Finding Forgiveness: Ho’oponopono with Pihanalani

• Ho’oponopono is a powerful Hawaiian healing method that involves releasing what no longer serves us and making room for positive change.
• The process includes forgiveness, energy work, and the intent to heal relationships, emphasizing the importance of being in alignment with one’s higher power.
• Ho’oponopono is deeply connected to Hawaiian culture and traditions, reflecting the interconnectedness of all things and the pursuit of inner peace. The power of forgiveness lies in letting go of resentment and finding peace within oneself.
• Ho’oponopono is a practice that involves self-reflection, forgiveness, and reconciliation, with a focus on ancestral healing and cultural restoration.
• Compassion and empathy play a crucial role in understanding and addressing historical injustices, with the guiding principle of Aloha leading the way.
• Trusting in the power of Aloha and having faith in the process of healing and restoration is essential for moving forward.

00:00 Introduction and Background

22:06 The Power of Ho’oponopono

24:03 The Life-Changing Impact of Ho’oponopono

25:23 The Importance of Immersion in Saltwater and Freshwater

26:22 Alternative Ways to Practice Ho’oponopono

27:13 The Power of Visualization in Ho’oponopono

27:43 The Individualized Experience of Ho’oponopono

28:13 The Ho’oponopono Prayer

29:00 Intent in Ho’oponopono

30:17 Compassion and Understanding in Ho’oponopono

31:10 Releasing Expectations in Ho’oponopono

33:50 Finding Peace and Forgiveness in Ho’oponopono

34:54 The Journey of Self-Healing in Ho’oponopono

36:29 The Power of Silence and Reflection in Ho’oponopono

39:46 The Profound Impact of Forgiveness on Personal Growth

40:47 Pono is Individual

42:29 The Connection and Oneness of Humanity

45:56 Aloha Always Wins

The transcript is created prior to editing, so time stamps may be inaccurate, and it may include bonus material…!

Ready to have a deeper conversation about body and soul, sacred leadership, and our collective evolution? Welcome to the Wise Body, Ancient Soul podcast with me, your host, Charisse Sisou.

Charisse Sisou (00:00.8)

So yeah, welcome so much to Wise Body, Ancient Soul. Introduce yourself for anyone who’s listening.

Pihanalani (00:09.323)

Aloha, my name is Pihanalani and I met Charisse at Airbnb. She signed up for a session with us, an experience with me, us together, and she brought her husband I believe, yeah? That was her husband. And um,

Charisse Sisou (00:28.871)

Yeah, that was it.

Pihanalani (00:33.154)

So Hoʻoponopono is an ancient Hawaiian healing method that is closely related to hula, which is the Hawaiian dance, and also closely related to lomi lomi which is Hawaiian massage or bodywork, and also with lua, which is the martial arts that is Hawaiian yeah. So they’re like siblings. So my grandmother, my mom’s mom, was, she played a crucial role in the restoration of

Charisse Sisou (00:51.763)

Mmm.

Pihanalani (01:01.538)

the whole healing method of hoʻoponopono with the QLCC or Queen Liliʻuokalani Children’s Center back in like the 60s and 70s. And so it’s kind of like, I’m kind of like picking up where she left off, you know, like in my family’s eyes. So yeah, I’ve been working with individuals and groups doing hoʻoponopono experiences with Airbnb.

Charisse Sisou (01:33.384)

That’s great. That’s great. Well, and I know, well, you know, just situate us a little bit, cause I know things have shifted in Maui since I was there. So I was there beginning of 2023, obviously, before the big fire went and moved my pillow cause it’s taken up too much room. And so I know the, I know the environment has shifted. Catch us up a little bit on that because of course, you know, the whole world was watching.

Pihanalani (01:56.694)

Yeah, major.

Charisse Sisou (02:02.685)

during the fires, but I know the fallout of that is still continuing.

Pihanalani (02:07.406)

Yeah, so right now what’s happening is that rent is like super high now. It’s like triple, it was already super high. It was like three grand for like a one bedroom. It’s been really crazy. The housing situation is out of control over here now. So that’s kind of the work that I’m going into now. So I work at the emergency shelter they set up for people that don’t have a place to go from the fires, yeah. So that’s what I do now.

It’s been kind of like really interesting to say the least to watch, to observe. Everybody that does have a house that’s renting or owns, they’re trying to hold onto it, but then FEMA’s buying out everybody too. But then it’s like they’re not really working fast enough to house them. So they’re buying a lot of condos and land and houses, but then nobody’s really getting housed fast enough. It’s been really interesting to witness.

Charisse Sisou (02:50.76)

Yeah.

Charisse Sisou (03:04.232)

Hmm

Pihanalani (03:06.134)

Things are really different. A lot of people are like an exodus, like they’re just fleeing, you know, almost like they can’t afford anything.

Charisse Sisou (03:08.604)

Yeah.

Charisse Sisou (03:19.484)

I, well, at that, you know, when I hear that it hurts my heart a little bit because, you know, even just what you’re talking about. So when I went and visited, I literally, I was on Airbnb trying to find something that was more like native Hawaiian and not just, you know, like more touristy, right? I wanted to connect with the culture. And so I was so excited that you were offering what you were offering. And, and it’s so just, I feel like

For me, I look at ho’oponopono and I think this is something that everyone on the planet needs to know and participate in. We could solve a lot of issues this way.

Pihanalani (04:04.047)

My mother believes that if everyone is willing and able to participate in it, we could probably have a lot more peace in this world. If not, we could probably achieve world peace. But the thing is that you have to be really, really real with yourself and vulnerable and raw to be accountable enough to own your stuff and get real and apologize, sincerely apologize. That’s the hard part. People don’t want to do the work right now. But then hopefully…

Charisse Sisou (04:15.91)

Yeah.

Pihanalani (04:31.106)

things will shift to where people get more accountable, get more real with themselves.

Charisse Sisou (04:38.852)

Mm-hmm. Well, and I think that’s why ho’oponopono is so deep and so effective is because of that. It goes kind of against, it’s so interesting to me because I remember the first time I encountered it and I heard about it as a forgiveness process, right? And then what’s the first thing that you do? You need to apologize. You ask for forgiveness. I was like, what?

Like, excuse me. And yet, the more, yeah, the deeper I go on my own path, the more it’s like, it always starts here. It always starts with us. So like, tell me more about that. Like, how, you know, tell me more about Ho’oponopono. Like, walk us through that process, especially for anyone who maybe this is a new term. You know, you got to do the work. So what is that work?

