"Hado" is a Japanese word which refers to vibration.

Dr. Masuro Emoto, author of Messages from Water, defines Hado as: "The intrinsic vibrational pattern at the atomic level in all matter. The smallest unit of energy. Its basis is the energy of human consciousness."

His photographic experiments with frozen water crystals show that our thoughts can affect the organizational structure of the crystals. Positive thoughts such as "Love" and "Gratitude" create beautiful geometric patterns, while negative thoughts create broken and distorted patterns.

The "What the Bleep Do We Know?" movie spread the theory of Hado around the world and an international network of Hado instructors was established to further research and education. Schoolteachers experimented with jars of fermenting rice and potted sunflowers. The ones that received the thoughts of “Thank-you” thrived, while the ones that received the message of “You Fool” deteriorated. Researchers began to develop a Hado-Scan measuring device for improving human health.

One year I followed Dr. Emoto's travels on his e-diary and was inspired by his stories and photos. Hundreds of people eager to learn more might stand in line for hours before packing into crowded auditoriums. Audiences would consistently show their gratitude with standing ovations. Groups would gather together at polluted lakes or streams to project positive thoughts of love and healing toward the water. The results in Lake Biwa in Japan, where the foul odor and growth of algae were reversed cannot be explained by current scientific methods. However, science is changing and quantum physics, especially through the 'observer effect' of Heisenberg's uncertainty principle, points to the fact that we do indeed affect our environment. We are on the threshold of a paradigm shift.

The theory of Hado says that everything is resonating energy and that we can change a substance by changing our vibration. The garden was a perfect place to practice this. It was easy to see and feel the world as a living system. The bees, birds, insects, smell and colorful plants were vibrating with life energy and I began to feel myself as a vibrating part of it, too. I found it important to ask myself, "What vibration do I want to put into "the Field" of energy that exists in this moment?" I felt the profundity of the question as I realized that the choice is always mine. I discovered that acting from the knowing was tricky and I soon learned to reconnect with the question throughout the day and re-attune the quality of my thoughts if necessary.

Dr. Emoto suggests making a list of Hado words that send out positive energy. The practice of the power of words is called Kotodama in Japan. It is essentially a Shinto practice but can be found in Reiki, Aikido, and Buddhism's jumon/shingon or mantras. These traditions hold the wisdom that beautiful word sounds contain a vibration and power to produce peace and healing.

I started to pause before entering the garden, centering myself in my intention and feeling gratitude in my heart. After this, I'd walk around the outside perimeter of the garden with a blessing that ended in the chanting of the sacred sound of OM. I felt a deep clarity and openness when I entered the garden. I experimented with watching the words that I used while working on different tasks. I noticed that my thoughts were straying miles away from the garden when doing the hand watering that can sometimes take 3 hours or the tedious thinning of the carrot patch. Then I began consciously choosing words of love and gratitude, chants, or prayers that I that were nourishing to the plants.

It soon became obvious that any conversations about business, politics, or worldly problems should take place outside of the garden. With some practice, I learned how to gracefully interrupt a person's negative conversation by saying, "Excuse me, but we do not talk about these things in the garden." People were mildly shocked, but got the message and respected our wishes. They often commented later that it had not occurred to them that their words and the garden were energetically connected. Simple adjustments like these have been a great teaching on how to create sacred space in the garden.

Many people comment that they feel a sense of peace and harmony when they enter the garden. They say it feels like another world. The uplifting quality of the garden has a warm and soothing feeling. This is called the temperature of Hado. A stressful environment, which produces a feeling of tightness and constriction, would be called a cool Hado. We can feel varying degrees of Hado temperatures with human beings, animals, stones, and even unseen energy. The icy cold feelings of the Dementors in Harry Potter or the disturbance in the Force sent by Darth Vader in Star Wars are fictional descriptions of very cold Hado. Battlefields carry a cold Hado. The aloha spirit of Hawaii has a warm relaxing Hado and people like to take their vacations there because of its healing energy. Our houses, computers, jewelry... have varying temperatures of Hado.

Hado is everywhere and we all have access to it. There are many ways to work with Hado to improve our lives. Creating a sacred space or practicing peace, whether it is in the garden, home or daily life in general, is a great way to experience and develop working with Hado. Once we become familiar with it, we can feel its subtle transforming effect. The best thing to do is to try it out yourself and experience the results.

"There is a Universal Principle — Energy Follows Thought"

Dr. Emoto's e-Diary and Hado Website (watch how frozen water crystals are photographed)

The Great Declaration: “The infinite power of the universe will be concentrated and bring true peace to the world." Used by Master Shioya and Dr. Emoto in affirming positive energy.

Toyoko Matsuzaki discovered her ability to use Hado energy when she healed her mother of a severe stroke. Her book The Healing Power of Hado (Beyond Words Publishing) describes Hado properties and how to use it to improve your life. She lives in Japan, but travels the world teaching Hado.