Date: October 27th 2006

27 Oct 2006

Kia Ora Koutou Katoa

Mihi mahana me arohanui ki a koutou katoa. This month we will be introducing you to two more Maori Tohunga, one from Waipiro Bay - East Coast and the other from Tamaki Makaurau. We farewelled our beloved Papa Delamere last month to Hawaiki nui Hawaiki roa, Hawaiki Pamaomao. Papa was our respected master, teacher, friend and father figure. Hot lazy sunny days are on the way - down by the waterside with the smell of barbecued meat, unforbidden fruits, salads, fresh bread and cheese with a smooth glass of merlot or a cool chardonnay. Yumm. Mind you, nearly time to slim down again to get into those yellow polka-dot bikinis wahine ma! There is some rongoa we can look at this time to help redistribute the hinu ataahua x (beauuutiful fat). There is a Maori & Birthing wananga on in Waitakere and the Womens Refuge had another national conference in Napier. Rob McGowan is doing Rongoa Wananga in Tauranga next year. For those of you who are Tauira and have nearly finished all the assignments for the year; Ka Pai U. 'Whaia te iti kahurangi. Ki te tuohu koe me he maunga teitei.'

Tom Maraki, a Tohunga from Waipiro Bay, will be working with Charlotte next week in Hastings. They will only be working there for two days -- 2nd November and 3rd November. People have been known to come and see Tom by the busload. His reputation for knowledge in Rongoa, mental health services and clearing with the wairua tapu precedes him. Tom has been able to facilitate the restoring of organs, heal cancer, eliminate pain from stroke victims and the list goes on and on. Click on the following link for more information about his mahi: http://www.aiohealing.com/AIO/Who_We_Are/Tom/
For an appointment you can phone the Awhina Whanau Services office 06 878 4827 and leave a message and someone will return your call or email anihana@clear.net.nz

Terence Muru is a young Maori Tohunga who has travelled all over the world as a teenager doing healing with his mother, Atarangi Muru. He is only 25 years of age, born in Auckland and has Maori, Scottish, Rarotongan and Tahitian descent. Terence traveled internationally with Papa Delamere since he was 20 years old. These experiences helped to shape and influence Terence so that he emanates the rare qualities of a healing master. Terence has some great techniques and he uses them well which in turn brings out his innate wisdoms. Although he doesn't say much, his knowing is huge and this he passes on to his 3 year old son. It is with much respect that we see Terence as a wise old koroua trapped in a young persons body. His gentle manner shows that he is a deeply spiritual being and he is a wonderful role model for our young people. Click here to see the trailer that Terence co-produced over in the state s of traditional Maori Healing. Tena Koe Rangatira. Charlotte will be working with Terence and Atarangi Muru in northern California for the month of November so if you have whanau over there who need some healing mahi done, check the itinary and contact details on the Events Calendar on our website for appointments.

Papa Delamere's tangi at Whitianga brought people coming to farewell him from all over the world. It was lovely to see all the tauira we studied with again and to feast our eyes on the loving worn faces of the Aunty and Uncle who are the pou of that marae. I remember very clearly the kuia bringing tears to our eyes when singing the Maori Batallion song on one of our wananga there. In memory to you Papa, we acknowledge your amazing mana and the teachings of IO that you were so determined for us to learn. All you asked in return was that we share these taonga with those who wished to learn and so it is. Moe mai. Moe roa e Pa.

There is a great NZ magazine out in the supermarkets called 'Healthy Food.' There are heaps of articles in there about eating well while COSTING YOU LESS. Fabulous reading and the recipes are so simple and economical with the ingenious flair of a chef. There are lots of facts in there that I didn't know too, like how the list of ingredients start with the largest ingredient in the product. Take Nutella for example, where sugar is listed first instead of hazel nuts. One would imagine that the nuts would be the main ingredient but no, sugar is. The hazel nuts are just a flavour, unlike peanut butter where the main ingredient is peanuts with no sugar content at all. Which one is better for you?

