So often, we live waiting for something outside of us to change before we finally give ourselves permission to rest, enjoy life, or be at peace. And almost without realizing it, we keep putting our lives on hold.
Ho’oponopono taught me something different: I can let go and clean the memories that keep
me waiting, while still taking care of what needs my attention without putting my life on pause.
What Is Ho’oponopono?
Ho’oponopono is said to be an ancient art of problem solving. I call it a philosophy of life.
It is based on something very simple: there is no one out there doing anything to you. Everything depends on us and the choices we make, with that 100% responsibility that has nothing to do with blame.
I learned Ho’oponopono from my teacher, Dr. Ihaleakalā Hew Len.
For me, it works like the delete key on a computer. You don’t need to know how to program a computer or ask it nicely. You press the key, and the computer already knows how to delete.
That’s how cleaning works with the memories stored in our subconscious mind. You don’t need to understand them. You just need to let go and give permission.
The “Whens” We Use to Put Conditions on Our Peace
Many people don’t stop living, but they live waiting.
They put conditions on their peace: when I have more money, when my children are okay, when I finish this project.
And even though those conditions may seem perfectly reasonable, many times it is our memories telling us, “Not yet. This has to happen first.”
I did this for a long time too. I thought I had to solve everything, control everything, do things right, and take care of everything. There was always something that needed my attention. And whenever I solved one thing, something else appeared. I would reach one goal, and the next one was already waiting for me.
The problem isn’t having things left to do. There will always be something pending. That’s part
of being alive. The problem is believing that we cannot be at peace until everything is taken care of.
There will always be something.
Worry Lives in the Future. Peace Lives in the Present.
Worrying can feel like we’re doing something, but it doesn’t solve anything. Worry takes us into the future, into everything that could go wrong, and pulls us away from the only place where we can act with clarity: the present.
Ho’oponopono brings us back to the present, again and again.
For me, Ho’oponopono helps me live more in the present. When I let go of the past—what they did or didn’t do to me, what they said or didn’t say—I am free. And when I don’t allow myself to get lost in the anxiety and worry of the future, I come back to the present.
In the present, I am one with Divinity. And in the present, everything that is right and perfect comes without effort.
Many times, we believe that worrying means we are being responsible. But responsibility is not worry.
Taking responsibility means taking care of what is yours to take care of and cleaning whatever gets triggered inside of you. Worry often appears when we try to control something that is not in our hands, and that is exhausting.
Allowing Yourself to Feel Good Even When Someone You Love Doesn’t
One of the most common ways we postpone peace is through guilt.
We feel that we cannot enjoy ourselves if a child, a sibling, or a partner is going through a difficult time, as if being okay ourselves somehow means we are letting them down.
But our suffering does not relieve theirs.
When something happens to someone I love, what gets triggered inside of me are my memories: fear, anxiety, the urge to fix their life. That is what I can clean.
And when I clean, I am not abandoning that person. In Ho’oponopono, we understand that we share memories and that when I clean within myself, that cleaning can also benefit others.
You can love someone deeply without spending your entire day worrying about them.
Taking the Next Step Without Having All the Guarantees
Many times, we wait because we are afraid.
We want to feel safe. We want to know how things will turn out before we begin. We want a guarantee.
But life doesn’t always give us guarantees.
Sometimes it only shows us the next step.
When I first started, after spending time with Ihaleakalā and hearing so many strange and different stories, I would ask myself, “What do I have to lose?”
And I would answer myself, “Okay, I let go and trust.”
And things started happening.
That “I let go and trust” is about giving Divinity permission. It is about turning things over.
And there is something we need to understand: if we don’t ask for help, help cannot come. We have free choice, and we can choose to let go and trust.
A Tool to Bring You Back to the Present
When your mind insists that you will be okay “later,” you can use a very simple cleaning tool to bring yourself back to the present: Ha Breathing.
You don’t need to think about the problem or understand it. You just count and breathe.
Bring three fingers of each hand together, then interlace them to form the infinity symbol and rest your hands on your legs. Inhale through your nose while counting to seven. Hold your breath for a count of seven. Exhale through your nose for a count of seven. Then remain without breathing for another count of seven.
That is one round.
Repeat it seven times.
While you do it, just count and breathe. If you are somewhere where you cannot do the breathing exercise, you can simply repeat “Ha Breathing” silently, and that works too.
It’s that simple.
We don’t know how much time we have. But we do know that today is here.
And we don’t need to wait for the perfect moment to be grateful, to love, to enjoy, to clean, and to be present.
The life you are waiting for is happening right now too.
Would You Like to Explore This Topic More Deeply?
Every month, I open a live space where we work together on a specific Ho’oponopono topic
through exercises, cleaning, and real-life practice.
If something inside you said yes to this topic, and you realized that you, too, have been leaving
parts of your life for “later,” I invite you to join me for my monthly class.
In each class, we explore the root of the topic, take time to clean, work with practical exercises,
and have a Q&A where you can share what you are going through and receive direct guidance.
We are not there to find all the answers with the intellect.
We are there to clean, let go, and give inspiration permission to show us what we cannot see
when we are trying to control everything.
About Me
I’m Mabel Katz, a best-selling author, international speaker, Peace Ambassador, Ho’oponopono
teacher, and creator of the Zero Frequency® method.
Before dedicating my life to this work, I was an accountant and tax advisor. I learned
Ho’oponopono directly from my teacher, Dr. Ihaleakalā Hew Len, with whom I studied for ten
years, and I have been teaching it for more than 25 years, in English and Spanish, in more than
40 countries.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is putting your life on hold the same as procrastinating?
Not exactly.
Procrastination usually means putting off tasks until later. Putting your life on hold means
postponing peace, rest, or enjoyment until something outside of you changes.
With Ho’oponopono, I am not trying to erase my to-do list. I am cleaning the memories that tell
me I cannot be at peace while there is still something left to do.
Does living in the present mean I should stop making plans?
No.
You can have goals, make plans, and work toward changing something. The difference is that
you don’t need to wait until all of those things happen before allowing yourself to feel good
today.
You can enjoy what you have already accomplished while continuing to move toward what you want.
Do I need to know where a memory comes from in order to clean it?
No.
We never know exactly which memories we are cleaning, and we don’t need to. The intellect
cannot know because it doesn’t have all the information.
You simply let go and give permission, and whatever you are ready to release can be erased.
How much time do I need to dedicate to the practice?
Cleaning doesn’t require a special schedule.
You can silently repeat “thank you” while you are driving, cooking, or waiting in line, and you
are already cleaning. Ha Breathing only takes a few minutes.
What matters is not how much time you spend doing it, but practicing consistently every day.
What if I feel guilty every time I allow myself to enjoy something?
That guilt is also a memory, and it can be cleaned just like any other memory.
When it comes up, instead of arguing with it or punishing yourself, you can silently repeat, “I let
go and trust,” and return to what you were doing.
With practice, you begin to react less and less.