Pihanalani (05:37.316)

So it’s different for each individual and different in each circumstance that we have each session. So sometimes it’s conflict resolution with a group and that one can be really, really difficult because you deal with individuals.

Charisse Sisou (05:49.609)

Mm.

Pihanalani (05:51.858)

The one that I prefer is the individual one. It’s a more modern style and so it gets us correct or in alignment with our higher power and So ho’oponopono translates into to make correct, but then there’s two ponos which means correct So it’s a double emphasis on it Yeah So it’s to get correct or like in homeostasis with yourself and your higher power and to be in the best alignment with your highest self, you know, and so

Charisse Sisou (06:08.532)

Hmm.

Pihanalani (06:20.17)

A lot of times it starts with forgiving ourselves and forgiving this life, that things that happened, releasing that, not being so attached to it. So that’s pretty much what Ho’oponopono is. It’s releasing what no longer serves us and then making room for what could be, that’s better.

Charisse Sisou (06:40.512)

Hmm. I really, I really love how you put that because I think sometimes we get caught up in the idea of forgiveness, like, like it means it’s, to your point, it’s about letting go. It’s not about like, oh, it’s okay with the other person did and what it’s just more so I’m making a decision no longer to carry that burden. Right? Is that

Pihanalani (07:06.974)

It’s kind of like some people see like, you know, like when you’re in a battle and then they wave the white flag and they’re like, I surrender but surrender is could be could be perceived as a good thing. That’s when you allow things to let go and you allow things to just be. But people are so used to seeing it as losing.

They’re coming from an egotistical point of view, you know, really, but really it’s not about that. When you surrender, you allow a lot of things to happen, you know, it’s like, I don’t know how to explain it. Like, I know some people, like they were trying to conceive for a long time and they couldn’t. And then when they surrendered and gave up, that’s when they were able to have babies and they couldn’t stop having babies, you know? So it’s kind of like, so it’s kind of like opening the flood gates, you know, on this, letting things be, let the flow, the ebb and flow of life go, you know?

Charisse Sisou (07:47.144)

Brain.

Pihanalani (07:57.89)

Forgiveness is really, so resentment is really, really not healthy for us. It’s like drinking toxins and poison and expecting the other person to suffer. But you’re the one that suffers and sometimes in real life, like when there’s a problem with somebody, you have beef with somebody, they don’t even know that you’re mad. They don’t even know that you’re holding a resentment half the time, maybe more than that.

You know, so a lot of times they’re not even aware that you’re holding a grudge, you know. So a lot of times they’re totally unaffected, you know. And it’s really about you and you being good with yourself, you being good with your higher power, knowing that you’re good, you know. And cleaning your side of the street, you know. Each individual, you know. And then you can present. Then when you can hold yourself accountable to yourself, then you can move forward to be open to forgiveness from other people and giving forgiveness, you know. Allowing forgiveness, you know.

Charisse Sisou (08:38.095)

Mm.

Charisse Sisou (08:55.836)

That’s so true. That’s so true. It’s so powerful. It’s so powerful. How you said earlier that it’s related to hula, it’s related to, yeah, all of these disciplines like work together. Can you speak to that a little bit more?

Pihanalani (09:13.348)

So like in Hawaiian culture, they were really these people that made these healing arts or martial arts or dancing, like all those things. They were literally siblings in our ‘oli or mele. ‘Oli means chant and mele is song. So that’s how we passed down stories was through hula, mele and ‘oli.

And so they’ve come from the same place. So mostly working with energy or mana, it’s about the flow of things and how you use it, how you use your chi. Mana is another word for chi, Hawaiian word for chi. So it’s really about the ebb and flow of energy. And so…

Charisse Sisou (09:41.449)

Mm.

Pihanalani (10:02.026)

When I have the hoʻoponopono experiences, we talk about how everything is connected. Everything that ever existed and ever will is connected to each other through an energy cord. And when we do hoʻoponopono, we don’t sever the ties completely because that’s totally impossible. That’s impossible. You know, it’s not possible. So we just, it’s kind of like shaving. You know, you shave the hair off your legs, you cut your hair, it’s like that. But then you still have hair, you know. So um…

Charisse Sisou (10:20.937)

Right.

Charisse Sisou (10:31.648)

Mm.

Pihanalani (10:32.374)

It’s getting rid of what no longer serves us, you know. What’s old and we don’t need it anymore. So, yeah. Yeah, hula is. Go ahead.

Charisse Sisou (10:39.576)

Ah, I love, yeah. I love what you’re saying. Oh, I was just going to say like I, cause I’ve never liked that idea of like cutting the cord, you know, like this idea of cutting because it felt like a little violent and a little bit in denial, right? Like, well, there’s always a connection because we are connected with all.

one of the ways I’ve been thinking about it too. I love your idea of like, oh, it’s like shaving your legs or cutting your hair. Cause I’ve been thinking about it like, like almost like we’re braided and then we just unbraid the hair. You know what I mean? The hair is still there, but we’re not like, like all connected in like that. But I love your analogy too.

Pihanalani (11:20.901)

So, um, it’s just like, so Hawaiians also believe there’s three main pikos or like, it’s kind of like a chakra. We call it piko P-I-K-O. So there’s a like the crown chakra. Yeah.

That’s one piko then the belly button and then the genitalia which is the third piko So they all relate to certain aspects of our life so like this one is to the higher powers and to our ancestors and then Our belly button is to like our parents and our siblings People that we live most of our life with yeah and the genitalia is for the offspring But just like you cut the umbilical cord when you when you give birth It’s still a connection yeah, even though the physical part is cut. It’s the same thing when we when we

Charisse Sisou (12:02.413)

Mm-hmm.

Pihanalani (12:03.402)

When we do the oki or we sever ties with other people, it’s like cutting the umbilical cord in a way. Because we’re so, sometimes we get so enmeshed and entangled with other people that it no longer is healthy. It’s not the best for us anymore. So it’s kind of like pretty much cutting the umbilical cord.

Charisse Sisou (12:24.676)

Yeah. I feel like you’re schooling me right now because I know I’ve been like, I’ve been feeling a kind of way about some of the work that I’ve been doing, just carrying like a little, and as I’m listening to you talk, it’s like, oh my gosh, I’ve been carrying resentment. I like, I need to do ho’oponopono. Like it’s time for me to ask for forgiveness and just, you know, let it go already. Wow. Really good.

