Rongoā Māori
Rongoā Māori is a Māori — rongoā healing body map body system as transmitted through the lineage Rongoā Māori is a living healing tradition, while Te Whare Tapa Whā offers a widely used model of wellbeing dimensions: wairua, hinengaro, tinana and whānau, grounded in whenua. This map uses Durie’s model as a respectful conceptual scaffold and does not claim to encode every rongoā lineage.. This page lists every point in the system with sourced placements and links to cross-tradition correspondences curated for The Body Spiritual.
Open in interactive explorerPrimary sources
- Mason Durie, Whaiora: Māori Health Development (Oxford University Press 1994)
- New Zealand Ministry of Health, Māori Health Models: Te Whare Tapa Whā (official guidance, 2020)
Known lineage variants
- Te Whare Tapa Whā is a health model, not a historical rongoā anatomical chart. This map adds a whatumanawa heart emphasis and whenua foot projection as clearly marked editorial aids.
Related systems
No other systems share this tradition label.
Points
- Wairua — spirit — spiritual dimension of wellbeing
- Hinengaro — mind and feelings — thoughts and emotions
- Tinana — physical body — physical health and function
- Whatumanawa — emotional heart — felt inner life and relationships
- Whenua — land relationship — foundation and belonging
Frequently asked
What is Wairua — spirit?
Te Whare Tapa Whā places wairua, the spiritual dimension, among the four walls of health. The crown point is an editorial body projection for that dimension and is not a traditional anatomical measurement.
What is Hinengaro — mind and feelings?
Hinengaro refers to the mental and emotional dimension in Durie’s model. The head and upper-chest placement combines the model’s conceptual scope into one visible anchor, with medium fidelity.
What is Tinana — physical body?
Tinana names the physical dimension of health in Te Whare Tapa Whā. The torso anchor is a broad visual centre and does not replace clinical anatomy or the diversity of rongoā practice.
What is Whatumanawa — emotional heart?
Whatumanawa is used here as a heart-centred emotional anchor in contemporary Māori wellbeing language. The point distinguishes felt and relational experience from the model’s wider hinengaro dimension; this distinction varies by framework.
What is Whenua — land relationship?
Whenua is included as the environmental foundation of wellbeing and as a reminder of the land-body relationship. Its feet placement is an editorial grounding symbol, not a claim that land is a body organ.