Wairua Spiritual wellbeing
Things that give your spirit meaning.
The Te Whare Tapa Wha model for wellbeing looks at how the unseen can affect your wellbeing. These are things that give your life meaning and grow your faith.
Like with all wellbeing supports, wairua looks different for everyone. For some people, wairua is the capacity for faith or religious beliefs or having a belief in a higher power. Others may describe wairua as an internal connection to the universe or a person’s lifeforce - the intangible things that makes each of us who we are.
There is no right or wrong way to think of or experience wairua. At the end of the day, wairua is about finding things that make us feel awe, hope, strength, unity, and connection.
Feeling comfortable in your identity, values, and beliefs will help you to feel secure in who you are and what you stand for. When your wairua is strong, it’s easier to feel good, cope with the challenges that life throws at you, and build strong relationships.
A traditional Māori analysis of signs of illness will focus on wairua, to determine whether damage here could be a contributing factor.
Take a look at some of these great resources to explore how you can positively impact your wellbeing.
In this section
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University of Auckland Spiritual Wellbeing Support
University of Auckland offer on-campus support for your spiritual wellbeing
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AUT Spiritual Wellbeing Support
AUT offers on-campus support for your spiritual wellbeing
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MSD Youth service: Taha Wairua
Taha wairua can be learning to celebrate your own story: who you are, what you believe, where you belong and where you’re going.
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Otago University Spiritual Wellbeing Support
Otago University offer on-campus support for your spiritual wellbeing