Pihanalani (12:47.719)

So it’s yeah, it’s really good to self-reflect a lot. I believe that you know that to reflect on like how am I me? Am I am I good? You know, am I really good with myself? Am I sleeping like- Especially when you don’t sleep well. Say why am I not sleeping well? What’s really going on? Like, you have to be at peace to sleep good, you know, like really good. Yeah. So

Charisse Sisou (13:03.089)

Yeah.

Pihanalani (13:10.166)

A lot of people struggle with that because they have so much resentment. They have so much things they’re holding onto that they no longer need, you know?

Charisse Sisou (13:18.816)

That’s so powerful what you just said, because we do. It’s like we get signals from our body when we are not pono, when we’re not right with ourselves. And it can show up like sleep issues. It can show up all kinds of ways. That’s really powerful.

Charisse Sisou (13:39.004)

Oh my goodness, where do I want to take this next? Well, I’m also intrigued because you mentioned your grandmother and I know that for you to, well, let’s talk about, let’s honor her for a moment about the work that she did too. And I love that too, like what you just described, like those energy centers are all about our connection with our ancestors, with our future, you know, like our,

our children to come. It’s so powerful. So to honor her, like, tell me more about the work that she did so that Ho’oponopono remained a process that was practiced and taught and learned and all of that.

Pihanalani (14:23.168)

My grandmother’s name was Judy Napoleon Flores and she grew up on Moloka’i in Kamiloloa. She came from a big family. She’s like number 13 or 14 of…

17 children. My great grandpa, her dad, came from Maui, and I believe my grandmother did too, my great grandmother. They both were from Maui, and they relocated to Moloka’i because they had connections there too, to family, but they also inherited Hawaiian homelands, and Moloka’i was one of the first places they had the Hawaiian homestead, yeah? So they got that. So my grandma grew up in Kamiloloa mostly,

Pihanalani (15:09.158)

So she had tuberculosis when she was real young in her lungs. So she always struggled with breathing, yeah. But as she got older, she was, yeah, so she was part of the, her and my other grandparents were part of the first Aloha ‘Āina movement. They were with the Hui Alaloa that later became the Protect Kahoʻolawe ‘Ohana So she had a big role, an active role in…

pretty much the sovereignty movement and pushing for Hawaiian rights and pushing for some kind of self-governance of the Hawaiian kingdom or Hawaiian nation. She also, she did a lot. She wasn’t alive really long, considering how long we can live. She died in her mid-50s, but she accomplished a lot, I think, in my mind. So she worked with QLCC, or Queen Lili’uokalani Children’s Center. She worked with a team.

Charisse Sisou (15:46.45)

Mm.

Pihanalani (16:05.698)

for restoration of Hawaiian culture because for a long period of time, they didn’t allow us to do anything Hawaiian. We couldn’t speak Hawaiian, we couldn’t dance hula, we couldn’t gather our herbs or whatever we needed. We were not allowed to do any of it. We were put in jail. I could be in prison because of it. And so when we transitioned to statehood, they started, I guess, feeling comfortable letting us practice our ways again, you know.

Charisse Sisou (16:24.756)

Right.

Pihanalani (16:35.938)

So she was a part of the team that did that, that restored the culture. And her specific kuleana or responsibility was with Ho’oponopono. And she played a big role with other people that are really well-recognized for that. Through KLCC. So she gets through her mid-50s. She died when I was a little girl. And most of my memories of her is of her being sick.

Charisse Sisou (17:05.252)

Mm.

Pihanalani (17:05.558)

Really, really well known for her role as a mediator or the person that facilitates the ho’oponopono Sessions. She was very well known for that. And just her role in the sovereignty movement, you know.

Charisse Sisou (17:24.797)

Yeah.

Charisse Sisou (17:29.392)

So how does this pass to you? Like what, for you to kind of carry on or like have that permission to share, to teach, what was that process like?

Pihanalani (17:42.76)

So my mother is the one that gave me the official permission, you know, which is my mom’s, but she is my grandma’s daughter, you know. But I actually studied it under other lineages too. I studied Ho’oponopono when I first started getting into lomilomi because I did lomilomi or massage therapy or healing arts, physical body work for many years.

Charisse Sisou (17:56.747)

Mmm.

Pihanalani (18:10.254)

So when I was studying that, I learned different styles of Ho’oponopono. One is with Kumu Pa’a Lawrence Aki on Moloka’i. And I later found out that’s my husband’s family. They’re really closely related. And then I studied a little bit with Jeana Iwalani Naluai up in Ho’omana Spa in Makawao. I studied a little bit with her.

Charisse Sisou (18:28.786)

No way.

Pihanalani (18:39.978)

and I just felt like…

It felt like it just led me, you know, it just, life just led me to that, you know. So I was doing lomilomi and massage and I was just, I was tired, you know, like physically it’s taxing, you know, years of doing that day in day out. Even though I did it off and on, like when I had my baby, I wasn’t doing it much, you know, but.

I just felt like…

somebody has suggested it. Somebody has suggested that I do Airbnb ho’oponopono. And I was like, looking at them like what? And it was Gula Logan, he’s another lomilomi practitioner. He passed away already. His brother that told me I should do that. And I kind of sat on that for a little while. And then kind of a couple of years, I kind of like did other things. And then I finally, it like just popped in my head again. And I was like, I should do that. And so I did that. Yeah. So.

Charisse Sisou (19:23.115)

Mm.

Charisse Sisou (19:37.252)

Yeah. Well, I’m so glad you did because that’s how we got to meet. And you know, we get to work with you and it was, yeah, it was amazing. It was amazing.

Pihanalani (19:47.777)

Yeah, I feel like I’m meeting more people that are like my tribe, you know, my people, you know. Like, I feel really a good connection with people that I’ve been meeting through this. And people have been telling me they can’t find, they don’t know how they found it. Like, when they go back and look at it, like, months later, they’re like, I can’t find you. I’m like, so it’s like, it’s not by chance, you know. It’s totally…

It’s synchronicity to me that people even see my ad. You know? So I feel like it all works together, you know? It all falls into… Yeah.

