May 15, 2019

By the Light of the Moon: Second Maramataka Workshop held in West Auckland

Last week, Healthy Families Waitākere co-hosted the second Maramataka workshop alongside partners Hāpai Te Hauora, Toi Tangata and Te Whānau o Waipareira. The workshop was designed to identify opportunities to bring the traditional health and wellbeing practice into everyday life in West Auckland.

It follows on from a successful introductory workshop held last month which saw over 25 participants learn the fundamentals of Maramataka. Also referred to as the Māori lunar calendar, Maramataka provides a traditional system of understanding natural cycles and energy patterns.

Healthy Families Waitakere Māori Systems Innovator, Vikki Ham, says the aim of these workshops is to reinvigorate the use of this traditional Māori practice.

“Maramataka is about reconnecting with the environment where we live, learn, work and play. To take advantage of the every day environmental signs that we are exposed to and support our health and wellbeing,” she says.