Your Home Birth

Te Whare Tapu Whā

The Māori holistic health model, Te whare tapa whā, was developed by Sir Mason Durie in 1984 and gives a Māori perspective on health and wellbeing. It covers four dimensions of wellbeing and how they are deeply interconnected, and is a great framework to explore different ways to wellbeing and identify aspects of our health where extra support is needed.

Te Whare Tapa Whā is represented by a wharenui/meeting house. Connection with the whenua/land and roots forms the foundation of the wharenui and the four walls of the wharenui each represent a different health dimension that supports wellbeing, for individuals, whānau and communities. Like the walls of the whare, if one of the dimensions is missing or damaged, the entire structure or person will become unbalanced or unwell.

The four dimensions are:

Taha tinana- Physical well-being
Taha hinengaro- Mental and emotional well-being
Taha wairua- Spiritual well-being
Taha whanau- Family and social well-being

Wellbeing can be achieved by balance between the different parts of our lives. Sometimes things happen that impact or challenge a wall or dimension, therefore you can draw on the foundation and other walls until you can strengthen that wall and find balance again. For each of us there are different things we can do to nurture and strengthen the different walls and keep us well. Taking care of your physical health during pregnancy is important for you and pēpi, but to live well, you also need to pay attention to your mental health, spirituality and the strength of your whānau.

Whenua – Connection to the land and environment

Whenua is the place where you stand or your place of belonging – a place where you feel comfortable, safe and able to be yourself. We are linked physically and spiritually to the land – a source of life and nourishment. Whenua includes earth, plants, animals and the people inhabiting the land – tangata whenua. Connection to the land and to nature has been shown to improve mental and physical wellbeing. Your health and wellbeing is strongly connected to the health of the land and the natural environment. Take time to enjoy the small, everyday wonders that exists in nature all around us – the rustling of the wind through the trees, the spring flowers, the sound of birds or the feeling of sand or earth between your toes.

Taha Tinana – Physical Wellbeing

Taha tinana is about your physical wellbeing, it is just one aspect of health and wellbeing and cannot be separated from the others. It is how your body grows, feels and moves and how you care for it. Nourishing and strengthening your physical wellbeing is important for your mental health and helps you to cope with the ups and downs and life. Feeling physically well helps you feel mentally well.

Our tinana goes through ups and downs and that’s okay. Injuries, stress, disability and body image can all affect how we view our tinana and how we look after it. Learning to love your tinana/body, and accepting your own, and other’s differences, is a big part of positive physical wellbeing. Some key things to take care of taha tinana are physical activity, healthy eating, sleep, limiting alcohol and not smoking. You can work together with your whānau members to support one another to quit smoking, go for a walk together, eating healthy meals or going to bed at the same time each night. Start small and encourage each other to keep working at it.

Exploring your way to wellbeing through taha tinana:

To strengthen your taha tinana, consider making a commitment with your whānau, friends or hoamahi (colleagues) to pick one thing you could each do to improve your physical wellbeing.
At the start of the day ask yourself ‘how does my tinana feel today?’ What things can you do if your energy levels are too high or too low, such as star jumps, slow breathing exercises or stretches.
Think about things that make your tinana feel good or strong. It may be getting lots of sleep, stretching, playing a sport, or mindfully breathing.
Research different views of beauty across time periods and between cultures and discuss how physical beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Take time out to do a body scan meditation, there are heaps on YouTube. During a body scan meditation, you’ll focus on the sensations in your body and notice how each body part feels.
Finish the following statement, “my tinana is amazing because ….”. It may be something as simple as “my heart keeps beating”, “it allows me to walk”, “it norishes my pepi” or “it can hug people.”

Taha Hinengaro – Mental & Emotional Wellbeing

Taha hinengaro is your mind, heart, conscience, thoughts and feelings. It’s about how you feel, as well as how you communicate and think. Taking care of your hinengaro is important, regardless of whether or not you’ve experienced mental illness or distress. It means doing things that make you feel good and being able to express your thoughts and feelings in an environment where you feel safe and supported.