Charisse Sisou (20:23.236)

Yeah. Well, it’s so I feel like it’s so true what you’re saying when we do the work that we’re called to do, the universe will deliver the people that we’re meant to connect with. Because yeah, absolutely. And you also too, it’s like people who are seeking that, they want to know the deeper.

knowledge or anyway, it’s that’s really cool. That’s really cool. I’m finding the same thing like as I’m doing this like what I’m doing now with this show, I’m like, I’m talking to the most amazing people like you. And it’s like, yeah, this is it’s like, oh, yeah, I was born to do this.

Pihanalani (21:07.508)

Sometimes the things that we’re called to do is not the easiest, it’s usually the hardest. That’s the hardest path. We’re going to have challenges, but it’s so rewarding though when we make it through to the other side of that challenge.

Charisse Sisou (21:21.128)

Yeah, yeah, for sure, for sure. It’s not, it doesn’t mean that it’s easy. Yeah, no, in fact, it’s often like really hard. Same kind of thing, like where people told me so many times, like, when are you gonna start? You should start something. Like they had to plant that seed and keep on me until I was like, yeah, I should. Like that’s a good, you know what I mean? So similar to your journey with, you know, being suggested to you to teach. Can we?

dive into a little bit of the process that you took my husband and I through. Like, can we talk about that a little bit? It might be, cause like, cause we did, like we did a whole thing in like salt, what in the ocean and salt water. And then we did a whole thing in fresh water, which was freezing, freezing. But tell me, yeah, like, and I just, um, refresh like the, the

Pihanalani (21:58.941)

Okay.

Pihanalani (22:08.206)

Yeah.

Charisse Sisou (22:18.568)

purpose of that, like how that all came together.

Pihanalani (22:24.023)

So I um, it seems, I don’t know why it seems 0% on there. Is that normal? It seems like, I’m sorry to interrupt. Okay, I’m sorry.

Charisse Sisou (22:33.104)

Oh yeah, don’t worry about it. It’s okay. Cause we can, yeah, we can, we can pause for a second. So what happens like as we’re recording is it’s uploading the recording. Um, but if it says 0%, that’s fine. It just, it might mean that, um, maybe you don’t have enough signal to do the interview and, and it’ll just upload when we’re done, which is that’s okay. So yeah. Oh no, not at all. I mean, we probably should, I should have talked to you about that even before we have done. Um,

Pihanalani (22:40.832)

Okay.

Charisse Sisou (23:00.72)

Yeah, like at the end, you’ll probably want to leave this browser open or whatever. Just let it finish uploading. But yeah. All right. So where were we? Oh, yeah. So like asking about. Per like asking about the ocean, the ocean and freshwater. Yeah. Tell me more about how did how does that work together with the.

Pihanalani (23:06.935)

Okay.

Pihanalani (23:10.538)

So, what’s the question?

Pihanalani (23:24.066)

So the type of hoʻoponopono that I do, it’s a mixture of several different lineages of hoʻoponopono. So it’s somewhat my kumu, one of my main kumu, I want to call it my main kumu because I’m in a halau with them. He passed away but then his daughter who’s my age is now the kumu. So a halau is like a lifelong school. You never fully finish, yeah, until you pass.

Charisse Sisou (23:52.392)

Yeah.

Pihanalani (23:53.855)

And then, um, so, um…

Pihanalani (23:59.522)

That’s when I did Ho’oponopono with him for myself, my own personal Ho’oponopono, it was so impactful and powerful for me. It did, it was miraculous that it was really, that’s the first thing that triggered, like wow, Ho’oponopono can mean.

Even though I had to do it at mediating groups in middle school and high school, it was from my grab. I’m running from other.

Charisse Sisou (24:32.528)

I’m just, hold on one second. I’m for some reason I’m just getting like every other word. I don’t know why that is. It just says, oh, actual recording is higher quality. Okay. It’s just hard for me to follow. Can you repeat that? So you, and I would love to hear if you’re willing to share like your, what was your process or like, you know, but anyway, so you were.

he took you through this process and that showed you what Ho’oponopono could do.

Pihanalani (25:02.911)

Yeah, a similar process. So I’ve mixed together like to make.

Pihanalani (25:23.531)

make it work and kind of that one and mix it together. I’m certain. Like with the flat. It that’s what you put your holes first. It’s like, or kind of make their own at this. So,

Charisse Sisou (25:34.016)

Thank you.

Pihanalani (25:43.561)

is that what

Pihanalani (25:49.547)

I went on a boat and that’s where I released. But then from and also with, you know, So a couple of times where you and we

Charisse Sisou (26:10.356)

I’m so sorry, I’m sorry, sorry. I’m gonna pause again, because I’m still like for whatever reason, I’m not hearing. And so it’s, I’m sure it’s recording it and I can see your, but I’m like, yeah, I’m not sure how to fix that. I mean, I can hear a lot of things about it. You can hear what? Feedback.

Pihanalani (26:24.01)

Yeah, it’s funny. That I mean, but it’s I can hear that it’s back a little bit.

Pihanalani (26:35.4)

Feedback.

Charisse Sisou (26:38.396)

Oh, like, oh, OK. So let me try. OK, I’m going to try this. Hold on a second. Thank you for bearing with me.

Charisse Sisou (26:51.376)

Yes, take a sip of tea, relax. Cause I know what it is. It’s like, it’s because I’ve got my echo cancellation on. This can’t be changed while recording. All right, I’m gonna stop recording for a second.

***

Charisse Sisou (00:01.261)

We got interference because we’re talking about such important stuff.

Pihanalani (00:05.134)

So true.

Charisse Sisou (00:08.368)

It’s not untrue. So we were just diving into how you put together your process, which you’ve built from multiple lineages and you were sharing how your own experience with your Kumu, yeah, so take me from there forward.

Pihanalani (00:30.754)

So I studied with my kumu.

Pihanalani (00:37.986)

Apuni Ibiula for a few years, maybe like five years before he passed away. And he was the one that really helped me see through doing my own process how powerful ho’oponopono can be, how healing it can be. And it was almost like miraculous. It was so fast, impactful, and longstanding, the results.

