Ho’oponopono and the Bengston Method: A Resonant Approach to Healing
What happens when an ancient Hawaiian forgiveness ritual meets a modern method of energetic healing?
This question emerged for me recently during a private healing session. My patient and I began doing Rapid Image Cycling, a key element of the Bengston Method, while also repeating the Ho’oponopono prayer. Something shifted. The emotional resonance deepened. The healing field became richer, more vibrant—almost as if something sacred had been invited in. I knew then I had to try it with a group.
Healing Through Resonance, Not Force
In the Octave Resonance Healing Approach™, and especially in the Bengston Method, healing doesn’t come from directing energy at someone. It emerges from what I often describe as the healee’s ‘fabric of being’—a subtle, multidimensional presence that isn’t directed or manipulated but allowed to express its own healing intelligence. It arises from a shared field of resonance—a kind of deep coherence. In the Bengston Method, we are rarely still—we remain focused on the present moment, holding only a fleeting intention to heal.
That’s why group healing can be so powerful: the more of us who show up with shared fleeting intention and goodwill, the stronger the resonance becomes. Simply being present together—without intense focus or stillness—amplifies the field and supports the healing goals. Just listening to my voice and reflecting on the same topic helps us align. But engaging in a spiritually charged prayer like Ho’oponopono, and then cycling in the echo of that resonance? That creates a special kind of spaciousness and energetic coherence.
What Is Ho’oponopono?
Ho’oponopono means “to make things right” in Hawaiian. It’s a traditional practice rooted in the understanding that healing is a shared responsibility. If someone in the family was ill or if conflict arose, the family would come together under the guidance of a kahuna (spiritual elder). They would speak the truth, ask for forgiveness, release grudges, and restore harmony.
This wasn’t about blame. It was about clearing the space between people—recognizing that when one person suffers, the ripple reaches everyone.
In the 1970s, Hawaiian healer Morrnah Simeona adapted Ho’oponopono for individual use. Rather than waiting for a group to gather, one could now do this spiritual clearing inwardly. One of her students, Dr. Hew Len, took this further by working in a psychiatric hospital where he didn’t treat patients directly. Instead, he performed the Ho’oponopono prayer while reviewing their charts. Remarkably, many patients improved—without ever meeting him.
The Four-Line Prayer
At the heart of modern Ho’oponopono is a simple, powerful mantra:
I’m sorry. Please forgive me. Thank you. I love you.
These phrases aren’t directed outwardly at another person. They’re spoken inwardly—to the Divine, to yourself, or to the shared field of consciousness.
- I’m sorry acknowledges that something—perhaps deep in your psyche, ancestry, or soul—is linked to the pain you perceive.
- Please forgive me is not about guilt, but about release. It creates room for grace.
- Thank you expresses gratitude in advance for healing and also for the sacred opportunity to be part of it.
- I love you reconnects you to what seemed separate—whether it’s a person, situation, or the suffering itself.
Why This Matters in Energy Healing
One of the more radical insights—especially relevant to Bengston practitioners—is the idea that awareness itself creates connection. In the Bengston Method, healing can occur at a distance, without direct contact—often while the practitioner is engaged in something completely unrelated. The only thread linking practitioner and healee is awareness. If someone enters your consciousness, even briefly, you are already participating in the shared field. If you Image Cycle while being aware, you are treating. This overlaps with the spirit of the Ho’oponopono prayer, which treats all connections—not as burdens—but as sacred invitations. You didn’t cause the suffering. But your awareness gives you the privilege of participating in its healing.
The Ho’oponopono prayer is deeply aligned with Hawaiian spirituality, where nothing is truly separate. Not the land, not illness, not each other. So if pain shows up in your field of awareness, you lean in. Not with force. With presence. With love.
Trying It in Our Healing Group
In our Spirit Gate Cancer Support Facebook Group, I recently guided participants through a Ho’oponopono meditation followed by a group healing. As we stood around a pond in our imagination, we recited the prayer. Then, basking in the resonance it created, we cycled while I read the names of those seeking healing.
The resonance was palpable. Participants could feel the difference—an “oomph,” a fullness in the field—that arose from using the prayer before image cycling. It didn’t replace the Bengston Method; it amplified it. I am NOT saying that one should always begin an image cycling session with the Ho’oponopono prayer. I AM saying that in this instance, resonance increased. It was a playful way to change things up.
A Sacred Invitation
If you’d like to explore this for yourself, you can watch the teaching portion of this session on the YouTube video. It includes the history and philosophy of Ho’oponopono and why it blends so naturally with evidence-based energy healing.
But if you’d like to experience the full session, including the prayer and group healing sanctuary, I invite you to join our private Facebook group:
👉 Spirit Gate Cancer Support Facebook Group
And if you’re curious about how this approach could support you or a loved one—whether you’re dealing with cancer, chronic illness, or simply seeking clarity—you’re welcome to book a complimentary Get Acquainted Call:
