Romiromi is a powerful traditional Māori healing modality originating from ancient Wānanga—the sacred repositories of Māori knowledge and lore. It is a holistic practice that supports the restoration of balance across the physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental aspects of being.

Romiromi utilises a natural, embodied approach to healing through a combination of pressure-point stimulation and deep-tissue bodywork. The word Romiromi is often understood as Ro (internal) and Mi (to stimulate), reflecting the process of stimulating and agitating the body so it may re-order itself. Through this process, stagnant or unhelpful energies may be released, supporting wellbeing of the tinana (physical body), wairua (spirit), mauri (life force), and hinengaro (mind).

Practitioners of Romiromi work with the body as a living record, acknowledging that experiences, trauma, and imbalance may be held within the tissues, cellular memory, and whakapapa. At a deep level, Romiromi may support the release of long-held patterns and burdens carried across generations, which can otherwise manifest as dis-ease or imbalance.

Romiromi healing bodywork is multi-layered and may include karakia (prayer), work on haemata points, body alignment, and energetic rebalancing. Physically, the practice engages the central nervous system, while spiritually it supports the alignment of mauri (life essence) with wairua (spirit). Sessions may also incorporate mirimiri counselling and the clearing of extraneous energies or burdens that no longer serve the individual.

Traditional Romiromi and Mirimiri practices are carried out with great care and protocol. Healing spaces are first cleared (whakawātea), often using blessed water (wai tapu or wai tai), and opened with protective recitation (kaupare) or ritual chant (takutaku). The practice itself is intuitive (uhumanea), with the practitioner maintaining neutrality (whatumanawa) to support a state of calm, presence, and alignment for the recipient.

Sources & Lineage Acknowledgement

This overview draws upon teachings and descriptions shared by Māori practitioners and healing collectives, including:

• Manawa Ora

• Wiki Tōria Māori Healing

• Kia Ora Hands Aotearoa

Romiromi is a holistic Māori healing practice that works with the body, mind, emotions, and spirit as an interconnected whole. Over the course of life, humans naturally accumulate tension, stress, and unresolved experiences. These may be held in the body and can sometimes be felt as physical discomfort, emotional heaviness, mental fatigue, or a sense of spiritual disconnection.

Romiromi supports the body’s natural capacity to restore balance by working deeply yet respectfully with the physical body and energetic system. Through intentional pressure, presence, and ritual, the practice may help ease holding patterns and support a return to greater alignment and flow.

Romiromi sessions are traditionally carried out fully clothed and are held with care and respect. Treatment is often opened with a kaupare—a protective Māori prayer—to honour you and your ancestors. Wai tai (blessed sea water) may also be used during the session as part of spiritual protection and cleansing, in accordance with traditional teachings.

Areas Romiromi May Support

Mirimiri and Romiromi are offered as complementary wellness practices. Some people seek this work for support during experiences such as:

• Stress, anxiety, burnout, or emotional overwhelm

• Difficulty sleeping or nervous system dysregulation

• Digestive discomfort or general tension held in the body

• Menstrual or hormonal challenges

• Chronic pain patterns or fatigue

• Recovery and integration following injury, illness, or surgery

• Grief, trauma, or significant life transitions

• A desire for deeper spiritual or ancestral connection

Experiences vary from person to person. Romiromi does not treat conditions in a medical sense, but may support overall wellbeing and embodied awareness alongside appropriate medical or therapeutic care.

Potential Wellness Benefits (as experienced by some recipients)

People receiving Romiromi have reported experiences such as:

• A sense of increased energy or vitality

• Improved relaxation and circulation

• Support for nervous system regulation

• Enhanced body awareness and emotional release

• Feeling more grounded, centred, or spiritually supported

• A greater sense of balance across physical, emotional, and energetic levels

These experiences are personal and subjective, and results cannot be guaranteed.

Important Note

Romiromi is not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure medical or psychological conditions. If you are living with a health condition or are under medical or mental health care, Romiromi may be received as a complementary practice with appropriate consideration.

Sources & Acknowledgement

This section is informed by teachings and descriptions shared by Māori practitioners and organisations, including:

• Wiki Tōria Māori Healing

• Manawa Ora

I began my Romiromi practitioner journey in 2020 under the guidance of my teacher, Māori practitioner Jackie Harvey (GCSS, DLPA) of Ngāti Porou and Ngāi Tūhoe. My learning has been supported through the 12 Hawks Healing Program, where I continue to deepen my personal healing process and my understanding of Māori healing philosophies, tikanga, and te reo Māori.

As my learning has unfolded, so too has my respect and appreciation for Māori culture. The more I listen, observe, and learn, the more I am reminded of the interconnectedness of culture, land, spirit, and community, and of the responsibility carried when engaging with Indigenous healing knowledge.

I offer a heartfelt mihi to my teacher Jackie, and to Papa Joe Hohepa De La Mere (Whānau-ā-Apanui, Kai Tahu), Elder and Master Teacher, whose work has contributed to the revitalisation of Rongoā Māori following generations of suppression under colonial policies, including the Tohunga Suppression Act of 1907.

