Te Mana o te Mahi Rākau – He Toi Māori Hei Rongoā mā te Tinana me te Wairua

I roto i ā mātou wānanga ako, ka ako koe i te toi tapu o te Mahi Rākau – he tikanga tuku iho nō te ao Māori e whakamahi ana i te rākau hei āwhina i te whakaora i a koe anō, te whakaora i te tinana, me te whakapakari i te wairua.

He āhua motuhake tō te Mahi Rākau – e pā atu ana te rākau ki ngā wāhi motuhake o te tinana hei whakawātea i ngā ārai, hei whakakaha i te rere o te mauri, hei whakapiki i te oranga wairua me te tinana. Ko tēnei he huarahi rongoā e hono ana ki ngā pūnaha kaha o te tinana, ā, he mea ū ki ngā mātāpono o te ao Māori.

Ia wānanga, he wairua motuhake tōna – ka ahu mai i te whenua, ngā tāngata, me ngā kaumātua e ārahi ana. Mā konei koe e āhei ai ki te ako i ngā tikanga hou, me te hohonutanga ake o tō māramatanga ki te Mahi Rākau.

Ahakoa kāore anō koe kia rongo i tēnei momo mahi, ahakoa he tangata rongoā koe, he wāhi mōu i tēnei wānanga. Ka ārahi mātou i a koe i ngā taumata katoa – mai i ngā timatanga, ā, ka tautokohia koe i roto i tētahi taiao haumaru, manaaki hoki.

He aha māu e mau mai ai:

Hei wāhanga o te ako Mahi Rākau, me mau mai koe i ngā rākau e rua (he rākau porotaka):

• Kotahi te rahi: 25mm te whānui, 600mm te roa
  (e ōrite ana ki te 1" te whānui, 24" te roa i te ine o Amerika)

• Kotahi te rahi: 50mm te whānui, 600mm te roa
  (e ōrite ana ki te 2" te whānui, 24" te roa i te ine o Amerika)

Ko ēnei rākau he toronga o ō ringa – ka noho hei taonga hei whakaora i a koe anō, ā, hei whakaora hoki i ētahi atu.

Aroha nui – e manawaitia ana mātou ki te haere tahi me koe i tēnei ara whakaora.

Discover the Power of Mahi Rākau – Māori Healing with Traditional Tools

At our teaching workshops, you will be introduced to the sacred art of Mahi Rākau — a traditional Māori healing practice that uses rākau (wooden tools) to support self-help, physical healing, and spiritual realignment.

Mahi Rākau works with the body’s energy systems to release deep-seated tension, restore balance, and awaken your natural ability to heal. The rākau are used to apply focused, intentional pressure to key areas of the body, helping to shift blocked energy, ease discomfort, and support emotional release. It’s a powerful form of healing rooted in indigenous wisdom, designed to strengthen the connection between body, mind, and spirit.

Each workshop has its own unique energy — shaped by the land, the people, and the wairua (spirit) of the space — creating a rich environment for both learning new techniques and deepening your current understanding of Mahi Rākau.

Whether you're completely new to bodywork or already on a healing journey, these workshops are open to all. You’ll be guided step by step, learning at your own pace, in a safe and supportive environment.

What You’ll Need:

To participate in Mahi Rākau practice, you will need to bring two wooden dowels:

• One measuring 25mm diameter x 600mm long (approx. 1" diameter x 24" long)

• One measuring 50mm diameter x 600mm long (approx. 2" diameter x 24" long)

These simple tools become powerful extensions of the hands, supporting both self-healing and healing of others.

What is happening?

I am noticing those who come to the clinic, are carrying in the body, the mind, the wairua, and the emotional self, a mamae / a pain.  

This is NOT a normal pain, otherwise it wouldn't exist or stay long in the body.   Why? Because there was nothing to 'feed' it.

Now, people are experiencing increasing amounts of energy sapping challenges  themselves, which affects their relationships with self and others and how they interact or don't.  

Anxiety (in the body), anxiousness (in the mind), kehua (energy attacks), a deep tension holding riri (more a ragethan an anger) are affecting who we can be.  

Our young are becoming fearful, their bravery has taken a hit, they see their whanau / family members struggling.  They retreat within.

Our elderly were once heard and acted upon.  Now most withhold their spoken word or become silent.  Along with a wealth of many other reasons of course and not all family made.

Parents are challenged at many turns with needs for their children.  And, they have to find themselves within those roles.

The same is for those childless adults, teens, young teens.  The body is in need, seeking release, seeking repair, seeking......

What can be done to help?

Tuesday, March 7th at 9pm, we are holding a PURE, a spiritual cleansing at the seaside in Ahipara.  

Papa Joe Delamere, Manu Korewha, Aunty Heni Phillips, Reina Ferris, Makuini Ruth Tai, Hirini Reedy and many others used this practice to cleanse, centre and settle the person.

If you want to attend, please let us know, so that we can account for everyone prior to going into the water and upon coming out.

If you have children, either leave them at home (if possible and especially if young) OR take care of them, by making sure you know where they are at all times.

If you have Elders coming, ensure someone can drive them to the waters edge or assist them coming down and be with them during the event.  They need not get into the deep of the water, as it's enough for them to stand ankle deep (check the tide flow and ebb).  

There is no charge for this event.  But if you want to leave a koha, we can record the amount and your name.  This will then be gifted to those experiencing continued hardship from the recent floods, either in Pangaru, Motuti, Omapere, Hawkes Bay, Auckland etc. 

Our aim?

People are in need.  We recognise this and Pure is one of the ways to help.

This is not a sideshow for people to come and watch, or to video, come only if you are going to participate and need help.

We have no idea how long this can take, so be prepared to last the distance.  If you know you can't, or think you can't, stand on the shoreside, you'll be taken care of while we are in the water.

On this one I will be holding people accountable, so ensure you are there for the right reasons, because this is tapu / sacred.

If your house is in need of a cleansing, bring a glass bottle (preferable), after we've completed, ask Tangaroa (the sea) if you can take some seawater home.   Sprinkle the water around your home inside and out, on the land where your home is, all doors, windows and gates as they are portals for energy to enter and exit.

Where?

We will meet at Paripari, where Poroa's pou stands.  

Parking is good, and high tide is at 12am so we may be able to use the top of the beach area. 

It will be dark.  Bring torches, please don't take your phones in the water with you because things happen and your phone will take a dip.

If anyone has spare Tiki torches or solar lights that we can put just below the parking area, that would be awesome.  

Bring a towel, a change of clothes and have something warm for when you get out of the water, as it may get cold.

For those who may not know where Paripari is, it is before the public toilets around the foreshore of Ahipara.

Food!

NO FOOD!  I'll repeat that,  N O    F O O D!  

Eat at home.  Bring water if you feel you need it, but nothing down the seaside at all.

Sea or shore.

If you are in the sea, stay there until all is completed.

If you are on the shore, stay there, in silence, and hold the space while others are in the water.

We go in as a group, women in the inner circle holding hands, do not let go. 

Men circle surrounding them, unless otherwise indicated by Tangaroa, Atarangi etc.

Tangaroa Ngaropo will be leading the Takutaku / Karakia and others who want to assist, thank you.  

While we may all know PURE, everyone is different, so find out first what is best.

I hope the information is clear and easy to follow.

Ngaa mihi

Atarangi Muru