weights and slow somatic counting. Being aware of the body and thankful for living: coiling and slow twisting, for the body is a cobra.

1. Lift up to the count of eight, breathing in and hold it.

2. Going back down to the count of eight, breathing out and pause. Forgiving yourself or others.

Repeating this eight times, and performing three sets. Changing to another exercise and doing this only twenty minutes at a time. I started to heal.

Cool Down

Spend about 30 minutes cooling down, drinking water, stretching and walking. Beware, you may find your muscles very sore, so find time to do somatic stretches during the day, just short ten minutes hear and there. Watch how cats stretch and learn from them.

Aloha: Home Sweet Home

Being mixed blood, I never felt America as my home. However, whenever I visited Hawaii, I feel I am at home. I have family members who live there. Many locals assume I am Hawaiian, for local women walk up to me and just start to talk, like I am a long lost friend or a family member. When I go dancing there, I am in heaven.

My mother loved visiting there. However, we could not afford to live there. I have presented papers at International Conferences there, and was even awarded a grant that paid for my stay and my plane ticket. I even fell in love during one visit and asked the most beautiful woman I ever met to marry me, she said no way and would think about it. I miss her; well, I guess we can dream. . .

Ho’oponopono Prayer for Healing

I so love to repeat this Hawaiian mantra or prayer when I am not doing well in life. . . . I do walking meditation and repeat this as a way to heal, forgive others, and reawaken my soul.

"I'm sorry, . . .

Please forgive me, . . . .

Thank you, . ..

I love you,"

Have you ever been to paradise? What do you do to feel at home? Thank you for reading. . .

Listen to Te Vaka - Lakalaka