Maori Herbal Medicine

I have been blessed to have felt the call to Aotearoa by the Maori Healers ~ http://www.maorihealers.com/ ~ which I delightfully heeded and spent a glorious two weeks under their guidance to participate in Te Rongopae ~ The Bright Clear Horizon Training Intensive. In addition to the bodywork, spiritual guidance, hakas, meals, dreamtime and Manu's morning yoga, I had the delight of enjoying Donna Kerridge's day long workshop on Maori Herbal Medicine and healing practices. You can imagine my joy at getting a first hand walk through the forest with a traditional Maori Plant Healer!

 

Donna writes about Rongo a Raukau in a book I purchased, but one can learn more at her website ~ http://oranewzealand.com/shop/rongoa-maori.html ~ where she recognizes her teacher, Pa Ropata ~ and explains the deeper meaning of Rongoa Raukau ~ some of Donna's wisdom as she shared with us, "I am land and the land is me," "the plants that are in nature are the plants that heal the land,"& "...keeping the land well...keeping the people well..." What I especially loved about her was her conception of universal truths, as visually drawn for our Te Rongopae group, in which all religions and healing traditions find commonality and unity at the center of the wheel ~ these thoughts I have generally held for many years, but never seen a graphic or metaphor which visually expressed my inner beliefs as hers did ~ Kia Ora, Donna!

I would be remiss if I also didn't recognize Gramma Dottie, of the Makah tribe ~ who I met after the Canoe Journey to Makah ~ http://makah.com/makah-tribal-info/tribe/ ~ she introduced myself and my good travel partners, Leng and Shelly, to the correct methods of collecting, praying and preparing usnea and other precious plant medicines for our uses in protection and well being ~ 

I think my herbal colleagues, who studied under David Hoffman (whose adoration of nettles goes unchallenged in the Western herbal world), would appreciate this one: "...if you don't know the answer, use Kawa Kawa..." Sounds familiar, right? Donna explained that Kawa Kawa will look for the ailment and cure it... that the medicine isn't just what is written about in the books, but that the wisdom of the plant will bring about a cure.

She also warned us about what we read in the books (as did many Maori & other Indigenous peoples around the world), and shared a very interesting story about Weston A. Price & some misconceptions that are repeated in books everywhere, but you'll have to hear it yourself from Donna, as oral wisdom is best heard straightaway & oral history lasts as long as we tell it ~ for the story, feel free to travel to meet her or contact her on your own timeline ~ she is one of many great Maori teachers I met during my Te Rongopae Training Intensive.

My journey to Aotearoa, where the abundance of plant beings from the Southern Hemisphere shout out to me, has been magical ~ here's a few photos to give you a hint at the wonders of plant medicine in Aotearoa ~

For those interested in Maori Plant medicine, check out her website, contact her or visit her clinic in Aotearoa. Donna also mentioned an intensive program, I believe a Masters Program in 2015, for Maori folks to learn more, but there will also be 3 spots reserved for International Students who have a balance of knowledge in Indigenous Healing Practices and Healing Systems (whether allopathic, complementary or traditional systems) ~ email her for more information at:
donna@oranewzealand.com