Te Whare Tapa Wha

In health class we are working on identifying the four dimensions of Te Whare Tapa Whā and Hauora. Hauora looks at your health. Te Whare Tapa Whā is used to describe each aspect of your overall well-being. What are the four dimensions you may be wondering?

Firstly, Taha Hinengaro which means Mental/Emotional.

Anything in your life can shape the way your Mental/Emotional state is in. One thing that can be impacted is your Thoughts/Feelings. For me, when I go to sleep late, the next day I wake up and struggle to focus. That means my Mental/Emotional state has been negatively affected.

Taha Wairua which means Spiritual.

The things you believe in or value can shape the way your Spiritual state is in. For me, I believe that to stay ahead of work is to do it the day you are sent it. This leads to me feeling a sense of achievement because I now have a load of free time.

Taha Whānau which means Social.

The way you interact with others and how they interact with you can affect your social state. When I make an effort to talk and to listen to others that helps out my Social well-being.

Lastly, Taha Tinana which means Physical.

When you move around that counts as your physical well-being. Depending on what actions you do you can shape the way your physical state is in. For this dimension I usually walk around each day, which definitely improves my physical well-being.

Many people believe that health only applies to our physical appearance and so they brush everything else off. That could not be more wrong. Without all four of these dimensions your overall well-being will definitely struggle. What I mean by “struggle” is if more than one of these walls (dimensions) are lacking support then they may start to crumble. If one wall is crumbling you should consider talking with someone you trust. This will mean your overall well-being can have time to heal, even if it’s slowly.

This week and last week we were given the task of building a whare and naming each wall after the four dimensions. The pictures below are of my house (and some of my classmates!). I've got a lot to learn. Next time we do something like this hopefully I’ll be more organised.