Like so, I did ho’oponopono and I pretty much released a relationship that was no longer serving me. And like, I didn’t even say anything to other individual. And it was like, they [stopped] talking to me for five years. And then when they did talk to me, they said, I’m sorry. And I was like, I was blown away, you know? But at first I thought something’s wrong. I mean, my kumu told me, my kumu told me no, it’s doing its thing, you know, the ho’oponopono, you know? But we did it a little different than what we did.

together at the Airbnb experience. We went on a boat in the middle of the channel, in the middle of the channel between Moloka’i and Maui, and that’s where I released that ‘oki yeah So I wasn’t in the salt water. We were on a boat, like a big boat, kind of big yeah. And that’s where I released it, and let it do its thing, let it go where it needed to go. It was really, it really changed my life. And then I didn’t even realize how powerful that was to later, you know, how much it.

to my own personal healing and my own journey. And then I studied a little bit more with Kumu Pa’a Lawrence Aki. That’s where I got the Kapu Kai and the Hi’uwai, which is, Kapu Kai is the salt water part where we oki and release what’s no longer serving us. And we kind of like cleanse. And then the Hi’uwai is in the freshwater. And that’s where we call what we want and what we are open to. What, what?

can replace what we released. And so I also learned that with some of that too, same kind of thing with kumu Jeana Iwalani Naluai up in Ho’omana Spa in Makawao So I started with her too. So it’s kind of like those lineages braided together like to make one lineage. So yeah, I think it’s been really interesting and really powerful.

Charisse Sisou (02:38.597)

Mm.

Charisse Sisou (02:49.612)

Mm.

Pihanalani (03:04.814)

There’s no words to describe how much it’s changed my life and others.

Charisse Sisou (03:10.198)

Mmm.

That’s amazing. Well, and even just as you were describing being on that boat, I could feel the current of energy that like, you know what I mean? Like that was tapping into the energies of the planet, like just

Pihanalani (03:26.136)

I was right in the middle of the channel like I was on the channel, you know, you know

Charisse Sisou (03:30.916)

Yeah. Wow. How would what like what is a way that someone let’s say they’re listening and they they’re like oh my gosh this sounds fascinating. What is the way that someone can get started? You know sort of like ideally they fly to Maui and they do an experience with you. Right. That’s

Pihanalani (03:59.002)

I’ll be right back.

Charisse Sisou (04:00.064)

That’s ideal.

Pihanalani (04:02.566)

even um so I’ve been talking to some people about because sometimes they don’t want to go up to the valley or they don’t want to go in the salt water so it’s better to have that whole process because it’s more powerful it’s more it has more mana that whole entire you know step by step yeah

Pihanalani (04:26.634)

I think that it is possible to do it without the kapu kai and the hi’uwai, but I personally see it as doing the act and actually being immersed in the saltwater and being immersed in the freshwater is a real factor of how powerful it can be. Because the saltwater is literally scientifically proven to cleanse, and the freshwater really has different energy.

Charisse Sisou (04:44.318)

Absolutely.

Pihanalani (04:56.758)

It’s a big difference than just talking about it, you know? You know what I mean?

Charisse Sisou (05:01.224)

I do, I do, I do. I feel it because it’s like the whole, when we’re in the water, it’s like we’re tapping into all that support from Mother Earth. It’s like the whole thing, you know? It’s so hard to do by ourselves. Is there a way that people could like, let’s say like dip their toe in the water? Like if they just wanted to learn or, yeah.

Pihanalani (05:11.991)

everything.

Pihanalani (05:25.928)

Oh yeah, you could envision it. You could like have, so I’ve had people stand next to the body of water because they couldn’t get into the water because of like their legs were, or they’re on a cane or wheelchair. And so you can stand by the water and envision it. Some people are better at envisioning things that is almost like the same thing as getting immersed in the water. But most people are not.

that good at envisioning it, but it is possible. It doesn’t, for individuals that are really good at envisioning and doing visualization, it works really good. Just like the actual art of going, you know, the fact of going into the water, yeah, immersing. But some people, they don’t feel any different, you know, they feel just a little bit different. But everybody’s different, you know, each individual’s been different, their experience, you know.

Charisse Sisou (06:16.728)

Mm-hmm.

Pihanalani (06:20.386)

Some people as soon as they book the experience with me, or as soon as they put the notion they’re gonna do ho’oponopono into their mind and heart, it starts. Some people it starts few weeks later, you know, they feel it, you know, after they’ve been away from Hawai’i, you know, so it’s all, it’s all like individually catered to each person, you know, and what they’re ready for, what the universe or higher powers feel is meant for them, you know. It’s been interesting though to witness, you know.

Charisse Sisou (06:46.629)

Mm-hmm.

Pihanalani (06:48.918)

and to be a part of yeah.

Charisse Sisou (06:51.396)

Yeah, it is. It really is. Now the, I also wanted to just, you know, I’m realizing we’re talking about it. Most, or I would say most people who have heard of the ho’oponopono process, they know like each piece, right? Right? The prayer. Can you just walk us through that for maybe someone who like, it’s completely brand new.

Pihanalani (07:16.427)

Oh, okay, so it’s, I know that, so that’s just a small part of the entire…

Charisse Sisou (07:23.052)

Thank you. Okay. Perfect. Like tell us about that because I’ve talked to a lot of people where they think that’s the whole thing. But anyway, go on. Yeah.

Pihanalani (07:25.474)

Don’t.

Pihanalani (07:31.35)

So that’s that lineage, yeah. That’s that doctor and that auntie’s lineage of their ho’oponopono. And it’s just a small factor of the entire process. But that is a big factor. That’s the forgiveness part, yeah. So that’s what, in the one that I do, we do that when we oki. We do the, I love you, I’m sorry, please forgive me, thank you. While we shave off what we don’t need, you know? Like when we’re oking and cutting.

We envision that and we feel that.

Pihanalani (08:08.706)

The intent is a really big part of it yeah The intent of being sincerely wanting forgiveness and receiving forgiveness, you know, all of that, you know? That’s all part of it.

Pihanalani (08:22.858)

Yeah, and I think that that’s the part that Auntie, the auntie and the doctor that had made that part, that they got that, they got that, that gist of it, you know, that it’s your thoughts, it’s your intent, it’s how you feel about what you’re saying, you know, and what you’re trying to emit, you know. People can feel energy, you know, energy don’t lie, you know. So like, when you…

Charisse Sisou (08:51.98)

True.

Pihanalani (08:52.302)

sincere, wanting to forgive and receive forgiveness, to give forgiveness and receive yeah It’s powerful. It’s really powerful.

Charisse Sisou (09:02.596)

Mm-hmm.

