Ancient Maori Wisdom with Psychiatrist Dr Hinemoa Elder

In this special January episode Dr Hinemoa Elder, Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist based in New Zealand and WEM Host Dr Will Duffin explore 10 Māori proverbs (whakataukī) from her recent book Aroha and reflect on how this ancient wisdom can be applied to our daily lives during the pandemic. This episode is about personal growth and wellbeing.

In the session they explore the following: - Making time for mind-weeding - Experiencing the joy in small things - Knowledge as nourishment - How true friendship reaches for the hand but touches the heart - Why we should all know our ancestors - Why our individual success is not possible without collective success - Why hope won’t get you crayfish! - Why sometimes you have to chew on the shit stick - The wisdom of silence - Why those who seek the treasures of the ocean should be prepared to get wet…!

- How you can write your OWN proverbs and start to write your own legacy as an ancestor of the future.

About the book:

Aroha is an ancient Māori word and way of thinking that means love, compassion, respect and empathy. It is one of the central pillars of Māori wisdom that enables and facilitates a more contented life.

Aroha is also the title of a collection of the timeless wisdom of Māori proverbs. 52 whakatauki - traditional Māori sayings compiled and explained by respected Māori psychiatrist Dr Hinemoa Elder, showing us how we can live better lives, in harmony with the planet.

These simple and powerful life lessons (one for every week in the year) aim to guide us in living a less stressful daily life. Chapters in the book cover manaakitanga (love for each other), kaitiakitanga (respect for our planet), whanaungatanga (community and connection) and tino rangatiratanga (self-determination).

Aroha is a feast of Māori wisdom that remains strikingly relevant today. It serves as a wakeup call. An invitation to love yourself and engage with a more deeply connected experience of life. Hinemoa shows how she has used the whakatauki in her own life and encourages you to see the world differently, through some of the wisest of human eyes. Find out how the power of aroha can help you each day, and through its many meanings make a happier world for everyone.

Ki te kotahi te kākaho ka whati, ki te kāpuia, e kore e whati

When we stand alone, we are vulnerable, but together we are unbreakable.