Nurture Your Hauora
From sharing kai with whānau; going for a hīkoi (walk) solo or with friends; reading a good book; playing touch rugby with neighbours; singing waiata and telling whānau stories; heading out fishing; completing breathing exercises; or ensuring there’s end-of-day whānau “debrief” and connection time.
Or tackling something bigger like learning te reo Māori; taking up a new hobby or sport; connecting or reconnecting with our rūnanga, whānau members, or old friends; getting into the garden; completing online yoga videos; or starting a new whānau tradition.
There are many things we can do to strengthen our hauora (wellbeing) and boost the way we feel and think.
Whānau members Sahni Bennett (Ngāti Makō, Wairewa), Mike Stevens (Kāi Tahu), Suzi Flack (Kāti Māmoe, Kāi Tahu, Kāti Huirapa ki Puketeraki) and their respective whānau have shared with us an activity they love and how it boosts their wellbeing.
Join them as they kōrero about their passion for mara kai (gardening for food) with their tamariki, the magic of kaupapa waka with their whānau and community, and the honour of passing down te hopu tītī (muttonbirding) tradition through the generations.
We hope these videos will inspire and empower you to lead your own hauora journey by learning from Sahni, Mike, Barbara, Te Haeatanui, Suzi, and Brendan’s experiences.
Want to try making Sahni's kūmara flatbreads in your whare?
Tell us, how do you, or are you planning to, nurture your wellbeing? How have you or will you navigate your journey – big or small steps – to improve your hauora? Let us know.
Tell Us
How do you, or are you planning to, nurture your wellbeing? How have you or will you navigate your journey – big or small steps – to improve your hauora? Let us know.
What is hauora wellbeing?
Wellbeing is a positive state and not just the absence of disease or illness. It is strongly linked to happiness and life satisfaction and could be described as how we feel about ourselves and our lives.
To thrive, we need the four holistic and interconnected aspects of wellbeing to be in balance:
- Te taha hinengaro (mental wellbeing): Just like our physical health, our hinengaro, our mind, heart, conscience, thoughts, and feelings, need to be nurtured. It’s about how we feel, as well as how we communicate and think. Hinengaro is what we do to stimulate and refresh our minds so we can better cope with the ups and downs of life.
- Te taha tinana (physical wellbeing): Tinana is about how our bodies feel and how we care for them, things like eating healthy kai, physical care like going for a hīkoi, and having reasonable moe (sleep). These things will also help us feel mentally well. Sometimes our tinana might not be where we’d like it to be, and this might be beyond our control. What’s important is that we do what we can to nurture it.
- Te taha wairua (spiritual wellbeing): Taha wairua explores our relationship with the environment, people, and heritage in the past, present, and future. The way people view wairua can be very different. For some, wairua is faith or religious beliefs or believing in a higher power. Others may describe wairua as an internal connection to the universe and/or appreciation of the beauty around us. There is no right or wrong way to think of or experience wairua, but it’s important to think about what it means to us, and ways to strengthen it. When our wairua is strong, it’s easier to feel good, cope with challenges, and build strong whānau relationships.
- Te taha whānau (family wellbeing): Whānau are the people who make us feel we belong, who we care about and who care about us, and who we share our lives with. Whānau is about extended relationships, not just immediate relatives. It can be anyone who is close to our hearts, like friends, hoamahi (colleagues), caregivers, groups, iwi, and community. We have a unique place and a role to fulfil within our whānau and our whānau contribute to our wellbeing and identity.
Sources: Te Aka Whai Ora Māori Health Authority and Mauri Tū, Mauri Ora Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand
Resources from All Right?
Te waioratanga | Māori wellbeing supports
Connecting with our culture can really support our hauora and wellbeing. Celebrate te ao Māori with a focus on traditional practices that support our wellbeing – from karakia and rongoa, to activities that connect us with our whānau, iwi and whakapapa.
Tīmatahia | The ways to wellbeing
Even if we’re rundown, ngenge (tired), or stuck in a bit of a rut, there are simple things we can do every day to feel good.
Te hauora o ia rā | Daily wellbeing
Simple things you can try right away, based on the latest science and the ways to wellbeing.
He whakatipu tamariki | Parenting and whānau
Articles, tips, and tools for surviving the ups and downs, enjoying the day-to-day, and helping your tamariki stay calm, manage worries, and feel good.
Ngā taputapu | Wellbeing tools
Tools designed to get wellbeing started – from dice to moon phases, and strength finders to kindness generators, there’s something for everyone.
Whānau as First Navigators
Whānau as First Navigators is a belief that all whānau have the innate ability, derived from their whakapapa and tupuna, to be the leaders and navigators of their own journeys.
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Service providers
The Whānau as First Navigators team has formal relationships with nine accredited Ngāi Tahu and kaupapa Māori health and social service providers across the takiwā.
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