What is Whakatau Mai?
Whakatau Mai I The Wellbeing Sessions are a Changing Minds initiative, supported by the Ministry of Health.
Our wellbeing initiative has been developed as part of the New Zealand Government’s COVID-19 Response Package.
Our sessions strive to create a safe space for you to learn, share, discuss and connect with other people from all over Aotearoa, in real-time. Our aim is to create an accessible and inclusive space for all our guests. All our sessions are hosted on Zoom and are live - we don’t record our sessions but you’re welcome to watch a small selection of material pre-recorded with some of our Facilitators here to get an idea of the kind of things a session might include.
All sessions are hosted online on a private Zoom link, by capable facilitators from around the country. We are led by 'lived-experience'. This means that our facilitators have 'been there done that' – their own experiences of working through tough times means they understand what guests may be facing or feeling right now, as the implications of COVID-19 continue to impact us all.
Our Story:
The name Whakatau Mai was gifted to us as we worked with our Treaty Partners on our kaupapa. This taonga acknowledges the life challenges we can all experience at any time. It invokes the warm welcome offered to guests at every session - you and all your experiences are welcome here, no matter where you are on your wellbeing journey.
Whakatau Mai, not only recognises that people’s wairua – their spirits – may be unsettled, but more importantly the healing that can be found in simple conversations that provide our spirits a safe place to settle in times of need.
Te Whare Tapa Whā describes the principles Whakatau Mai are built upon. If you think of the four corner posts and foundation of a whare or room, the four pou remind us to build our kaupapa on these principles, and uphold these in everything that we do. These include;
Taha tinana (physical wellbeing)
Taha hinengaro (mental wellbeing)
Taha wairua (spiritual wellbeing)
Taha whānau (family and social wellbeing)
and our connection with the whenua (land) forms the foundation.
Whakatau Mai was a finalist in the 2021 Waitematā Health Excellence Awards, nominated for the Excellence in Primary and Community Care category.
Meet our Project Team!
Megan
Megan joins Whakatau Mai | The Wellbeing Sessions team as our Communications Co-ordinator.
Megan is an artist. For her, printmaking is a grounding experience; a chance to be present in a process but accepting that you’ll never know exactly what the final work will look like until you lift the paper off the press.
Art and music are a key part of maintaining her wellbeing.
Our Advisors
Our Community
Thank you to the following organisations for offering some of their ongoing sessions through Whakatau Mai, or for partnering with us to support this project.