02/09/2026
Tīhei Mauri Ora – Te Whare Hinatore Auckland City Mission
Week 6 Review – Maramataka
This week at Te Whare Hinatore, our Tīhei Mauri Ora wāhine participated in a powerful Maramataka wānanga facilitated by Matilda Kahotea
The purpose of today's workshop was not for our wāhine to memorise every phase or ingoa within the Maramataka. Instead, Matilda introduced Maramataka as another tool for their kete ancient mātauranga handed down through generations that can help our wāhine better understand the conditions around them and, importantly, what may be happening within themselves.
One of the strongest messages throughout the wānanga was:
Maramataka doesn't tell us what to do. It helps us understand what kind of day we're in. We are still responsible for how we choose to move within that day.
Matilda introduced four simple anchors to help the wāhine begin recognising different energies within the Maramataka:
Whiro – Low
Ngā Tamatea – Unsettled
Ngā Tangaroa – Flow
Ōturu, Rākaunui and Rākau-matohi – High
The wāhine explored how our tūpuna observed the marama, wai, tides, whenua, taiao, kai and changing conditions over generations. Rather than viewing days as simply “good” or “bad”, the wāhine were encouraged to ask:
What kind of day is this? What do I need to be mindful of? How am I going to move within it?
From there, Matilda brought the Maramataka directly into the lived experiences of our wāhine.
She connected the changing conditions of the Maramataka with trauma, addiction, survival responses and recovery. We explored Kōpou te Mauri and what it can look like when trauma and addiction have depleted our tinana, hinengaro, wairua, relationships and ability to regulate ourselves.
A particularly powerful kōrero was around how addiction can train us to give the same response to many different conditions feeling low, use; unsettled, use; angry, use; lonely, use; celebrating, use.
Trauma can create similar patterns where different situations activate the same survival response: fight, run, shut down, react or push people away.
Matilda reminded our wāhine:
Not every low has the same answer.
Not every unsettled moment needs action.
Not every high needs to be chased.
Not everything we feel requires an immediate response.
The wāhine then participated in a practical exercise demonstrating how the same words and same situation can produce completely different outcomes depending on the state of our mauri.
When we are exhausted, hungry, carrying yesterday's mamae and already running on empty, something small can quickly become something much bigger. When our mauri is replenished and we are rested, fed, connected and settled, we may have more space to think before responding.
This led beautifully into Whakahoki te Mauri beginning to restore what has been depleted.
Recovery was described not as one huge transformation that happens overnight, but through small movements, little choices, little moments and slowly learning ourselves again.
Our wāhine were left with three simple strategies they can carry beyond the programme:
READ THE DAY
What kind of conditions am I walking into?
WHAKAHOKI TE MAURI
What does my mauri need from me today?
THEN MOVE
Knowing these things, how am I going to choose to move today?
On a low day, that may mean rest, kai, wai, keeping things simple and staying connected to a safe person.
On an unsettled day, it may mean creating space between what we feel and what we do putting the phone down, settling ourselves and avoiding major decisions while we are wound up.
During flow, it may mean using that energy to complete mahi, make appointments, sort paperwork, clean our whare or take positive steps towards where we are trying to go.
And during a high, our wāhine were reminded of something equally important:
In recovery, you are allowed to enjoy yourself.
Use the energy, enjoy the moment and embrace the kaha that is present but don't use up your mauri while doing it.
Today's wānanga was much more than learning about the phases of the marama. It gave our wāhine a culturally grounded and practical way of understanding themselves.
We cannot control every trigger, every person, every conversation or everything that happens in our day. But we can begin learning to recognise what is happening around us, recognise what is happening within us, look after our mauri, and then make a conscious decision about how we move.
Read the day.
Whakahoki te Mauri.
Then move.
Another beautiful and meaningful day with our wāhine at Te Whare Hinatore, strengthening their kete with mātauranga that they can carry with them well beyond our time together.
Tīhei Mauri Ora.
