Te Whare Tapa Whā

Te Whare tapa whā was developed in 1984 by Sir Mason Durie. This model describes hauora (health and wellbeing) as a wharenui (meeting house) - a house of four walls. Each wall represents a dimension of our health, and our connection to the whenua/land forms the foundation. When one or more of these walls are out of balance, our hauora (wellbeing) is impacted. We need these different dimensions to be in balance for strength and stability. By nurturing and strengthening each of these areas, we can support our holistic health and wellbeing.

Taha Hinengaro

Taha hinengaro is about how our mind connects to our heart, our consciousness and our thoughts and feelings. How we think directly relates to the way we feel, communicate and act. How we manage setbacks that are out of our control can usually be a good measure of this pillar.

  • Communicating thoughts and feelings

  • Resilience

  • Enjoyment and fun

  • Problem solving

  • Attention span

  • Decision making

  • Positive self-talk

  • Self-regulation

Taha Wairua

This pillar of our house is crucial. It’s who we are, what drives us and our sense of purpose of where we are going. It can be different for everyone - religion or internal connection - understanding your own values and beliefs. This brings your identity and self-awareness. Knowing who we are and having a sense of purpose are both directly related to our overall happiness.

  • Spiritual links with wider environment

  • Values and goals

  • Being Māori

  • Cultural identity

Taha Tinana

Taha tinana relates to our growth and development. It can often be quite clear that something needs to change if things in this dimension aren’t going well.

  • Mobility

  • Freedom from pain

  • Level of fitness

  • Nutrition

  • Looking after your body

Taha Whānau

Research shows that social connectedness is just as important for our health as eating nutritionally and exercising. Taha Whānau is the health of our family. Family can mean different things to people - they can be the friends we choose ourselves.

Relationships with:

  • Whānau

  • Friends

  • Society

  • Sense of belonging

It’s important to note that the four areas of wellness overlap and interrelate. If one area is lacking, it can have a flow-on affect to other areas. For example, it doesn’t matter how much you are focusing on your nutrition if your emotions are getting on top of you. It is important to check in on all aspects of your wellbeing to support your overall health and live a happy and healthy life.