Pihanalani (09:04.722)

And so I think that through the mantra, any individual, if they sincerely mean it and they really put their intent in it, it can heal a lot of stuff within themselves and within their relationships. The unhealthy dynamic can become healthy yeah

Charisse Sisou (09:20.036)

Yeah. Well, so that actually leads me to a question because I know you talked about your process that you did on the boat with your Kumu. So the relationship that you released, however, that was you were not communicating directly with that person. It was just like energetically.

Pihanalani (09:38.241)

Yeah. They don’t even know anything. And they’re probably not going to want to talk to you or they’re just not going to, you know. So I, when I did the oki, I had put the intent that he was no longer going to treat me the way he did. I was not going to tolerate it. It’s like putting boundaries up, you know. And he just stopped talking to me. It was kind of weird. Like, who talks to me?

Charisse Sisou (09:40.618)

Right.

Pihanalani (09:58.93)

like not talking for five years and one day I saw him and he’s like I’m sorry and I was like wow like I was my mind was like wow but then I did later on I put it together you know oh yeah I did you know I asked for that you know until he could come correctly and be proper you know he wasn’t gonna talk to me and it happened immediately and it was like mind-blowing you know so

Charisse Sisou (10:13.077)

Yeah.

Charisse Sisou (10:22.364)

Yes. Yeah, that’s amazing. I’ve had that same thing where as soon as I set that intent of, you know, this is what I will and will no longer tolerate from this person. It’s like they, it’s like they psychically get the message because I never said a word to them and it completely changed, we completely changed our relationship. I’m just thinking out loud because I know, you know, learning about the process, it’s like,

Pihanalani (10:34.725)

Yeah.

Charisse Sisou (10:49.068)

Do we need to do it with the other person? I think, because sometimes you wouldn’t want to. Like if it’s someone who’s really caused you harm, you don’t want to be having a conversation with that person, but you…

Pihanalani (10:59.243)

But it’s not about them, it’s really about ourselves. So like in the group setting, the conflict resolution, there’s a part that everybody agrees that once the hoʻoponopono is pau,

Charisse Sisou (11:03.088)

Exactly.

Pihanalani (11:14.686)

Once it’s done, that you no longer bring it up, it’s like it never happened, yeah? So it’s kind of like when you do the individual one and you’re trying to get right with somebody else, energetically, relationship-wise, that dynamic, you don’t have to mention anything to them, anything. You don’t have to, it’ll do its thing, you know? The work, you know, the ho’oponopono it’ll do its thing.

They don’t need to know.

Charisse Sisou (11:38.844)

Yeah, yeah, that’s powerful. That’s powerful. Because I think it’s so interesting because there’s, you know, people when we think about forgiveness, or we think about everyone’s bringing their own belief set to it. And so, you know, really getting clear on what is meant within this prayer and within this process. Because I, yeah, tell me.

Pihanalani (12:05.167)

Sometimes people want to hear the actual verbiage, the words come out of people’s mouths and I’m sorry, but a lot of times we don’t get that. We don’t get that through the exact words that we want to hear. We get it through, I hope you’re okay. I hope you drive safe. I hope you make it home safe. And sometimes not even hearing a thing from them, that alone is enough. And I think that sometimes…

We can’t expect too much, you know, people are ashamed sometimes of what they do and did, you know. Sometimes you’re not going to hear the things that you want to hear, you know.

Charisse Sisou (12:36.394)

Right.

Pihanalani (12:44.074)

It’s okay to just accepting that’s part of the forgiveness process accepting yeah accepting things for what they are and what they could be.

Charisse Sisou (12:53.216)

That is so, it’s so powerful what you’re saying right now. It’s so true. It’s like, we have these expectations and then when they’re not met, we’re like holding onto that feeling when it’s like, it’s not about that at all. It’s like, wow. And I’ve seen that play out in my own life. So you talked about this relationship. I’ve had that same thing where I would do a process, not even with the, just myself visualizing.

I might visualize that I have a conversation with them, but I never have the actual conversation. And the whole way that not, well, the way that they are around me changes completely if we’re still in relationship. But most importantly, I feel like, it’s like I’m a new person afterwards. You know what I mean? Like I’m not carrying that anymore.

Pihanalani (13:42.815)

And sometimes they come into your life, sometimes they remove themselves, but that’s okay too, you know. Thank you, mahalo for what we had. Mahalo.

Charisse Sisou (13:51.104)

Yeah.

Yeah.

Pihanalani (13:57.059)

explain it you know

Charisse Sisou (13:59.388)

No, you’re explaining it really well. Yeah. You’re explaining it really well. And I think too, you said something so beautiful, which is, you know, the other person may be feeling shame. Like it’s so compassionate really to think about, you know, we, we think about our own suffering, but we don’t think about the other person’s suffering. You know? Yeah.

Pihanalani (14:21.366)

They make mistakes too, yeah. In the heat of the moment, you know, we say things we don’t mean, you know, sometimes it’s I’m starting crying.

Charisse Sisou (14:24.085)

Right?

Pihanalani (14:34.134)

some things in my life, you know, and um…

Pihanalani (14:39.786)

Sometimes it’s okay, you know, it’s okay to just come out, yeah? Shut your mouth and be quiet.

Charisse Sisou (14:46.416)

Yeah. Oh, it’s so true. I feel that. I feel that, honey.

Pihanalani (14:51.15)

Yeah. So I felt it as I, as I, from when I first met my kumuapuni, when I first did that process, I was in my 20s, you know, my mid-20s. Now I’m 40, I turned 40 this past year. And so all these years, I, it’s making more sense what he’s told me, you know? And sometimes it’s good to just pause and just kind of like be like a, like an outsider looking in, you know, and sometimes we’re so in.

Charisse Sisou (14:52.48)

Because they’re, yeah.

Pihanalani (15:20.342)

the drive-by and the, you know, that we don’t know when to stop, yeah. And we make it worse, yeah. Sometimes it’s just better to come out. Just be quiet, yeah, pause, yeah.

Charisse Sisou (15:32.264)

Right? Just same. Yeah, I’ve been. Oh my gosh, girl. I feel you. I’m huh?

Pihanalani (15:39.)

We don’t have to make amends or feel the sense that we need to make amends. If we just pause sometimes and just reflect in the moment, it’s harder though, it’s harder.

Charisse Sisou (15:49.752)

Yeah, it is harder. It’s harder, but it’s also like, that’s the work, right? Because, you know, I think of people who, like that’s, oh yeah, go ahead.

Pihanalani (15:59.51)

Hold on. On the phone. I’m sorry. I’m on the phone. I’m on the phone, girl.

