KIA ORA
When my mum was sick, I would sit with her and mirimiri her body with kawakawa balm. It was a quiet exchange of love, presence, and care—hands speaking when words were no longer enough. Those moments live on in this work. This business exists in honour of her memory, and every product I make carries that same intention, aroha, and reverence.
Our kawakawa is harvested in Aotearoa with deep respect for tikanga and the whenua. Each gathering is guided by karakia, acknowledging the plant, its whakapapa, and the purpose it will serve. The leaves are gently dried, then sealed and handled to recognised industry standards to preserve their mauri and integrity.
Once in Australia, I steep the kawakawa slowly in sunflower oil, allowing time for the plant to fully offer what it has to give. There are no shortcuts in this process. Rongoā Māori and karakia are the heart of my practice—not an afterthought, not a trend. Every step is intentional, respectful, and done with care, because how something is made matters just as much as what it is made from.
So welcome to this Waka - Tihema Botanicals where I have and continue to formulate products using our base star; Kawakawa.
ROMIROMI
Romiromi carries whakapapa. It holds the wisdom of our tūpuna, who understood that the body remembers everything. Through intentional touch, karakia, and breath, we create pathways for energy to move again. What is stagnant can shift. What is heavy can be acknowledged. What is aching can be met with compassion. This is not rushed work. It requires presence, respect, and trust in what cannot always be seen.
Romiromi, to me, is not a technique—it is a remembering. It is the language of touch passed through wairua, where hands listen as much as they move. When I work with kawakawa, I am not just applying oil to skin; I am holding space for release, for breath to return, for mamae to soften. Romiromi acknowledges that pain does not live in one place. It settles in the body through grief, stress, unspoken words, and long-held emotions. Touch becomes a conversation between tinana, hinengaro, and wairua.
I felt the power of romiromi as aroha in motion when Mum allowed me to Mirimiri her sick body. It was never about fixing or curing; it was about comfort, dignity, and connection. About letting her feel held, seen, and loved when her body was tired. That experience shaped me deeply. It taught me that healing can be subtle, slow, and sacred.
My business is an extension of this practice. It is guided by rongoā Māori values, by karakia, and by an unwavering commitment to doing things with integrity. Each product carries intention—not just to nourish the skin, but to honour the spirit of care that my mum taught me. This work exists because of her, and for her. It is my way of continuing the conversation between hands, heart, and healing.