Instagram story viewer> @leahanarakena_> Posts

leahanarakena_

@leahanarakena_

832

followers

1403

following

Building a life against society's stigma.
Income • Motherhood • Being Māori
Check out how to build a life with purpose in the link below ↓↓↓

POSTS STORIES REELS

I really thought changing my environment would change my life.

New places. New routines. Even things that felt like an escape…

But nothing actually shifted.

Because the truth was —
I was still the same person carrying the same patterns internally.

Still inconsistent.
Still doubting myself.
Still stuck in the ruck that wasn't creating my ideal reality.

That was the hardest thing to accept.

At some point I had to stop looking for a reset…
and start becoming the woman who creates one.

That’s when everything started to change.

If you know you’re meant for more but keep ending up in the same place… start with making the choice to choose differently.

OR

If your ready head over to my bio and click the link now.

@leahanarakena_
@leahanarakena_

#explore #mumsofinstagram #viral #mumsinbusiness #onlineincome by @leahanarakena_

In a time when the cost of feeding our whānau keeps rising, perhaps there is knowledge from our tūpuna worth revisiting.

For those who may not know, toroi is a traditional Māori kai commonly prepared using kūtai (mussels) and pūhā/watercress. There are different ways of preparing it across our rohe and whānau, with traditional methods of preservation and fermentation forming part of its history.

Our tūpuna had an incredible understanding of the world around them and were a prime example of how they survived with no technology.

They understood the seasons, knew when and where to gather kai, how to use what the whenua and moana and the skies provided, and how to preserve food so it could sustain their whānau beyond the time it was gathered.

That wasn't just cooking. That was knowledge, observation, innovation and survival.

And perhaps there's something we can take from that today.

#explore #nz by @leahanarakena_

My kind of way of saying im RICH. 🥰

There's something so special about allowing yourself to become a student in different environments.

To sit in a space, quieten the mind, listen, observe and learn from those who carry knowledge that has been nurtured, practised and passed down through generations.

This day reminded me that learning doesn't always happen through words. Sometimes it happens through our hands, through patience, through making mistakes, and through the generosity of those willing to share what they know.

As I continue on my own ako journey, particularly in reconnecting with te ao Māori, I'm learning to appreciate that reconnection isn't always one big moment. Sometimes it's found in the smallest experiences. The conversations, the teachings, the laughter, the shared spaces and the willingness to try something new.

I came on Josiah's camp as a parent-helper and in the 2 days of being on our marae, I also became a tauira.

Such a blessing to have gifted my first raurau (basket) to the yr 5 & 6 students on their final night of their noho was an honor.

There's a saying that when you make something for the first time, you gift it. And I love the whakaaro behind that.

Because what good is knowledge if it stops with us?

May we always remain humble enough to learn, grateful enough to receive, and generous enough to pass on what has been shared with us.

He taonga te ako. He taonga te tuku iho.

Learning is a treasure. So too is passing knowledge down.

#nz #explore #inspiration #teaomāori by @leahanarakena_

A little quiet on here lately… but sometimes life reminds us to slow down, take a breath and simply be.

While I've been a little under the weather, I thought I'd use this time to share a few rerenga kōrero I've been learning along my ako reo journey, in the hope that someone else might find them useful too. 🤎

One thing I'm learning is that our reo journey doesn't have to be perfect, and it doesn't have to happen all at once. It's in the little moments, the everyday conversations, the kupu we practise and the confidence we slowly build along the way.

And a little reminder, whether you're learning, working, parenting or carrying the weight of a hundred different things…

Sometimes the body calls us to pause. To stop. To rest.

He wā anō tēnei hei whakatā.
Sometimes, this too is a time to rest.

He iti noa, he pounamu. ✨

A little goes a long way.

If you're on your own ako reo journey, take what you need from these rerenga and practise them with me. Or simply happy to be corrected too.

#explore
#nz by @leahanarakena_

Reclaiming your reo isn't always a confident journey. 🌿

But it's also reminding yourself that you have to start somewhere. Putting yourself out of your comfort zone and into rooms with others who are more proficient than you are can be scary and to some extent a sense of you not feeling like your ready or belong in that room....YET.

In all honestly so far this has taught me you never want to feel like your the smartest person in the room because even the most academic experts can learn something new through another person's perspective.