Learning how to manage stress also supports taha hinengaro. Stress is your body’s natural reaction to a threat or an excess demand. Some stress is good for you and helps motivate you to get something done. But when you are under too much stress for too long, it affects your taha hinengaro. Learning how to manage stress is a key life skill. When your taha hinengaro is strong, you can better cope with life’s challenges. You can express your feelings and reach out for support from friends, whānau and hoamahi (colleagues) if you need to.

Some lifestyle choices can get in the way of having healthy taha hinengaro. Some choices, such as diet, physical activity and alcohol intake can improve your mood and mental wellbeing, while others can have a negative impact on how you feel. Fortunately, many of these positive lifestyle choices that keep you mentally well also support your taha tinana too.

Exploring your way to wellbeing through taha hinengaro:

Start the day with a mindfulness– based breathing exercise or body–scan meditation.
If you are feeling restless or over–energised, head outside for five minutes and take deep, slow breaths, and listen to the sounds of nature.
Draw or write about your thoughts and feelings in a journal, it may include the people, places and memories that are special to you or a place to write about your worries and fears.
Create a compliments jar and ask whānau to write compliments or notes of aroha to those special to them! It’s a nice idea to read these aloud at the end of the day or week.
Create a gratitude wall– invite your whānau to add photos or write down the things they are grateful for in their lives right now. It’s a nice visual reminder of the things that make us feel good, and it’s cool to read what other people are grateful for too!
Create a wellbeing space– a place where you or anyone can go to relax. It could have beanbags, a weighted blanket, books, mindful colouring books and other sensory experiences.

Taha Wairua – Spiritual Wellbeing

Taha wairua is about the spiritual essence of a person – their mauri. The way people view wairua can be very different. Spirituality can mean different things to different people, for some it’s about religious beliefs, faith, traditions or a spiritual connection to the universe and ancestors. But it can also simply be about the things that bring meaning and purpose to your life.

Taha wairua provides a sense of meaning and purpose as well as experiencing a sense of connectedness to self, whānau/whakapapa, community, culture, nature and the sacred. There is no right or wrong way to think of or experience wairua, but it is an important part of your mental wellbeing. Nourishing our taha wairua is a personal journey, it may include learning to celebrate and reflect on, who and what we are, where we have come from, and where we’re going.

Feeling comfortable in your identity, values and beliefs helps you to feel secure in who you are and what you stand for. When you are content with yourself you are better able to cope with challenges, build strong whānau relationships and discover the things that uplift you.

Exploring your way to wellbeing through taha wairua:

Learn a waiata and karakia that you can open and close the day with.
Start and end the day with some mindful breathing. There are plenty of short exercises on YouTube. You can use this in times of stress too.
Go on a nature walk –be as quiet as possible and listen to the sounds of the natural environment – the birds singing, leaves rustling, clouds moving.
Have an exhibition where people contribute something that represents what wairua means for them. It may be something they create such as an artwork, a piece of music or just an object that symbolises wairua.
Spend time reflecting, individually and as a whānau. Think about the things you have achieved, the things you’re proud of, the challenges you’ve overcome and the things you hope to achieve in the short and long term.
Think about who you look up to and admire the most and why. What qualities do you like about that person and what can you learn from them?

Taha Whānau – Family & Social Wellbeing

Taha whānau is about extended relationships – it’s not just your immediate relatives. It is about who makes you feel like you belong, who you care about and who you share your life with. It’s your friends, hoamahi (colleagues), community and the people you care about. Everyone has a place and a role to fulfil within their whānau, and your whānau contributes to your wellbeing and identity.

Spending time with whānau, getting involved and doing things for them, gives you a feeling of purpose, connection and wellbeing. Whānau plays a central role in wellbeing, not only does it benefit you, it strengthens your whole whānau. It is a core source of strength, support, security and identity.

Exploring your way to wellbeing through taha whānau:

As a whānau, brainstorm qualities or things that are special about your whānau. From this, create your whānau values – how do you for one another, uplift one another and challenge each other to be the best they can?
Display your whānau values somewhere in your whare/workplace and get everyone to sign it.
Display photos of the people who are important to you, so you can see the familiar faces that can not be with you everyday.
If someone in your whānau is going through a tough time, rally together to prepare kai, or offer any other tautoko/support needed.