Mirimiri – My Taonga Tuku Iho

My connection to traditional Māori healing practices began long before I understood what they meant.

Growing up, tohunga were sometimes called upon by whānau during times of sickness, particularly when there were things happening within the wairua. Karakia was woven into our earlier lives and was an important part of whānau gatherings and significant occasions, including tangihanga, haerenga, and the blessing of kai, whare and other spaces.

One of my earliest personal experiences of traditional healing happened as a child.

I had warts covering my leg and had seen specialists and tried numerous treatments, but nothing seemed to work. My godfather, Uncle Johnny, suggested I go into the garden and gather some pūhā. He showed me how to snap the stalk and apply the sap to the warts. They eventually disappeared and never returned.

That memory has stayed with me. It was one of my early experiences of the knowledge held within our natural environment and the traditional practices passed down through generations.

In 1988, while living in Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington), I discovered massage. I began having regular treatments as part of my own personal hauora and eventually undertook my first massage training.

It felt incredibly natural, almost as though I was remembering something rather than learning something new. There was an innate feeling of knowing, connection and familiarity in the mahi.

Over time, my understanding of this connection has deepened. I have come to recognise mirimiri as my taonga tuku iho – a gift handed down through my tūpuna.

Although I was adopted from birth, an unexpected discovery further strengthened this sense of connection. I later discovered that my biological half-brother, who shares the same father, also practises mirimiri.

For me, this was a profound discovery. It reinforced a feeling that this connection runs deep – that mirimiri is somehow woven into my whakapapa, my toto and my being.

Today, I see my mahi as more than massage or bodywork. It is about honouring the knowledge, traditions and healing practices that have been passed down through generations, while continuing to develop my own relationship with rongoā Māori and mirimiri.

Mirimiri is not simply something I do. It is part of who I am, my journey, and the taonga I carry forward.