Charisse Sisou (16:04.172)

You’re good.

Pihanalani (16:08.865)

Come back.

Pihanalani (16:14.294)

Yeah. Okay, sorry.

Charisse Sisou (16:16.849)

Oh no, you’re totally good.

Pihanalani (16:28.686)

Okay. Sorry about that.

Charisse Sisou (16:31.568)

Oh, you’re fine. You’re fine. I go through. I edit everything anyway. I, um, it’s so beautiful. What you, what you speak about, I feel like it’s been like one of the biggest lessons in my life is just, um, oh my gosh, like I don’t, yeah, cause I don’t want to name any names, but like, you know, I’m just feeling that pain.

Pihanalani (16:52.532)

I’m going to go ahead and turn it off.

Charisse Sisou (16:57.924)

And my only way through the pain was to realize that they’re human beings. They did what they could. And I. Yeah.

Pihanalani (17:08.391)

Yeah. But the, no, really, no. But the, I do play the hand the best I can, you know, to come make it out in the other room.

Charisse Sisou (17:14.792)

Yeah, yeah, very, very often they’re doing exactly that. They’re doing the best they can. And, you know, and we can’t fault people for doing their best and, you know, not meeting our expectations or what we needed. And, but it’s, it’s profound to me. Like I’ve.

I feel like that’s, you know, it’s so funny. Like that’s what I’ve gotten my PhD in. Like I don’t have a diploma, like I don’t have the diploma, but my PhD is in like forgiveness because it’s like these people where I just, it’s like, okay, this is a good example is my mom’s first husband. He wasn’t my biological dad, but he was the guy that I called daddy for the first, you know, 15 years. Like, surprise, he’s not your dad. But anyway, that’s a whole other story. But.

I was think not long after, so like he and my mom split up and then he just disappeared from my life. Right. And that hurt me a lot as a kid because, oh, sorry. That hurt me a lot as when I was a kid, I didn’t understand that. Right. I was just like this guy who I thought loved me so much just like disappeared and stopped seeing me. And oh, I felt so, I felt so much of a way around that. And this is wild, but.

I feel like some during the pandemania, the pandemic, like it was like my heart opened and I was like, I’ve got to forgive all these people. Like, I don’t know what happened, but it was like something switched on. And I remember I was just like recording a little video like this and I just spontaneously started doing like, please forgive me. I’m sorry. I love you. Thank you. I’m not doing it in the right order, but I knew that I needed to just, um,

Thank him.

Pihanalani (19:05.411)

that you don’t have that intent out there yeah.

Charisse Sisou (19:08.604)

Yeah. And he’s, I mean, he’s crossed over. He’s on the other side, but I know that I found so much peace in just recognizing like, he did the best that he could. And yeah. And, um, you know, and it’s just, it’s so easily something that I could have like felt about, you know, just right until the end. And I was like, it wasn’t worth it for me to keep carrying that.

Pihanalani (19:33.974)

Yum.

Charisse Sisou (19:38.136)

Um, you know, and, uh, yeah, I was, it’s, it’s profound and it, it’s like, it’s like, it brings you so much calm and strength. Like, tell me about that. Like, cause you, you know, you’re an expert at this, like on the other side of this, like that, what does that mean to be, you know, Pono with yourself, like to be at peace with yourself in that way.

Pihanalani (19:47.371)

Yeah. I think that. How do I say this?

Pihanalani (20:13.258)

It helps me…

Pihanalani (20:18.299)

I don’t know the words, like the verbage to answer that. Like, I just know that…

Charisse Sisou (20:24.041)

Mmm.

Pihanalani (20:29.498)

Oponopono has helped me identify.

Pihanalani (20:38.988)

I lost the words. I really don’t know what to say.

Charisse Sisou (20:42.648)

That’s okay. That’s okay. It’s clearly made. Yeah, big difference.

Pihanalani (20:46.082)

But I feel like it made a big difference in my life. I was, funny as I was, a lot more angry, a lot more…

Pihanalani (20:58.71)

I was just really angry, you know, and it showed, you know, and like, I’ve mellowed out drastically because, and I really believe it’s because of doing this ho’oponopono yeah? Becoming good with myself, yeah? Accepting what I have done and what I am doing and what I could do, you know? And like, um…

just me knowing that I’m good with me and mine. You know, my higher power and me, we’re good. You know, me and my ancestors, we’re good, you know? And no matter what anybody else says, I know we’re good, yeah, because I’ve been working on myself. You know what I mean?

Charisse Sisou (21:34.364)

Yeah, I do. Wow.

Pihanalani (21:37.834)

And so I think that one thing that makes it harder for people is that everybody has their own sense of pono ya. So what is pono to me is not necessarily pono to you and what’s pono to you is not necessarily pono to an Arabic man in Arabia or in the Middle East, you know. Or to a Japanese woman in Japan, you know. It’s all perspective. You know. Each individual has their own unique.

Charisse Sisou (21:57.992)

Right, right.

Pihanalani (22:06.082)

twist to what is pono for them. And I think that society tells us how we should be a lot of times. And it’s really about being good with you and yours, you know, like, no matter what anybody else says, yeah. You know, you made the best decision with the cards you were dealt at any given time, you know? And that, you know, you’re good, you know?

Charisse Sisou (22:18.699)

Yeah.

Charisse Sisou (22:28.)

That’s beautiful. Yeah, that’s it right there. That’s it right there. It’s like we can only be accountable to ourselves and ours and you know, feeling right with that.

Pihanalani (22:37.838)

And I think a lot of times, a lot of the strife or the disputes or whatever is because people are telling other people how to live their lives. Like, oh, you’re gay, you can’t live like that, you know. And it’s like, that’s pono for them though. That’s their pono. That’s their reality. And who are you to say that’s not pono? You know? That’s, you know? Yeah.

Charisse Sisou (23:01.584)

Yeah, I think it, yeah, that’s so, it’s so powerful because I think we’re not used to an idea of rightness that is where each of us has a different flavor, you know what I mean? And I love thinking about Pono in this way of like, yes, we’re all connected and we are like individual facets within that collective and you know…

what we need to just be right with is, yeah.

Pihanalani (23:33.718)

Yeah. Exactly what it is. And it’s like, there are like another version of us, you know, kind of like another timeline, like another, you know, like they are. Because we all, we all.

