Rongo Ora

02/06/2026

Yeah pā

The separation of Māori from their whenua did more than deprive them of economic opportunities; it separated them from the very source of who they were and where they belonged. To me the biggest contribution to Māori health from the Crown over the last forty years has come through the Waitangi Tribunal. By its many Reports it has re-established many of the connections that are essential for Māori identity, and through that, to health. Being Māori is more and more seen as a taonga, rather than a handicap that it was in years past, when many Māori parents and grandparents refused to pass on their reo and their mātauranga to their whanau because they could not see of to be of any use in the world that the coming generations were to live in. Many of the conditions that cause so much ill health are not so much caused by diet or addictions but by that sense of hopelessness that have dominated the lives of so many people who have lost a sense of their own worth and identity because of the way that they have been marginalised in the country that is their home. The scars of colonisation will take generations to heal but a turning point has been passed and there is the promise of a much brighter future.

- Pā Rōpata / Rob McGowan

Adapted from paper “Touching base with Rongoā in the 21st century”, presented at the He Puna Rongoā Hui, 2026 by Rob McGowan

Image by David Loughlin -

31/05/2026

A friend recently asked if I would do Romiromi for someone I had worked with in the past.

I said no.

Not because I don’t care, but because healing is not something that can be done to someone. It requires accountability and a willingness to look inward.

Sometimes pain presents physically, but the roots sit much deeper. Unresolved emotions, self-blame, victimhood, resentment, self-hatred, stress and trauma can all weigh heavily on the tinana. We can support the body, but if a person refuses to do the inner work, the patterns will remain.

As practitioners, we’re not here to rescue people from themselves. We can walk alongside them, offer tools, guidance and support, but we cannot do their healing for them.

I’ve learned over the years that my energy is best spent with those who are willing to meet themselves honestly and do the mahi required for lasting change.

Romiromi is powerful, but it is not magic. Real healing happens when people are prepared to take responsibility for their own journey.

29/05/2026

27/05/2026

23/05/2026

Cool.

18/05/2026

Cultural trauma and religion.

I don’t usually kōrero about this cos it’s sensitive and it can trigger but I say this with complete aroha and I’d like this post to keep that vibe please. No hate.

I’ve never felt this uncomfortable about religion til I started spending more time in Auckland a couple years back as I was more exposed to different cultures and religions. This was never an issue back home as it didn’t matter.

Over the last couple of years I’ve been gaslit by chaplains. Gaslit about what wairua is even though they are not Māori. My mahi has been likened to witchcraft or paganism. I have seen some people genuinely interested in my mahi but then I see the battle in their minds due to their strong beliefs. Like an earlier post, I had someone want my mahi but without the karakia.

I honestly don’t care what faith you are or what beliefs you hold. I can see what type of person you are by your heart, everything else doesn’t matter.

Religion can be a hard space for some of us Māori.

Not because we hate people with faith — but because history sits in the room too.

Churches, priests, chaplains… sometimes they can trigger something deeper. A reminder of the times our culture, language and ways of being were shamed or pushed aside.

I’m learning you can acknowledge that hurt without carrying bitterness forever.

You can honour your tūpuna, stand strong in your own tikanga, and still work through the discomfort at your own pace.

Healing doesn’t always look like becoming comfortable.
I’m just learning how to stay grounded without losing myself in my whakapapa trauma.

❤️

16/05/2026

I try not to get triggered every time I hear the mahi I do referred to as ‘massage’

Honestly I can feel my body temperature rise every time I hear it being said 😂 🤦‍♀️ and then I try not to say something stupid back.

If I hear someone say it more than once, they get clipped around the ears.

Mirimiri and romiromi are not massage. While there may be physical touch involved, it is very different. Rongoā Māori is grounded in wairua, tikanga, whakapapa and intention — not simply muscle relief or relaxation. If you’ve been on my table before you know it’s not relaxing but it’s a relief from a weight lifted.

I saw an ACC registered Rongoā Māori practitioner advertising their services recently as all these different types of massage. I understand people are often trying to make the mahi easier for others to understand, but this can also add to the misunderstanding of what Rongoā truly is.

I say this respectfully, because many of us are working hard to uphold the tikanga and integrity of this mahi. Words matter. How we describe our practices shapes how they are understood, valued and protected going forward.

Mirimiri is not massage. Romiromi is not massage. Rongoā Māori is its own sacred practice. And Romiromi is only a tiny part of what this mahi is all about.

12/05/2026

Someone asked me recently if they could receive mirimiri without karakia because they are Hebrew 🫣 I know nothing about Hebrew.

I was a bit taken back, but I answered honestly and respectfully. This person had witnessed a Romiromi presentation I had done a few days earlier to a large group.

I explained that I don’t offer “just massage.” My mahi is grounded in Rongoā Māori, and taha wairua is the foundation of that work. Karakia is part of how I hold the space, protect the space, and enter the mahi.

Then he says but I have a sore back.

Sorry bruh, I can’t help you but I can refer you to someone else.

Karakia isn’t something I separate or switch off.

I respect everyone’s beliefs and values, but I also have to remain true to my own tikanga and practice. If someone is wanting physical treatment only, I’m always happy to say no and refer on to something more fitting.

10/05/2026

I have missed so much time with my kōtiro over the years.

Presents have never really been our focus these past 15 years. I’ve never been big on Mother’s Day, birthdays, or Christmas. For us, it’s always been about experiences instead — being on the road, exploring, making memories, sharing laughter, kōrero and just being together.

The simple things.
Just us.
And even better I can have a break from the driving now 😂

And for that, I’m grateful every time. The older I get, the more I realise these are the moments that matter most.

I’m blessed you chose me to walk this life with me as your mum ❤️
Wouldn’t trade our memories for anything.

08/05/2026

Sore back for two weeks from being in the city and not slowing down. Still recovering because I haven’t been listening to my own preach or advice 😅

One night home and I already feel more relaxed. My back feels better too. The ngahere, the quiet, being grounded again.

My girl harvested kawakawa for me today 🌿
My little driver, made me lunch and dropped it off, helped set up and pack down clinic, and I came home to homemade cookies.

Grateful for the simple things and the people who care for us when we forget to care for ourselves 🤍