I also acknowledge Papatūānuku (Earth Mother), Ranginui (Sky Father), Io (Source), and my tūpuna (ancestors), whose guidance continues to shape my personal healing journey and the way I hold space for others.

My approach to Romiromi is guided by respect, humility, and ongoing learning.

I offer Romiromi within the scope of my training and lived practice, honouring the Māori origins of this healing modality and the authority of the iwi and practitioners who carry its teachings. I do not claim ownership of Romiromi, nor do I present myself as a cultural authority. Rather, I work in relationship with the teachings that have been shared with me, and with deep reverence for whakapapa, whenua, and tikanga.

Each session is held with care, consent, and presence. Romiromi is offered as a supportive, holistic practice that complements—rather than replaces—medical or psychological care.

A Romiromi session may include some or all of the following elements, depending on what is appropriate on the day and within the scope of my training:

• Deep, intentional bodywork using pressure on haemata (pressure) points

• Support for physical alignment and energetic rebalancing

• Karakia (prayer) to open, protect, or close the session

• Clearing of the healing space (whakawātea) prior to treatment

• Gentle mirimiri counselling or reflective dialogue

• Support for nervous system regulation and embodied awareness

• The respectful use of kōhatu (stones) — such as smooth river stones, and at times pounamu (greenstone), where appropriate — as supportive tools. Kōhatu may be used to assist with grounding, focused pressure, and the movement of stagnant or unhelpful energy, including the application of concentrated pressure to specific haemata points.

Romiromi is intuitive and responsive. Each session is unique and guided by what is present in the body and spirit, rather than a fixed routine.

People are often drawn to Romiromi during times of:

• Physical tension, chronic holding, or fatigue

• Emotional overwhelm, grief, or life transitions

• Feeling disconnected from body or spirit

• Seeking deeper embodied or ancestral healing

• Wanting to support nervous system regulation and balance

Experiences vary from person to person. Some people feel immediate shifts, while others notice subtle changes unfolding over time.

I acknowledge that Romiromi belongs to Māori culture and is carried through specific lineages and tikanga. My offering is not a replacement for traditional custodial practice, nor does it replicate ceremonial or iwi-specific forms of Romiromi.

Romiromi is offered as a complementary wellness practice and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure medical or psychological conditions. If you are under medical or mental health care, Romiromi may be received alongside that support with appropriate consideration.

Romiromi sessions are offered in person in Sydney, Australia.
Sessions are held in a quiet, respectful setting and are available by appointment only.

If you feel called to this work and would like to explore whether Romiromi is right for you, you are welcome to book a session or reach out with any questions.

$120 per hour

Rongoā Māori is a traditional healing system that aims to restore balance across four dimensions of wellbeing, represented by the whare tapa whā (four walls of a house) model:

• Tinana – the physical body

• Wairua – life force and spirit

• Hinengaro – thoughts and emotions

• Whānau – kinship ties and social connection
  
  

All four dimensions are essential to keep the “house” upright and stable. If one dimension is out of balance, overall wellbeing can be affected (Durie, 1988).

Holistic wellness also includes healthy connections with te taiāo (the environment) and te ao hurihuri (the social world), reinforcing identity, belonging, and our kinship ties to forests, rivers, animals, and communities (Durie, 1998). Indigenous approaches further emphasize the importance of decolonizing historical narratives and addressing intergenerational wounding through pūrākau (storytelling) and mātauranga (Indigenous wisdom) (Duran, 2015; Edwards, 2012).

Healing in Rongoā Māori involves rebalancing the whare tapa whā, with special attention to spiritual recovery, reconnection, and reconciliation. Through several sessions of nohopuku (bodywork) and meaningful dialogue, whaiora (healing seekers) may naturally arrive at restored energy and insight. The journey is often concluded with a poroaki (farewell), a joyful sharing of a light meal and tribal songs, acknowledging the completion of the healing process and restoring the space to whakanoa (from sacred to normal).

In Māori tradition, the land and waterways are not seen as property to own, but as living ancestors to guard, nurture, and walk alongside. This perspective, known as kaitiakitanga (guardianship), reflects a deep responsibility to care for the intelligence, life, and energy of the natural world (Marsden & Henare, 1992).

A whakataukī that expresses this connection beautifully is:

“Ko au te whenua, ko te whenua ko au; ko au te awa ko te awa ko au.”
“I am the land and the land is me; I am the river and the river is me.”

This proverb reminds us that our wellbeing is inseparable from the health of the land and rivers. Caring for country is a relational act—it honours ancestors, supports future generations, and nurtures the life force present in all things.

Through my practice, I integrate this philosophy by supporting clients in connection with their own body, spirit, and environment. Just as the river flows and the land sustains, our bodies and energy systems thrive when we are in alignment with the natural world, and when we honour the intelligence and life force that surrounds us.