WAIORA, LIVING WATERS

Io-Mata-Wai, Face upon the Water

TE KORE - THE VOID

Maori Creation Chants begin with Te Kore - the Void without anything, Empty, Intangible, Unseen, Limitless, Boundless, Timeless, Eternal ... it was

Io Matamoe, the slumbering One
Io Kore te Whiwhia, the One without
Io Mata Ngaro, the unseen face
Io Roa, the eternal One
Io Matua Kore, the One without origin or parents
then from Te Kore came ..

TE PO - THE NIGHT

This was the time of the stirring, the awakening, the writhing energies of potentiality, with Io Taketake, the Origin, the Source of all things. A new thing stirred, and became, and was. Rarotimu, the Water that brought forth Life.  Io Mata-Wai. And Io's Face was upon the Water.

WAIRUA - SPIRIT

In Maori thinking the spirit is likened to water and water plays a large part in all rituals of purification and healing. Fresh water, Seawater, thermal waters, all have special uses internally and externally. Rongowai, the basis of medicine, depends as much on the spiritual energies imparted by the Tohunga as the physical properties of water. Karakia, touch, sound vibration, are all engaged to raise the intrinsic energies of water and plant materials used in herbal medicine. Remember too, that pre-contact Aotearoa's environment was absolutely pristine - the water was clean and health giving just of itself. But Maori knew the effects of intention, thought, prayer on the supposed neutrality of water. Far from a mere superstition, or belief, Westerners now have the benefit of Science to prove that water has memory and can be affected by thought and intention as well as physical environment.

 Major spiritual healing energies come from the puku, (abdomen) and not just the hands or the head, and this resonates with Biblical teachings about a spiritual person "from his belly shall flow rivers of healing water". That verse didn't really make sense to me until I learnt about things like our chakras, and our Maori concepts of the properties of Wai and Wairua - Water and Spirit. Sprinkling, washing, and full immersion are all used ritually in very similar ways to the methods of healing and purification of the ancient Hebrews, including Jesus and the Essene Mystics and Healers.  

Our old time Tohunga could hardly have conceived of the dire straits we're in these days with polluted waters and dead rivers contaminated with toxic industrial wastes. If anyone had told them about sewage being dumped in rivers and lakes, oil spills, nitrogen run off, dioxins from timber treatment plants, fluoride and chlorine being added deliberately to municipal drinking water, they would have considered the people insane. Actually, they would have been right. This is the Age of Insanity. Maori are the original environmentalists, knowing and respecting all the natural elements, so it is Maori at the forefront of protest and environmental activism in New Zealand. But in the meantime what are our people meant to do about simply surviving and staying healthy in this degraded environment. The fact is that we don't stay healthy. If Papatuanuku and her offspring are sick, so are we, her children.

 

Few of us have access to fresh clean electron rich water from springs and mountain streams. But we must stay well hydrated for health. Part of the reason for the obesity epidemic we have now is not the result of sloth and overeating. Its a direct result of the acids our bodies are trying to cope with every day from dead and overprocessed foods and additives. Acids that our drinking water serves to dilute and flush out from the fat cells that have run to our body's rescue. We even have acid rain in some cities, and our municipal water supplies are not always pH neutral as they should be, or preferably slightly alkaline. Studies show that bottled water isn't any better in most cases. So what can we do? Here's a few suggestions:

1. Buy the highest quality water purifier that your family can afford.  
2. Adjust the pH level of your drinking water - just like you do for your goldfish. The easiest way is to add a scant teaspoon of Sodium Bicarbonate to every couple of litres of water.
3. Let your drinking water stand uncovered in a pot or bowl for a couple of hours - another tip from the goldfish fanciers to allow chlorine to dissipate apparently. I don't know how that works, but I guess if its going to kill your fish if you put water straight from the tap into their tank, its probably not going to do you much good either.
4. Eat lots of water rich raw foods - heaps of  fruits and vegetables
5. Get a large proportion of your daily fluid intake from fresh, raw fruit and vegetable juices
6. Store your daily drinking water in glass bottles in preference to plastic. Maori used Hue, Calabash gourds for storing and carrying water. Unglazed clay vessels are also a beautiful storage option that also serves to cool the water
7. Stand your bottled water on a sunny windowsill and let Te Ra add light energy and natural uv purification to the water for a couple of hours - add some mint sprigs or lemon slices if you like
8. Do karakia. If you don't know how or what to pray, just say nice words - Dr Emoto says it works
9. Chilled water seems to taste better - chuck out the waipiro and use the fridge!
10. Have a face to face consultation with your local Tohunga Rongoa for a supply of Maori herbal medicine. Its highly effective, but needs to be tailored to your specific health needs. It cannot be prescribed over the phone or net, and MOH regulations ban any specific claims for its use and benefits being printed on the labels. Maybe they're afraid it might be snake oil! But its reasonable to seek assurance that your Tohunga Healer is the real deal, the same as any other Health Practitioner. Your local Hauora is a good place to start your search for a Maori Healer.  

If you're tired and headachy, stressed out or feeling hungry when you've only just eaten you're probably a bit dehydrated. Grab a glass of water before reaching for the chocolate or panadol and see if that makes a difference. If you're feeling sludgy and want a detox go ahead and drink extra water. However I don't recommend a full on water fast for anyone new to detox - there are safer ways to start full detox, cleanse and healing programs and to my mind its better to embark on that kind of journey for healing and weightloss with a qualified and experienced healer, Naturopath, or other alternative medical practitioner, and in consultation with your GP or Consultant if you have any serious medical condition that requires monitoring for instance diabetes or epilepsy, or if you're pregnant or breastfeeding.

Kiaora - be well, na Whetumarama

.