The trend towards so-called alternative forms of healing has been increasing over time, and perhaps recently especially. It wasn't long ago that people who embraced alternative therapies were generally considered well out of the mainstream. It may be true today that alternative therapy seekers are still unusual, but alternative healing is without question taking hold in mainstream society, and literally millions of people in some capacity or other use therapies that don't come from traditional western medicine sources.

One fairly popular form of alternative healing is ho'oponopono. Ho'oponopono is a Hawaiian technique that's been applied to solving problems for generations. The premise of ho'oponopono methodology is based on connecting with an ultimate source power and asking this power for help with resolving life problems and difficulties. Though there is an emphasis on higher source connection, ho'oponopono is not a form of organized religion. There is no worship or any belief rituals within ho'oponopono.

Morrnah Simeona is credited with establishing modern day ho'oponopono. Simeona was designated a Kahuna Lapa'au. Translated, Kahuna means keeper of the secret, and Lapa'au means specialist in healing. Simeona then was essentially a Hawaiian version of a shaman. Simeona was highly regarded for her ho'oponopono teachings, and was asked to teach the method at the United Nations, the World Health Organization, and other bodies. Simeona died in the 1990's. Dr. Ihaleakala Len Hew was a student of Simeona's, and has since taken on a position of leadership in the ho'oponopono movement.

Ho'oponopono is not some magic form, nor is it a means for asking for and receiving any materialistic possession that one should want. Performing ho'oponopono won't make the perfect life suddenly appear, and it certainly won't instantly place a sports car in one's driveway. It's thought within ho'oponopono that outcomes are dictated by source power, and that these outcomes both in timing and result are ideal.

Like any method that emphasizes spiritual connectivity, ho'oponopono has its critics. Some people simply can't get around the idea of the existence of realities beyond what can be experienced by the senses, let alone being able to tap into these realities and gain from them. Other people may consider ho'oponopono to be a form of an illegitimate magic bean that promises the happiness and satisfaction that seems out of reach for many. Still others believe that at least some degree of suffering is a normal part of life. But while ho'oponopono has its critics, it also has its supporters who believe in the ho'oponopono method and the results it produces.