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Anahera McGregor

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Used with permission from Anahera McGregor

In pursuit of ora

Posted on September 23, 2020 by Anahera McGregor
Used with permission from Anahera McGregor
Used with permission from Anahera McGregor

This blog is about my approach to life, wellbeing, and ora. What I share is my personal understanding, and the understanding of those who have shared knowledge with me. Some information comes from the study of Māori health at university. The blog is designed as a taster, hopefully highlighting aspects of ora for you to consider for yourself and those around you. 

ora

  1. (verb) to be alive, well, safe, cured, recovered, healthy, fit, healed.

 

Ora means to be alive and to be well. We all want to feel a state of ora for ourselves and for those around us. It’s something that we strive for. But ora can be elusive. Some days when we wake up we are in a natural state of ora. On other days we can’t see a glimpse of it. Life can be hard, sometimes dark. We are alive but we aren’t always well.

The pursuit of ora is very real in my own world. Family members live with schizophrenia and bi-polar disorder. I have a cheery and positive disposition and I also experience anxiety. I live the whole spectrum of wellness in a very real way.

When I’m not feeling well I have to push through and take actions that will help me back to a state of ora. I take a holistic approach using strategies to support myself physically, mentally and spiritually. I carry out deliberate acts that I know will shift my energy.

When I’m pursuing ora I often draw from te ao Māori (the Māori worldview). Te Whare Tapa Whā is a Māori model of health developed by Sir Mason Durie that focuses on four dimensions of wellbeing:

Image by CORE Education, all rights reserved.
Image by CORE Education, all rights reserved.
  • taha tinana (physical wellbeing)
  • taha hinengaro (mental wellbeing)
  • taha wairua (spiritual wellbeing)
  • taha whānau (family wellbeing).

A wharenui is used to illustrate Te Whare Tapa Whā with each side, or cornerstone, of the wharenui representing a wellbeing dimension. If one of the four dimensions is missing or damaged, a person may become ‘unbalanced’ and subsequently unwell.

I use Te Whare Tapa Whā as a gauge for my own wellbeing; to reflect on my waiora (health, soundness). I view each wellbeing dimension as a kete that needs to be filled. If I feel low, flat, or unwell then I look to my four kete to see which of them needs replenishing. Over the years I have identified things that I can do to top up each kete.

Taha tinana, physical wellbeing

I’m unfit and overweight which sometimes takes a toll on my physical wellbeing.

Walking is something that I do to gain a sense of physical strength and wellness. Walking is especially helpful when I’m stressed and busy, or after a big meeting. It empowers me and at the same time it grounds me. I don’t know if it is a spiritual or chemical thing, but something really shifts in me after a walk.

 

Taha hinengaro, mental wellbeing

Our beings are filled with the demands of work and whānau which can sometimes be overwhelming.

I love my job but it can sometimes consume me and take a toll on my mental wellbeing. There are moments when it feels like my ora is getting chomped down by Pac-Man. When I feel like this I need to deliberately switch off and activate some taha hinengaro boundaries.

  • If I have too many back to back meetings then I calendar in a half hour break. I make that an important part of my working day.
  • When I feel like my mind is overloaded with mahi I give myself permission to switch off for a little while. I put my work away and have a break.
  • At night I consciously deactivate and rest my work brain so that I am ready to go again in the morning.

It’s all about scheduling and making time for wellness.

Caring for our hinengaro is especially important for our tumuaki and kaiako who carry an enormous workload in schools, kura and centres throughout Aotearoa.

 

Taha wairua, spiritual wellbeing

harakeke
Used with permission from Anahera McGregor

I boost my taha wairua in a range of ways.

  • I get out in nature.
  • I weave if I find time. Touching harakeke makes my wairua feel ora.
  • I listen to music and taonga pūoro (traditional musical instruments). I also sing mōteatea (a centuries-old tradition of chanted song-poetry) which connects me with the depth of my culture.
  • I love podcasts and listening to them are part of my Saturday morning routine and a great way to transition from a busy week.
  • I take time to pause and participate mindfully in karakia.

These acts draw me to a special place. They shift my energy and bring solace and comfort.

 

Taha whānau, family wellbeing

My waiora is impacted by the health of my whānau. I can do all these things to lead me to a state of ora but I can’t escape the ‘mum thing’ where I think about the ora of others.

I struggle when my kids and loved ones are struggling. My best heightened sense of whānau ora is when those I love are in a state of ora.

COVID-19 has brought added pressures to whānau. Pursuing ora has become more challenging for us all because some of our usual coping strategies are not readily available. But there are silver linings. My whānau has dug deep and found other ways to feel good.

  • We have pursued spaces that are good and healthy to shift the energy.
  • We have also taken time to practice gratitude and acknowledge how blessed we are.

 

Sometimes the pursuit of ora is hard. There are moments when I sit for a while in the uncomfortable space of not feeling mentally, physically, or emotionally well. But I have learned that it passes. The small actions that I can take to fill my four wellbeing kete bring me hope, peace, and calm. I know that I will eventually return to a state of ora if I hang in there.

