Wahine-Toa Three Hearts Hauora Workshop

Venue : RAVE-Rotorua Community Arts Village
Facilitators: Wiki Oman, Lily Eden

Sponsored by Rotorua Creative Communities
Date: 16-17 February, 2013

Wahine-Toa Three Hearts Hauora Workshop was the first holistic wellbeing workshop offered for teenage girls in Rotorua initiated by Wikitoria Māori Healing.

With a small group of young Rotorua women aged between twelve and seventeen we were able to work with each individual to suit their particular needs, address their personal issues and also work holistically as a collective.

Our program incorporated discussion, excercises, improvisations and sharing of empowerment tools under the umbrella of Rongoa-traditional Māori healing “you are your own medicine”.

Using the three hearts as our foundation (based on the three baskets of knowledge), the Pumanawa (emotions), Manawa (heart,body) and Whatumanawa (spiritual essence), our rangatahi (youth) learnt about their bodies, the rights of passage (shifting from girl to young woman), and the sacredness and uniqueness in being female.

We explored Pumanawa-emotional blocks, communication, negative thought patterns and ways to release them to enable a shift into more positive ways of living and thinking.

Learning about our intrinsic spiritual natures (Whatumanawa) gave our young women a sense of connection and belonging. A strengthening of mauri (life essence) throughout the workshop gave each individual an understanding of their mind, body, soul connection and the importance of having an open heart (Manawa) and tools for protection.

Highest values and future goals were written down and read out to the group affirming that they are now Wahine-toa (strong women)who can manifest their dreams and passions and lead an inspiring, joyful and healthy life impacting positively on themselves, friends, whanau, hapu and iwi in service to humanity.

The workshop was indeed a creative celebration of young Rotorua women and potential future leaders in our community.

Daily affirmations were given out at the poroporoaki (farewell ) with a blessing at Soda Waitangi Springs and Lake Rotoiti.

Lily and myself and the young women are extremely grateful to Rotorua Creative Communities who enabled this project to happen.

Nga mihi nui, nga mihi aroha hoki. This project has changed the lives of seven young Rotorua women and future generations of those who will descend from them.

Tihei mauri ora!

Wikitoria

Workshop Testimonials

Mikayla Collier-Hurihanganui Wikitoria Māori Healing
I need to give a big thanks to Aunty Wikitoria Oman and Aunty Lily Eden, for giving me beautiful advice about thinking positive and the essence of life. I am very greatful and appreciative of all the lessons you awesome wahine have taught me! Especially about visualizing positive things I want to accomplish in life and having an amazing future!!! Learning about the spiritual side was really incredible, also knowing that my tupuna are always around me and keeping me safe. I’ve learnt a lot about being a positive person and STOP thinking negative things about others’. These lessons has helped me very much and I really can’t wait until the next workshop next year 🙂 Love yous!

Tenā korua mo te whakatuwhera i tenei mea Wikitoria Māori Healing. He Mihi Whakahirahira tenei kia korua.Kua tini taku tirohanga ki te ao hurihuri kua tini oku whakaaro,kua piki toku waiaro ki toku Aunty. He ( positive) ake ahau inaianei.Kei te muruhia me te ware ware i nga mea (negative). I am a beautiful young Wahine thank you for showing me the right path in to life and to change my life God Bless You All.xxxx
Te Rina

Feedback from mother of Te Rina
Tenā koe Wiki,
Yes that was from Rina I have just read it now!!! so I’m not sure exactly what she was saying, but I would like to say a huge THANK-YOU to you and your friend Lily I know you have had an enormous effect on my girl and maybe just saved the both of us.
To leave a footprint like that I can never say thank-you enough so please let us know if you will do a follow up as I know she would love to come with out any encouragement from me
much aroha to you both
Trace

Ok well to start of I really loved that most of the people there i already knew so that’s a first . Secondly I loved it because I felt happy and joyful for most of the time . Thirdly it was lovely to see positive and happy stuff that I didn’t really notice before.
Ok that’s what I felt now what I have learnt, I learned that if you think positive , positive things will happen to you, also if you forgive someone you will feel wayyyyy better afterwards and if you dream and believe it will happen :))
Anahera