Did you know that there are less calories in red wine than white wine? White wine is approx 200 calories for a 250ml glass whereas red wine is about 180 calories. It is also said that a little red wine is better for the heart. Drinking beer is the lowest calorie drink of all x 100 calories for a 300ml can. Easy on the chips and peanuts though aye?

How are we going with the drinking of 2 litres of water whanau? You certainly can pick out the health conscious people who are learning to nurture their bodies at a hui aye; they opt for a drink of hot water instead of a string of coffees all day. Wouldn't you know that one cup of coffee can kill all your vitamins for the day! All part and parcel of loving the self plus you can lose weight from drinking water. It helps your metabolism, your digestion system and helps shift the waste products out of the body.

Patete is the plant that is used to fight fat. It is a safe, natural way to lose weight. Click on this link to see more info: http://pharmacy.otago.ac.nz/rongoa/pages/patete.htm
Make sure you pick the older leaves though not the younger ones. The older ones are more concentrated. Just wash lightly then boil up for 15 mins and drink the fluid each day. Patete concentrate should last in the fridge for up to two weeks. Keep an eye on whether it goes cloudy or not as this means it is time to throw out. Remember to karakia when you pick it or make it.

Herbal body wraps are another means of losing inches. The powder mixture is made up of seaweed and herbs which is then boiled up. You apply wet cloth wraps and then cover tightly with glad wrap. This acts like a sauna and is called sculpting. Because toxins and poisons sit in the fat cells of the body, when you sculpt the body with herbal body wraps, the toxins are drawn out through the pores of the skin which causes an inch loss. It was not originally intended for this, rather, they were used to cleanse the body of impurities and thereafter feed the body naturally with seaweed and herbs but then women discovered that they had lost inches in their breasts. Some women just do their stomachs and thighs. If you sculpt the body all over then you will have exactly the same shaped body but smaller. One container makes up 3 x 4 litres and can be stored indefinitely in the freezer. For more information click here and then click on the 'Products' link.

The Maori & Birthing Wananga is run by Te Ahuru Mowai Whanau Education Programmes. They will be celebrating Te Wharetangata & Homebirth Week. There is no cost to attend this wananga. Click here for more information and contact details: http://www.aiohealing.com/Events/Events/Maori_and_Birthing_Wananga/

There was great mahi happening at the Womens Refuge National Conference hosted in Napier this month. Wonderful to meet so many kuia and wahine who have mastered the life time journey of self healing, preservation and balance. How often it is that the healers of the hapu are the kuia and women but then 'Who Heals the Healer.' The awareness of self-care here was exemplary and together with good communication, ongoing support, compassion and the ability to celebrate human differences without judgment, enable these women to move forward as one. Tena Koutou Rangatira Wahine. Wonderful role modelling for our women!

Rob McGowan is a pakeha minister who was taught the Rongoa from kuia in Whanganui. He can korero Maori fluently and has been doing a series of Rongoa Wananga in Tauranga. Rongoa 1 and Rongoa 2 take you right out in to the bush to identify the many plants and their uses. Good exercise but good to sit down too! You need to get some good tramping footwear for the bush whanau. When I saw the price of them, $300 - $400, I nearly fell over. I just wanted to walk in the bush not on the moon? Anyway, another option is going to Farmlands where they have bush walking boots that are made from gumboots material and they were $120. Good investment and much safer than sliding in the mud on cliffs. Maori Television were out filming Pa Rob in the bush so that our people would be able to learn this taonga and these shots will be shown on Kai Muru -- the gardening program on Sunday afternoons. Otherwise, if you're able, the next series of Rongoa wananga is January and you will need to contact Karen Tindall through the Waikato University Community Education programmes to book in. Places fill up fast though so kia tere.

Hei korero roa whakamutunga maku ko tenei. Nga mihi nui ki a tatau katoa. Ma IO Matua Kore tatau e tiaki e manaaki i enei ra.

Noho ora mai
Charlotte Mildon

http://www.aiohealing.com/