My pursuit of ora is unique to me. What fills my kete might not fill yours. I encourage you to reflect on the wellbeing dimensions of Te Whare Tapu Whā and consider what actions you can take that will fill your kete and lead you to a state of ora.

References

Durie, M., 2017. Māori Health Models – Te Whare Tapa Whā. [online] Ministry of Health. Available at: <https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/populations/maori-health/maori-health-models/maori-health-models-te-whare-tapa-wha> [Accessed 22 September 2020].

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te tiriti o waitangi articles

Article 2 and Te Reo Māori

Posted on February 1, 2018 by Anahera McGregor

treaty talks: te tiriti o waitangi

Writing a blog is an opportunity to share musings, and also to reflect on how you feel and understand a topic at a certain time and place.

Two years ago I shared my reflections on te reo Māori and Te Tiriti o Waitangi in the following blog. As I read through it again, I looked for shifts in my thinking, and also did a sense test about the kaupapa in wider society two years on. I thought about the space between rangatiratanga and kāwanatanga – when to speak up and when to just comfortably ‘be’, where critique doesn’t matter, and where deep conviction is the only motivator for an innate desire to honour te reo Māori.

We contribute to reo Māori revitalisation because we care. We speak because it calls us to speak. Our contributions, whether this means improving our pronunciation, gaining fluency, or just the small steps we make towards using te reo Māori every day, will lead to the outcome of honouring Article 2 of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. I remain optimistic! I will do my part and encourage others to do theirs. As you read, please take the time to think about what contributions you might be able to make towards honouring te reo Māori through a Tiriti lens. If you’ve been on a reo learning plateau, take one more step this year. If you’re just beginning, we are cheering you on! Kia ora te reo Māori. – Anahera, February 2020.

As Waitangi day commemorations draw closer, it is an ideal time to reflect on what this day may mean to us. For me, it is an ideal opportunity to bring important issues such as culture, identity, and language to the forefront. In our special edition Waitangi week blog series, we share with you a wide range of perspectives on Treaty related topics. As the first blog in this series, I explore the kaupapa of te reo Māori in our society. So, that begs the question — He taonga rānei te reo Māori? Is te reo Māori indeed a treasure?

Treaty of Waitangi articles

At the very heart of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, Article 2, we see mention of the word ‘taonga’. In the reo Māori version of the Treaty, the chiefs were confirmed and guaranteed the exercise of the chieftainship, or tino rangatiratanga over their lands, villages, and ‘taonga katoa’ — all treasured things. The crown also stated in the Treaty that there was to be exclusive and undisturbed possession of these treasures. Te reo Māori has, however, been disturbed drastically. On Waitangi Day this year, we remain in a state of fierce reclamation of our language. We continue to fight for this precious taonga that wasn’t duly protected and confirmed as intended under te Tiriti.

Te reo Māori is part of my absolute being. It flows like blood through my veins, it is in my spirit, it is in my soul. It is like oxygen, it heals, it makes my heart sing. It unites me with my tūpuna and, if I nurture it, it will connect me with my mokopuna. My reo is a huge part of my identity, possibly because I had to learn how to “be Māori”. Connection with te ao Māori was not a part of my upbringing. I started at the beginning and one step at a time have learned to walk and talk in the language and ways of my ancestors. It hasn’t always been easy, and, as I went through the stages of cultural reclamation, I learnt that attitudes towards te reo Māori are hugely diverse. I saw this diversity in my own family, my friends, and in fact everyone I interacted with.

In order to uncover the plethora of reasons why te reo Māori may or may not be embraced widely throughout our society, we need to dig deep into the ways in which the human heart responds to things Māori in general. Negativity towards te ao Māori is often felt, seen, and heard. This negativity is at times fueled by myth, media, intergenerational perspectives, or even perhaps from a space of divine, blissful ignorance. It often starts with the phrase, “I’m not racist, but….”. At the far end of the negativity scale, we see complaints received when a child is taught te reo Māori in the classroom or when parents fume because their children came home singing a Māori song. On a less explicit front, it is also felt when no attempt whatsoever is made to correctly pronounce Māori words. It is felt in the unseen, where monoculture is ever present.

As negativity continues to flourish, so does a cohort of society that is very pro-Māori. We see this in the uptake of those engaged in learning te reo Māori, in those who are committed to correct pronunciation, and those that encourage the use of reo in their everyday lives. There are also those that engage in kaupapa Māori, those that have relationships with Māori, and those that attend events in Māori settings such as marae. To all those that are taking any step, big or small, towards learning and using te reo Māori, thank you!

Of all the perspectives and attitudes towards te reo Māori, of particular interest is the notion of fear when faced with the idea of engaging with te ao Māori. Is this a fear of the unknown, fear of reprimand, fear of offending, or just fear of getting it wrong? When you learn te reo Māori you will and do get it wrong. It is like learning anything new — it is very difficult to master without practice. The only way through is through, and as with all the other learning challenges that life presents, te reo Māori is no exception to the rule. Sometimes fear may be a barrier — that, if we are honest, may actually be a handy excuse for not engaging in things that make us feel a bit uncomfortable.

