Toro tinana is for everybody no matter age, size, ethnicity.
It’s a moving meditation where you just dedicate time
to just be with your body
and that’s what the yoga practice emphasises.
That in itself like having the confidence to do that
really just shows like how much
I’m able to be more comfortable in my body
and allow my body to be with other bodies
and not feel like I have to hide
Maungapiko is my mountain.
Pārengarenga is my river.
Kurahaupo is my waka.
Ngāpuhi is my tribe.
Christine is my name.
We’re going to begin on all fours,
palms and knees on the ground, widen the fingertips,
toes untucked ka pēnei.
This tūranga tuaiwi represents our backbone, so hākina.
Draw the lower belly towards the ground, chest lifts.
Hā puta, rounding the spine, chin to chest.
Anō, whai mai.
Hākina,
thinking about your tīpuna and hā ki tō tuaiwi.
Hā puta, rounding the spine, chin to chest.
Ko tēnei te mutunga, last one. Hākina...
hā puta
Hoki atu ki a tū ā-roto.
Hākina, kicking the right foot back, left arm hand extends forward.
Hā puta, rounding the spine, elbow, knee come inward.
Anō, hākina,
thinking about your poutokomanawa
it could be someone you look up to,
hā puta. Rounding the spine,
bring your tinana in and awhi them.
Hākina,
hā puta.
Hoki atu ki tō tinana, kia tau roto.
Anō, other side.
Kicking our left foot back, right arm extends forward,
hā puta.
Hākina,
your poutokomanawa are your strength, hā puta.
Next, we’re going to bring our big toes to touch,
you might want to take your knees, your pona wider
and move towards the heels, extending the arms out,
your palms act as support for your head,
releasing the forehead to Papatūānuku,
and here we’re just going to connect to our breath, our hā.
This tūranga represents our hononga to Papa,
so we’re connecting back to her.
Hākina, hongi ki a Papa
and hā puta, tukua. Relax,
ka pai.
When you’re ready pushing back on to all fours, kia tau ā-roto.
Whai mai koutou. Nuku ki te taha matau,
bring the hips to the right, looking past your left shoulder,
good stretch here
and hoki ki mua, moving back to centre.
Anō, other side.
Taha mauī, titiro ki muri.
Acknowleding the past and those who have come before us
and hoki ki mua,
remembering we are always moving forward,
kaua e hoki whakamuri me anga whakamua.
Ka pai.
When you’re ready, curl and tuck in your matiwae,
stretching the waewae,
taking the arms wider here.
Neke ō hope ki te Ranginui,
grounding through your ringaringa,
generously bend your pona here,
option to peddle out the waewae,
channeling your mana tāne.
Channeling your mana wahine as you find a sense of stability
and a sense of ease.
Ko tēnei te mutunga, last breath.
Now start to walk your ringaringa towards your waewae,
whakawhenua ō waewae ki a Papa,
mihi back to her and the stability she gives us.
Whakapiko ō pona and on the inhale slowly
come up to standing,
tū tōtika
and hā puta,
release.
Tuwhera ō ringaringa ki a Ranginui
coming up on to your tiptoes, if you fall, kei te pai
and hā puta,
releasing.
Now start to travel to the top of your mat,
whakawhenua ō waewae ki a Papa anō,
whakapiko ō pona.
Hākina, taking both arms to Ranginui,
hā puta, left fingertips forward, right fingertips come behind,
gentle twist there in the spine.
Come back to your breath, your hā.
Bringing your arms back in and taking them up towards Rangi.
Anō, other side.
Hā puta taking your right fingertips forward,
left fingertips come behind,
finding your breath, your hā.
Taking the arms back to Rangi
and releasing them
Option, you can shake it out here
and kua tae te wā.
When you’re ready taking both arms behind,
fingertips interlaced and draw the shoulder blades together.
Hākina, huakina tō poho
and here let’s mihi to everyone we’ve mentioned.
Tukua ō mihi ki a rātou me ā rātou tautoko,
and tukua.
Release, crossing the arms, give yourself a gentle awhi.
Big mihi to yourself here for being a part of this practice
and dedicating this time to be with your tinana.
Kei runga noa atu koutou.
Now when you’re ready, taking the time to come out of the shape,
to come back in to the space.
We’re at Kiwi Esplanade at Mangere Bridge
an old boat ramp that we used to come to when we were little,
my Dad used to take us here to fish, didn’t like it at first
but then once we caught the fish it was fun.
Yeah, we would all come out here, eat,
get some kai from the moana and then
walk up the where my aunty used to stay and just hang out there.
When you started this journey and you said you were going to Atawhai and
I saw what you done with the yoga and all that
and I’ve taken it to work, I always thought that,
geez I wonder if we can get these guys to start doing yoga in the morning
because you know, they’re frustrated and all that
and all they need to do is calm down.
I got like really like depressed and like suicidal and stuff
and I felt like I had no one to talk to.
I guess we’re just not taught to deal with whatever we’re feeling inside
and it’s not like a normal conversation to have with your family,
it’s more like real whakamā and not something talked about.
It’s easier to be in that space but to bring that
back to South Auckland to our people,
teach them and give them that tool so they know,
they can do it, it’s there if they want it.
I mean, I did it. Yeah, you did it.
I thought it was a load of like it didn’t work
and you’re like when you’re a teenager that’s not for me
because you know you kind of get raised thinking
yoga is for skinny people and it’s only for them.
I remember I told you
“I’m only doing this because I’m skipping math class,”
and then I was like, “Wait, never mind I really like this,”
yeah.
If I do ever go back to that space where I was
a couple of years ago,
I know that I’m prepared and I can get through it
and I have the support people, I have the tools.
If you have to be the one to start the difficult conversations
then do that because chances are
everyone else in the room could feel the same way.