Te Rongomau: A Journey Back to Balance
Te Rongomau - Poua ki te Ao Mārama isn’t just a programme steeped in Te Ao Māori, it represents a personal invitation into Te Ao Rongoā – guiding whānau to undertake a personal journey of reconnection through traditional wellbeing. Grounded in Māori healing knowledge, skills, and practices, the initiative is helping to reinvigorate health and vitality in the Kāpiti region.
Delivered through a partnership between Ātiawa ki Whakarongotai Charitable Trust and Te Whare Rongo of Mokopuna Solutions Ltd., Te Rongomau is a weekly wānanga series, sought to encourage a personal commitment to nurturing holistic individual and whanau wellbeing.
As a Matanga Rongoā, lead practitioner and programme developer, Sharlene Maoate-Davis describes it – “this is a beautiful, comfortable partnership…forged by kaupapa and sought to benefit our people living here on the Coast”. The programme reflects a shared vision grounded in Ātiawa kawa and tikanga and is kindled by community spirit.
At its heart, Te Rongomau is about returning to balance. The programme centres on the concept of Poua ki Te Ao Mārama – being grounded while contributing positively to the world around us. Participants are supported to reconnect with the marae and taiao, strengthen identity, and develop practices that sustain physical, spiritual, mental, emotional, and social wellbeing.
Sharlene explains that this journey is a deeply personal experience, tailored for whānau who may be at different life stages. The programme is offered at an entry level experience that is open to all and available to whānau new to rongoā.
“Wherever they are at, they start their journey from there,” Sharlene explains.
Through this approach, participants are empowered not as recipients of care, but as active agents in their own healing. From the outset, Sharlene says; “We made the programme’s intentions clear that it was not about providing clinical models or services for treatment. In fact it aims to harness the participants’ own knowledge and power to heal themselves through whakapapa.”
Sharlene brings a distinct perspective to Te Rongomau, as it is shaped by her own lineage to the Ā.R.T Confederation and with over 20 years experience in Rongoā and Hauora Māori.
“There is a Taranaki lens applied in terms of our Atua Rongo, who governs our Rongoā practice. When we understand that Rongo resides within each and every one of us with a whakapapa Māori, this provides the pathway to easily return to balance, equilibrium and the possibility of a peaceful life existence,” she says.
Two levels of the programme are offered. Te Rongo ā Whare, focuses on internal transformation, helping participants reconnect with themselves while beginning their healing journey. The second series, Te Rongo ā Marae, takes learning into te taiao - the natural world. Learning is taken within the healing domains of Hine Moana or Hina Waitukukiri or Papatūānuku.
Moving through a structured but meaningful experience over four weeks, participants engage in wānanga that encourage reflection and journaling through the maramataka. They develop awareness of their environment and their own wellbeing, while fostering practices aimed at encouraging lasting habits, embedding rongoā into everyday life.
“When you return to a place of equilibrium often enough it becomes the norm. We encourage the normalisation of Rongoā practices that promote wellbeing on the daily – for example, by including a daily ritual, Rongoā becomes a constant and it has been evident in the programme how much of a huge difference this is making especially becoming aware to turn up for themselves and their whanau,” Sharlene explains.
A distinguishing feature of Te Rongomau is its emphasis on measurable transformation. Sharlene notes that the way the programme was designed helped track progress - progressing to the second wānanga required a level of understanding from the first, thereby giving the ability to monitor and measure progress and the impact via individual transformation.
“Conducting the wānanga in this staged manner allowed us to follow alongside participants… who were only too happy to share their progress. The integration of rongoā over time is critical - mapping progression from the wairua, hinengaro, ngākau and tinana” Sharlene says.
Delivered from Whakarongotai marae and out in places of iwi significance, the programme strengthens cultural identity and belonging, uplifting mana, mauri, and wairua while enabling whānau to confidently participate in Te Ao Māori. In doing so, Te Rongomau has contributed to wider Whānau Ora outcomes, including making healthy lifestyle choices and taking responsible stewardship of the environment.
While the programme continues to grow, there are opportunities to expand its reach. Sharlene notes that engagement from tāne has been limited so far, but efforts are underway to create ways to encourage greater participation.
Ultimately, Te Rongomau is not just about wellbeing – it is about transformation. It equips participants with the tools, knowledge, and confidence to walk their own path, grounded in Te Ao Rongoā. As Sharlene puts it, “you are being like your maunga – steadfast, strong and resilient. This is what it is to be a pou within your whanau.”
Through this kaupapa, participants are encouraged to create the ripple effect that strengthens their whanau for generations to come.