Discover

The Essence of Maori Healing and Wānanga

IRAĀIO: Honouring Tradition Through Holistic Healing and Education

At IRA AIO, our wānanga and workshops offer a traditional journey through the modern world that transcends the physical aspects of bodywork, pressure points, and massage. We delve deeply into personal growth and the well-being of both kaimahi (practitioners) and whaiora (clients), all grounded in tikanga and kawa (Māori protocols).

With a focus on inner identity, IRA AIO is dedicated to sharing ancient healing traditions and fostering a profound understanding of traditional practices.

Our Journey in Healing

Founded by passionate Māori, our story is rooted in a need to share the transformative powers of traditional Maori healing with the world.

We are committed to preserving and promoting Māori practices that resonate with cultural and spiritual significance to all people throughout the world.

Our Mission

To provide quality instruction in the traditional Māori art of healing. By healing the individual, we heal the family, reconnecting with our traditions to enhance the physical, mental, and spiritual well-being of the community.

Our Vision

To be a leading institution of Māori healing and empowerment, inspiring individuals, families, and the wider community to embrace ancient practices that connect them to their heritage and promote overall well-being.

Our Legacy

Milestones in Our Journey

From humble beginnings.

Year 1996

Founding Year

IRA AIO was established in 1996 by the Hokianga Whānau dedicated to preserving traditional healing practices and imparting knowledge to future generations.

Year 1996

First Workshop

In 1996, we successfully conducted our first workshop, bringing together family eager to learn the art of Maori healing through reo and vibration.

Year 2000

Moving on

In 2000, IRA AIO is put on pause as Pani and Richelle relocate to Australia in search of new opportunities.

Year 2013

First Step To Re-Opening

In 2013, Richelle and Pani attended a wānanga led by Ruatau Perez, held at the home of Tū and Ify Duley. During this event, they discovered both ancient and expanded ways of being and thinking.

Year 2016

Aroā Tinana Wānanga

IRA AIO, under Te Whare Porotiti o Ngāti Pāhauwera and Native Soul Healing, opened its doors to the Brisbane community by hosting a wānanga.

Year 2024

IRA AIO

In 2024, we recognised that the time was right to close Native Soul Healing and operate solely as IRA AIO, reaffirming our commitment to transcendent change, empowerment, and well-being.

IRAĀIO

Within a sacred space of learning and remembrance, we return to the power of karakia — to call upon our whakapapa, to honour the presence of the atua, and to acknowledge IO as the source from which all flows. Our wānanga are a pathway of reconnection, where each participant is supported to reclaim and live their own divine essence.

Through te mahi — the sacred work — we move with intention, activating our whatumanawa, pūmanawa, and manawa. This is not about striving, but about remembering. About standing in our birthright of connection — to wairua, to whenua, to ngā rangi tūhāhā — and carrying that awareness into the way we live.

At IRAAIO, each wānanga is a return. A return to mauri. A return to whakapapa. A return to being. To be! Through karakia, pure, tohi, and the sacred rituals of our tīpuna, we embody the wisdom passed down through generations. This is not something we learn — it is something we remember