Balance.
We know it's important.
Yet we find it so hard to achieve.
I find the Maori concept of Hauora speaks to me of the importance of balance in the many dimensions that represent our lives.
Hauroa is a holistic view of health and well-being which has four elements: physical well-being, emotional or mental well-being, social well-being, and spiritual well-being.
A house, or whare, is often used to symbolise the strength that can result from this solid and balanced approach to health. As houses have, the Whare Tapa Wha has four walls. Each wall represents a different dimension: Taha Tinana (Physical Wellbeing - health), Taha Hinengaro (Mental & Emotional Wellbeing - self-confidence), Taha Whanau (Social Wellbeing - self-esteem) and Taha Wairua (Spiritual Wellbeing - personal beliefs).
All four dimensions are necessary for strength and stability.
I love the reminder this model gives us to be truly rounded in our approach to health. It can be easy to focus on our physical health, and possibly to our social health. In our Western approach, we may then pay some, but not so much, attention to our emotional well-being.
Not so often do we value our spiritual health.
If we think about our health and well-being from the perspective of this Maori model of Hauroa, how well is our Whare standing? Are all our walls equally strong? Or is there one wall, or more than one wall, that is not really up to strength?
Arohanui
Contact me: Lorraine Dodd: Counsellor in Howick, Auckland 0221 874 057, through the contact section http://lorrainedodd.wix.com/lorraine-dodd by email nurturinghope@gmail.com or Private Message me through Facebook
