Whakangā
Toku korero - My story… Like many working parents I’m busy juggling work, home, garden, bees, the chandlery, oh & life. Finding time for just me was never high on the priority list or part of my wellbeing routine. Test burning some hand dipped taper birthday candles one day gave me the opportunity to just stop & take a break & do that, it was a real 'aha' moment. As I was learning te reo māori, I looked for what that ‘pause’ translated to that would connect me to this beautiful country I now call home. The Māori word ‘Whakangā, means to take breath, inhale, catch breath, rest, refresh or relax, & thus Whakangā was conceived.
For me the gift of time is wonderful, Whakangā is designed to give you or someone you love a reason to carve out time in your day dedicated to you! With 21 hand dipped candles in the set, lighting & burning a candle every day to support a mindful moment whether that be reading, journaling, practicing yoga, meditating or even sharing time together as a family, the choice is yours is just the beginning or part of your mindfulness journey. The handmade ceramic kawakawa leaf holder was again another connection to Aotearoa, Papatūānuku (Earth Mother) & Ranginui (Sky Father).
Kawakawa (macroppiper excelsum) is a native herbaceous shrub with knobbly joints & branching stems, it has heart shaped leaves that are slightly glossy & dark green. The shrub is a very important one in Māori tikanga, playing a huge part in wellbeing & medicine. We use a real leaf from around our orchard, carefully picking them & thanking the plant for the gift.
The collaboration with Judy from Terrosa Pottery to create the leaf holder was a natural one as we worked together by day back then!
Before Whakangā was launched, our local Iwi blessed the work & the connection to the each of the elements including Papatūānuku & Ranginui. This was an important milestone for me being non Māori but feeling an unexplainable mana atua to this kaupapa. Immense gratitude to Marama Tauranga, Graham Cameron-Bidois & Shaan Kingi for your guidance & support in bringing my vision to life.
Hand dipping the Whakangā candles is a pleasure, I really love the mindfulness of creating these precious gold gifts that last for about 20 minutes of drip free burn time pleasure.
To me Whakangā means an opportunity to stop, connect & take time for yourself. Every set with a kawakawa left holder & 21 candles is made with aroha & manaaki, they bring a huge smile to my face when putting them together, knowing what a difference they can make to people’s journey into mindfulness & wellbeing. I hope people enjoy them as much as I do making them.