Releasing Patterns

John Edward (http://johnedward.net) recently wrote a wonderful newsletter on releasing patterns. I thought I would present the Huna view.

Patterns are defined by Webster’s as “a reliable sample of traits, acts, tendencies, or other observable characteristics…” Patterns influence our lives on a very deep level. They are an imprinted on our Kus (subconscious) as reactions or behaviors in a predicted way based on memories in the Ku, which is where our memories reside. Patterns are deeply ingrained memories.

Many patterns are good. How many times have you driven home, then realized you didn’t even remember driving the past 3 blocks. That is your Ku taking care of you. You have imprinted a pattern in your Ku which remembers how to get you home when your Lono (conscious mind) happens to wander off.

Some patterns, however, are not so helpful. Consider a pattern that may have been established in you as a child because of an abusive background or from watching imperfect caretakers. Imprinted on your Ku were patterns that helped you survive then, but may not be very helpful to your life now. Those are the patterns we’d like to change.

Since our Kus are very impressionable and cannot discern between reality and imagination (that is the Lono’s job) one way to change a pattern is to “re-pattern” the Ku. In the Huna tradition, we often use symbols. Ku loves symbols. So here’s a little exercise to help you re-pattern your Ku.

• Find a quiet, comfortable spot where you will not be disturbed. Turn of your phone, feed the cats.

• Think of the pattern you want to change.

• Sit quietly and start with ‘piko piko’. When you breathe in, focus on the top of your head. When you breathe out, focus on your belly button. Don’t try to push the energy, just let it flow. “Energy flows where attention goes” (Serge King) Do this several times until you are starting to feel relaxed.

• Once you start to feel a little more relaxed, start taking slow normal breaths. Close your eyes and imagine yourself on a path. As you start to walk forward, you see an entryway. It can look like what ever you want it to look like. It can be an archway of greenery, or a distressed gate.

• Walk through that entrance into a garden. What does the garden look like?
What does it sound like? What does it smell like? Are there trees? Water? What kind of ground is under your feet? Sand? Grass? Feel it under your feet. Scrunch your toes into it. Go over and touch what is in your garden. Feel the water flow through your fingers. Is it raining? Sunny? Feel it on your skin. Hear the wind rustling through the trees.

• Once you have established your garden, create a place to sit comfortably. Ask your Ku to place in front to you a symbol of the pattern you want to change. For instance, if you want to change that fact that you get angry very easily, ask your Ku to show you what anger looks like.

• Now look up and see that symbol. Let’s use the ‘anger’ example. Perhaps your Ku’s symbol for ‘anger’ is a fast moving, erratic waveform, or a large fire. Let’s use the waveform example.

• See the fast moving erratic waveform, shivering out of control in front of you. Now, with your Lono (remember, Lono is your ‘conscious mind’) change that waveform into something else.

• Let’s change it to a calm, gentle rolling stream. Feel the energy. Feel the change in the energy from the waveform to the stream.

• When you have fully experience the feeling of calmness, get up, thank your garden, walk back out your gate and come back to your body.

You have just re-patterned your Ku. Change something within and you will change it on the outside. Know that you can go back into your garden and repeat the exercise at any time, with the same symbols or new ones. Remember, patterns are ingrained, like millions of tiny seagull tracks through the sand on the beach of your Ku. But there are no limits (Kala) and nothing is permanent. Washing away those tracks and replacing them with more effective ones (Pono) is possible if you keep your mind open and accept the possibility of change.