Ho'oponopono: How to Practice the Four Phrases
Ho'oponopono is a Hawaiian practice of making things right with four short phrases: "I'm sorry. Please forgive me. Thank you. I love you." You repeat them slowly, to yourself, while you think of a feeling, a person or a situation you want to clear. It takes a few minutes, and you can do it anywhere.
Key takeaways
The four phrases are: I'm sorry. Please forgive me. Thank you. I love you.
You say them to yourself, about what you feel, not to change someone else.
Repeat them slowly for a few minutes. Many people count 108 on mala beads, but any number works.
End with an affirmation: you clear the old signal and send a new one.
What is Ho'oponopono?
Ho'oponopono is an old Hawaiian practice for making things right. The word means something like "to put back in order." In the 1970s, a Hawaiian healer named Morrnah Simeona shaped it into a practice anyone can do alone, and the four short phrases spread around the world through the 2007 book Zero Limits.
The idea is simple and kind. You take full responsibility for what you feel, and you clean it with love. In the language of the law of attraction, it clears the old signal you have been sending, the hurt, the worry, the grudge, so the one you want can come through clearly.
The 4 phrases of Ho'oponopono
The four phrases are: "I'm sorry. Please forgive me. Thank you. I love you." Each one has a job. "I'm sorry" admits there is something to clear. "Please forgive me" asks to let it go. "Thank you" trusts that it is done. "I love you" fills the space with love.
You can say them in any order, out loud or in your head. You are not saying them to another person. You are saying them to yourself, to the part of you holding the feeling, or to the universe.
How to do Ho'oponopono, step by step
- 🌺
Pick what you want to clear
Think of one thing that feels heavy: a worry, an old hurt, a fight, a fear about money or love. Just notice it.
- 🫶
Take a slow breath
Close your eyes if you can. Breathe in and out slowly a few times and let your shoulders drop.
- 🗣️
Say the four phrases
Say "I'm sorry. Please forgive me. Thank you. I love you." slowly, in your head or out loud, while you hold that feeling.
- 🔁
Repeat them
Keep repeating for a few minutes, or count 108 on mala beads. Let the feeling soften on its own.
- ✨
End with a new line
Finish with one affirmation for what you want now, in the present tense. You cleared the old signal. Now send the new one.
12 affirmations to say after the four phrases
Love & Relationships
“I open my heart.”
“I trust love.”
“I am loved for who I am.”
Money & Abundance
“I let abundance in.”
“I let the good things stay.”
“I allow good things in.”
Career & Purpose
“I trust my next move.”
“I show up as myself.”
“The best is coming to me.”
Health & Wellness
“I can let go now.”
“I return to calm easily.”
“I close my eyes and let go.”
How many times should you say Ho'oponopono?
There is no fixed number. Most people repeat the phrases for a few minutes, the way you would repeat a mantra. Some count 108 on mala beads, and some say them every time the heavy feeling comes back during the day. It works like repeating one line on loop: the more often you send it, the stronger the signal.
Ho'oponopono for love, money and sleep
You use it the same way for anything. For love, think of the person or the feeling while you say the phrases, then end with a love line. For money, think of the worry about money. At night, say the phrases in bed as you fall asleep, and let them be the last thing you send before you sleep.
If you want to say it for someone else, remember that Ho'oponopono is always about your side. You clear what you feel about them. That is the part you can change.
After Ho'oponopono, let it go
Once you have said the phrases, stop checking on the situation. That is the hardest part and the most important one. If it is hard for you, read how to detach without giving up. And to keep your new signal going while you live your life, Amplify sends your desires into the universe, day and night.
Tips for your Ho'oponopono practice
Say it slowly
Rushing turns it into a list. Give each phrase a breath of its own.
Don't force a feeling
You don't have to feel it right away. Keep saying the words and the feeling will follow.
Use it in the moment
Old hurt coming up? Say the four phrases in your head right then. No one needs to know.
Pair it with letting go
Ho'oponopono clears. Letting go affirmations help you stay clear afterward.
Ho'oponopono: frequently asked questions
It is a Hawaiian word that means something like "to make right" or "to put back in order." As a practice, it means clearing a feeling with four phrases: I'm sorry, please forgive me, thank you, I love you.