They’re not even they, they are us, you know, like, we’re all connected. If we’re all from the same source, all from the same mana, then we’re all like the same, you know? Really.

Charisse Sisou (23:56.756)

Oh my God, I just got chills when you said that, right? It is, I mean, it’s kind of like that expression, like there, but for the grace of God go I, like it’s like that, right? It’s like, that is me, that is also me, that is also me. It’s like, oh.

Pihanalani (24:06.63)

No.

Pihanalani (24:13.274)

Yeah. And we got like for real. You know what I mean?

Charisse Sisou (24:15.916)

For real, for real. Yeah, cause you know, on my own path, I don’t know if you believe in past lives or stuff like that, like, yeah. You’re like, yeah. Cause we’re the same tribe, that’s why. But yeah, so I like that one of the, you know, I remember I was going into meditation and I was like, how do I have compassion for someone who did something so terrible, right? Like, how am I supposed to feel?

Pihanalani (24:18.006)

Yeah.

Charisse Sisou (24:44.404)

And I remember my guides kind of sat me at my ancestors. They sat me at this table and they like switched all these faces, you know, in front of me like someone sitting across from me. And then they stopped and it was like stopped on a, it was stopped on a, like a, like a big, like a head honcho in like the KKK, right? The Ku Klux Klan. And I was like, whoa. And I’m looking in his eyes and they’re like, you know, icy blue. And I’m a little bit like, okay.

Pihanalani (25:05.728)

Wow.

Charisse Sisou (25:13.544)

And they’re like, look closer, right? And I saw his little boy and his little boy was like, what about the past? What about, you know, they’re like, it was so profound because it was like, okay, he had this perspective that he was trying to bring forward. Was he doing it in the right way? You know what I mean? It’s like for the, you know, like harm to none and the highest good of all, right? But it was like, but.

Pihanalani (25:34.577)

I hear you.

Charisse Sisou (25:40.764)

he’s also a human being, right? And then later fast forward, they were like, by the way, that was you in a past life, just saying. And I was like, what? I know, because this is the thing too, like other timelines, other lifetimes, we have walked. It’s not just like, oh, imagine yourself in the other person’s shoes. Like we’ve walked those shoes. We have been, you know, I…

Like we’ve been all sides, right? We’ve been like the victim, we’ve been the predator, we’ve been the all of the things. And so it’s like, it doesn’t mean that, oh, no, you know, people get away with whatever. It doesn’t mean that, but it just means that we can have compassion for humans and, you know, and find our way through it. Just knowing no one has the higher stance here. You know what I mean? Like…

Pihanalani (26:28.59)

But please, right now, you know, like a lot of people, like so now I work with a lot of displaced families, so not families, but people, individuals, and since the fires, most of them, some of them were displaced from before that, they were homeless before that. So a lot of people are quick to judge the homeless, but it could easily be anybody, unless you’re, even if you’re.

rich. It could just be one bad decision away from being on, you know, without anything that you feel a need for, you know. And so I think it goes along with that, you know, it’s easier to sympathize or empathize with when you can really like see how easily that could be us, you know, that is us.

Charisse Sisou (27:13.308)

Yeah, yeah, right. It’s like just a different parent, a different situation, a different whatever, and we could really find ourselves in any situation. Yeah, it’s really true. It’s really true. Oh, how do we see? This is so juicy. I could talk to you all day.

Pihanalani (27:40.844)

I think so.

Pihanalani (27:45.84)

Aloha has its own frequency and I think we know that.

Pihanalani (27:55.47)

I don’t know how he’s been at night.

Aloha is like very closely.

it is mana, but then it’s not. It’s like a more compassionate flow or form of mana. And so I think that a lot of times, we do things from the total opposite end, not from aloha. And the whole point is to do it from aloha, everything. You know what I mean?

Charisse Sisou (28:07.206)

Yeah.

Charisse Sisou (28:25.496)

from Aloha. Yeah. Yeah, I think of when I think of Aloha, I think of love. I think of like, unconditional love. That’s what it feels like to me.

Pihanalani (28:36.218)

exactly where they are at any, you know, where they are and like not expecting them to be anything but them, you know? And I think a lot of times that we get hurt or we have resentments or um we get upset because we’re hurt. That’s really the root of it is that we get hurt, our expectations get let down, we get disappointed, but we’re not meaning, we’re, that’s us, yeah? That’s our stuff that we’re trying to put on them.

to meet, yeah? when it’s just aloha rehm for them. it’s, they’re gonna be them and ay aloha yi. because you do aloha them you know, does that make sense?

Charisse Sisou (29:14.424)

Mm-hmm. It makes perfect sense. It makes perfect sense. So like, I, what, what does one do in this situation? Like, oh my gosh, like such a great example, like the Hawaiian islands being made into a state, right? And that, that takeover essentially, how, how do you find, like,

How do we find the aloha and yet also, you know, like exactly. And also have justice. Yes, queen. You said it right there. Right.

Pihanalani (29:50.302)

I’m trying to figure that out. We have to address this. But I think as a Native Hawaiian, we’ve just been trying to move from Aloha because at the end, Aloha’s going to win. At the end of it all, that’s really what it is. Aloha’s winning, you know?

Pihanalani (30:11.414)

Yeah, it’s just, we didn’t have, I don’t think we got what we deserved yet, you know? But I have trust in it that it’ll work out for the best, you know, because Aloha always wins, you know? I don’t know how I explain it by the way, but yeah.

Charisse Sisou (30:28.312)

That’s true.

Aloha as well.

Pihanalani (30:33.026)

We’re not done yet. When it’s done, it’s going to be aloha thriving. Aloha is going to be all over. It’s going to be like, you know, I really have faith in that. I really trust in that.

Charisse Sisou (30:49.412)

I do too. I do too. That’s beautiful. Ah, well, from my heart to yours, so much aloha, so much love. Thank you. Thank you for this time today.

Pihanalani (31:04.42)

Thank you. Have a good one. Bye.

Charisse Sisou (31:06.32)

Oh, my absolute pleasure. Yeah.

Thanks for joining me on Wise Body, Ancient Soul. I hope it reminds you how magical and powerful you truly are. Kindly subscribe, rate, and review this podcast so more juicy light bringers like you can hear these transmissions. And if you’re looking to connect more deeply with your body and soul’s wisdom, visit CharisseSisou.com to learn how else we can play together. Here’s to your joy and wild success! From my heart to yours, I love you. Take what you need and pass it on.