MAHU
Mirimiri
Mirimiri is a traditional Māori healing bodywork practice that works gently with both the physical and energetic body to release tension, restore balance, and support deep, holistic healing.
Rooted in te ao Māori, it reconnects you with your wairua (spirit) and mauri (life force), helping to clear the awa(pathways) within the body.
In a session, you may experience shifts physically, emotionally, or spiritually — often all at once.
This is the nature of working in relationship with the whole self.
Mirimiri supports those moving through physical pain, emotional blockages, or spiritual disconnection — offering a pathway to relaxation, release, and reconnection with your inner essence.
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Use the links below to explore different parts of this offering, or scroll down at your own pace.
Aligning your three hearts
At Mahu, healing isn’t something done to you — it’s a co-created wānanga.
Each session is guided by your body’s knowing and the unseen hands of those who walk with you.
Every session weaves in the wisdom of the three heart centers from the Māori energy system:
✧ Ngākau – the intellectual heart
The place of conscious thought, perception, and intention.
✧ Manawa – the emotional heart
The rhythm of presence, feeling, and connection between worlds.
✧ Puku – the instinctual heart
The seat of intuition, inner knowing, and ancestral memory — often where trauma or inherited truth is held.
When these hearts fall out of rhythm, we can feel disconnected, anxious, or stuck.
Through Mirimiri, we work to reweave these three hearts — restoring alignment between your mind, emotions, intuition, and body.
This is the kaupapa of Mahu — the foundation of every session I offer.
What to expect
Every session is different, but they usually follow four gentle phases:
✧ Opening Kōrero & Foot Soak
We begin with a relaxed kōrero to connect, share what’s present for you, and set a shared intention.
This is followed by a herbal foot soak, smoke cleanse, and karakia to ground and prepare your energy.
Kōrero happens at the start and end of your session. It offers a safe, open space to explore what you’re carrying — emotionally, spiritually, or physically. With my background in trauma therapy and somatic healing, I hold these kōrero with compassion, understanding, and care.
✧ Intuitive Bodywork
You’ll receive a full-body Mirimiri session, guided by one of the healing pathways (see below).
Each session is different — some may focus more on the physical body, others on the energetic field, or a blend of both.
I use kawakawa-infused balm and oil to support the release of tension, emotion, and energy stored in the body.
✧ Healing Tools
As guided, your session may include sound healing, cupping therapy, hot stones, smoke cleansing vibrational tuning forks, and taonga like pounamu to support energetic release and realignment. All tools are used intuitively, in alignment with your energy and consent.
✧ Closing Kōrero
We end with a final kōrero to reflect, share, and help you gently integrate the session.
This supports grounding, emotional clarity, and calm as you return to your day.
Session pathways
While every session is guided by your energy and intention on the day, I often draw from four distinct pathways. These support the body and spirit in different ways:
Whenua — Grounded, physical bodywork to bring you back into the body. Often includes full-body mirimiri, kawakawa balm, facial cleansing, and scalp massage for nervous system release. This style is intentionally used to help you ground and land in the body, good for those who are experiencing anxiety, physical illness or unresolved trauma.
Awa — A blend of physical and energetic work to rebalance mauri and wairua. This pathway supports emotional integration, disconnection, generational patterns, and cycles of addiction. This style is particularly helpful for those experiencing mental distress or spiritual issues.
Wa — A no-touch, fully energetic session for those who find physical touch activating or prefer working through the wairua and the energetic body only. Ideal for nervous system regulation and trauma-sensitive healing.
Ahi — A focused energetic clearing to cut cords, release attachments, and seal energy leaks. Best for closure, spiritual boundaries, or when you feel someone or something is still “in your field.” Particularly used after break ups or to cleanse dark energies.
You don’t need to choose.
Your body already knows. The session will be guided by what’s needed.
Meet your therapist
Kia ora, I’m Mel — the heart and hands behind Mahu Wellness.
I’m a mother, wife, entrepreneur, and a fierce advocate for holistic healing and natural wellness.