If we were to exchange the word Māori, let’s say, for “maths”, what feelings does that invoke? Here are a few examples:

  • “I don’t teach maths because I’m scared I’ll get it wrong”,
  • “We only have 10% of children here who are interested in maths so we don’t really do very much”, or,
  • “We do maths, for a week during our Matariki celebrations”.

Without a doubt, maths is an incredibly important life-long skill. How incredible could it also be to place importance on learning te reo Māori to transform not just one’s education, but to transform the very land that we live in. This is not meant to be a criticism for the sake of identifying things I don’t agree with, but it is a fight, it is advocacy, it is a plea — if our children are indeed the future, our conscious choices to do what is right for them and our society — to be free of racism, injustice, and inequity truly matters. And then there is the argument for correct pronunciation.

A focus on correct pronunciation may be painful or annoying to some. It may feel like a criticism, but imagine if everyone believed that 1 + 1 = 3. Some things are simply wrong. Like mispronunciation of te reo Māori. The language, then, just gets put into the old “too hard” basket. Or, is it even that pride may also play a part in our attitudes towards te reo Māori? I am not intending to come across as self-righteous; I am full of fault and my shortcomings are numerous. I am also full of love for, and despair over the current state of te reo Māori in our society. Advocacy for correct pronunciation is imperative, and even more so because the issue is never the issue. Underneath all the layers of mispronunciation is possibly a simple reason. It is this — ‘I actually don’t care’. I do not believe it is too hard. I do not believe it can’t be learnt. It is a conscious choice that each and every one of us makes every time we need to use a Māori word — will I attempt to say this or not? It is not about ability, but a decision made deep in the human heart.

Although discounted by many, I believe te reo Māori is currently in a state of vibrant recovery. Mainstream New Zealanders are turning towards our language now more than ever before in our history. The powerful model we see in Te Tiriti o Waitangi is one way we could actually work together to protect our taonga. I no longer see the Treaty as an object of negativity as I once did in my fiery youth. It now fills me with hope about a future filled with potential to restore te reo Māori as a taonga. Whenever I read the words of Article 2 they speak to me, reminding me of a time when we believed that language was a taonga. For the sake of a better future, let’s start today. A new word, committing to learning better pronunciation, an attitude shift or fulfilling your dream of fluency. Kia kaha rā ki a tātou katoa. He taonga te reo.

treaty talks: te tiriti o waitangi

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kia-pai-mai-feature

Kia pai mai

Posted on September 28, 2016 by Anahera McGregor

kia pai mai
I have finally caught my breath. It has been a particularly busy time for us of late as we put ourselves forward to become accredited facilitators. I was tempted to decline the offer to the write this blog, but it really was a welcomed distraction. If anyone is a journal writer, they will understand the solace of putting words to paper — somehow it alleviates the stresses of life. I have pondered about a potential theme to engage you all — some radically inspiring, deep and meaningful, innovative, next-level guru post — but maybe ‘simple’ does it best. Perhaps something light might bring a smile to your face in the busyness of your work life too.

“He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tangata, he tangata, he tangata” is a well-known adage. It has become so common, it’s almost a cliché. It does, however, make me think. If people are indeed the most important thing in this world, is this manifested in my life? In our lives as facilitators and educators? To what extent do we truly honour those we work with? Perhaps we have slipped into a default mode of going through the motions of our ‘work’ — meeting criteria; educating; and trying to inspire others because it is our job. A wise man once said, (well actually he was my husband), “People before programme”. I often get hōhā with him talking for ages with everyone he knows down the street. He takes the time to have quality conversations with everyone he knows, regardless of where he really should be — like picking me up from the supermarket! I am once again confronted by this concept of ‘tangata’ being the most important thing in this world. People before programme.

Hubby’s manaakitanga of others is not contextualised. He is always consistently caring for others. He has an acute awareness of the power of positivity, and he shines. I don’t want to bore you with stories about the love of my life, but I have learnt a valuable life lesson from him that is worthy of sharing. In all we do, we really can make others feel good. We can show them they are valued. From every person who gets on your nerves, to someone you actually do like, taking a few minutes to engage with them authentically can make a difference to their day. Be the rainbow in someone else’s cloud (random internet quote that I found when I was bored).

To sum up, I learnt from Oprah a few years ago to “be mindful of the energy we bring to a place”. She has it written on the wall of her studio, to remind her staff that one’s energy truly affects others. Self-awareness of the energy we bring to our work can be more impacting than frameworks, theory, intelligence and programme. There is value in the adage — our forefathers were wise when they instilled in us that people are the most important thing in the world.

Okay, that about does it. Going to sign off with Aunty’s top Make-other-people-feel-good tips:

  1. Smile, all the time.
  2. Say thank you often, sincerely.
  3. Make the time to talk to people, genuinely.
  4. Be kind, every day.
  5. Choose to do good.
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