After being away from actively learning te reo Māori for a few years, I'm finding my way back. And if I'm honest, it's uncomfortable. There's a part of me that wishes I knew more, that I could kōrero without second-guessing myself, and that I didn't feel so nervous when it's my turn to speak.

But I know I can't keep waiting until I feel ready.

E mihi ana ki a Janie me tōna whānau mō te manaaki mai, me te whakaae kia uru atu au ki ā koutou wānanga reo. ❤️

I'm grateful to be welcomed into a space where we're all learning at different stages, each with our own strengths, challenges and journeys.

We just need to be willing to show up for ourselves, for one another, and for our reo.

Ehara i te mea me tino matatau ahau i mua i taku tīmatanga. Me tīmata noa ahau.

I don't have to be fluent before I begin. I just have to begin.

Kei te ako tonu. Kei te ngana tonu. Kia kaha tātou.

#nz #explore #tereomāori by @leahanarakena_

I’ve always felt a pull towards these spaces, but feeling connected to something and feeling confident enough to step into it are two different things in my eyes.

There’s a kind of whakamā that comes with not knowing enough of your own reo. Watching others speak so naturally, carry tikanga with confidence, and knowing you’re still trying to find your feet. Sometimes you wonder if you should wait until you know more before putting yourself out there.

But I’m learning that waiting until I feel ready might mean waiting forever.

Attending my first reo karanga wānanga was another step towards learning something new.

I’m not fluent. I’m not proficient. I’m still very much a beginner and there’s so much I still need to understand. But I don’t want whakamā to be the reason I stay away from the things that connect me to my whakapapa, my tūpuna and who I am.

These things were never of interest to me or a priority to have or want the desire to learn until....now. Understand the kōrero behind the karanga, the tikanga, the responsibilities of each tūranga, and the depth of what it means to stand in all these different spaces.

And I want my son to see that learning here doesn’t have to start with confidence. Sometimes it starts with being nervous, feeling out of your depth, and showing up anyway.

If you’re on this journey too, still learning, still whakamā, still finding your way back to te reo Māori, I hope you know there is space for you in the learning, too.

He tīmatanga noa iho tēnei. 🌿

#explore #relatable #nz by @leahanarakena_

It’s hard to put into words what that moment meant to us. Because behind every hākari (feast) is so much mahi (work), aroha (love), and hands working together that often go unseen.
But this is the beauty of our tikanga. The way we come together, the way we care for one another, and the way we acknowledge the people who give so much of themselves to others and vice versa.
He kai, he aroha. He mahi, he manaakitanga. ❤️
Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini.
My strength is not that of an individual, but that of the collective.

#explore #nz #maori by @leahanarakena_

Always got taste test your food before you feed the crowds. 🤭

I'll be the piggy in the middle anyday.

#funnyreels😂😂 #nz #explore #relatable by @leahanarakena_

The older I get, the more I appreciate days like these. Even moreso seeing my big boy with all his whānau and getting in the kitchen to help.

❤️

#nz #explore by @leahanarakena_

I need a coach fr because i suck at sticking to challenges lol. 🙃

#fyp #nz #relatable by @leahanarakena_

If you know, you know. When you're raised Māori, some of life's lessons don't wait until you're old enough to be taught them. Life skills are taught at a young age for many of us. So yes I am that mum that will assess the situation FIRST and provided it is deemed safe to do so I will do it. Reckless only happens if you create the reck and instill fear and unnecessary chaos that will traumatize the experience for the person. You can only equip and prepare as best as you can as a parent.

NGL but some kids are more mature than adults. Just saying. 🫣

#fyp #explore #lifelessons❤️ #nz by @leahanarakena_

I don’t have unlimited money.
I don’t have unlimited time either.

There’s always something that needs paying.
Something that needs doing.
Somewhere we need to be.
But I’m slowly realising that my son probably won’t remember how much money I had. Although I am open about what we can and can't afford at times.

But he’ll remember the afternoons we spent together.
The random little adventures.
The laughs. The cries. The in-betweens.
The things we did when I could’ve easily said, “maybe another day" or outright "no.”

I used to think giving your child a good life meant being able to give them more.
Now I think it also means being there for what you already have.

So no, I might not be rich in money even if i was i wouldn't flaunt it because people will think im their finance lender 😆 nah jokes.

But if we can give our children a childhood filled with love, presence, experiences and memories...

then maybe we're richer than we realise.x

#facts #explore #relatable by @leahanarakena_