I recently began my Mirimiri training at Rehua Marae in Ōtautahi, which adds to my journey as a trauma therapistwith a strong background in somatic, holistic, and energetic healing modalities.
I whakapapa to Ngāti Kahungunu, Rongomaiwahine, and Ngāpuhi, and my mahi is deeply grounded in the strength and wisdom of my tīpuna.
It is an honour to be a vessel for healing — helping to bring wairua and mauri into balance.
I hold a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Social Anthropology, a Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling, and certification in breathwork. I’m currently completing postgraduate studies in Anthropology through the Te Angitu Māori research program at Massey University.
(My life motto might just be: “yes to all of it.”)
My work blends academic and ancestral knowledge to support trauma healing, reconnection, and decolonisation — offering a bridge between mainstream therapy and traditional Indigenous healing practices.
I created Mahu as a space where modern and natural systems align. A healing portal for those moving through trauma, addiction, and disconnection — with access to affordable, culturally-rooted care.
As a mother of three, my own healing and lived experience fuel everything I offer.
I walk this path, too — grounded in plant-based living, mindfulness, and wairua-led growth.
Through this lens, I’m here to support others to live in rhythm with their truth, their whakapapa, and their wellbeing.
Welcome to my world. I’m so glad you’re here.
Who this is for ...
This space is for those who feel the pull ... even if they can’t explain why.
You may be:
✧ Carrying trauma or grief that hasn’t had a safe place to land
✧ Moving through anxiety, mental unrest, or a deep sense of disconnection
✧ Feeling emotionally overwhelmed, numb, or stuck in cycles that no longer serve
✧ Experiencing spiritual disturbance — feeling energetically “off,” heavy, or affected by others
✧ Holding tension in your body that doesn’t feel like yours
✧ Healing intergenerational mamae or ancestral stories that are ready to shift
✧ Longing to feel more at home in your body, your whakapapa, and your wairua
✧ Seeking a healing space that honours both tapu and tenderness.
You don’t need to know exactly what you need.
You don’t need to have the right words, or even a clear reason.
If you're nodding along, you're in the right place.
This work is deeply rooted in te ao Māori and carried with the guidance of my whakapapa. As a Māori practitioner, I honour Mirimiri as a sacred, intergenerational healing practice — held with respect, humility, and continual learning.
While this tradition is Indigenous to Aotearoa, the space I hold is inclusive and open to all cultures, genders, identities, and spiritual backgrounds.
Healing is a birthright — you don’t need to be Māori to receive this work. I simply ask that you arrive with openness and respect for the kaupapa and honour the tapu of the work, the energy of the room, and the tikanga and kawa that guides the process.
You’re welcome to bring your pēpi, tamariki, or support person with you.
In te ao Māori, healing happens in relationship and community — not in isolation.
Please let me know in advance if you’re bringing someone with you so I can prepare the space accordingly.
Booking information
Investment: $120 per session
Location: Alkimos, Western Australia
Availability: Tuesday–Friday at 9:30am or 12:30pm
Sessions are 90 minutes — please allow up to 2 hours to honour the process.
Payment & Deposits: A 50% deposit is required to confirm your booking.
The balance can be paid on the day via Stripe, Afterpay, or Cash.
All payment links are Afterpay-enabled.
Koha-Based Sessions: To honour manaakitanga and accessibility, I offer two koha sessions each month. In te ao Māori, koha is a sacred exchange — not limited to money. You’re welcome to offer what you can: kai, books, plants, crystals, or taonga shared with intention. These sessions are offered without judgement, with the belief that healing is a birthright.
End-of-Life Mirimiri: I also offer koha-based sessions for those in their final stages of life — supporting spiritual peace, connection, and transition for individuals and whānau.
To request a koha or end-of-life session, email: mahuwithmel@gmail.com
Ready to Book?
Click below to pay your deposit or pay in full.
Once payment is complete, you’ll be guided to choose your session time.
If you’d like to confirm availability first, feel free to email me at mahuwithmel@gmail.com.