TE AO TŪROA
Te Ao Tūroa is the reliable, physical, material realm that we can see, smell, touch and measure. Te Ao Tūroa is where we make a living, raise a family, get an education, and rent or buy a house. It is the world we travel through when we go on holiday, the beach where we go swimming, the hills we go walking in, and the river where we go fishing.
Te Ao Tūroa is also where we get into habits and lose track of what we are doing and why we are doing it. This can look like being stuck in a pattern of behaviour, repeating old ways of doing things, and making the same mistakes over and over again. Te Ao Tūroa refers to our current situation and our present time.
TE KORE
Te Kore is a realm of emptiness, uncertainty, ambiguity, memories, and pure potential. When we find ourselves in Te Kore we are often not sure what’s going on. This can be a very uncomfortable and result in expressions of fear, grief, or anger. Often these experiences are the result of forces we cannot control such as losing our job, ending a relationship, or becoming unwell.
However, if we approach it the right way, Te Kore can also be the realm where we get to reflect deeply on our lives, make sense of what’s happened, and reconnect with what is most important to us. It is where new potential emerges. Te Kore can be an experience of refreshing, re-energising, and reconnecting with our life’s purpose. Te Korekoreka is one way that we can learn to step into Te Kore and access the knowledge of the past with more confidence and control.
KNOWING
Te Ao te kitea –
Te Ao is to be certain
DOING
Te Ao te hangahanga –
Te Ao is to be industrious
REVIEWING
Te Ao te tātari raia e –
Te Ao is to actively review
SEEKING
Te Kore te waniwani –
Te Kore is for searching
REFLECTING
Te Kore te hurihuri –
Te Kore is for reflecting
UNDERSTANDING
Te Kore te whakamōhio e –
Te Kore is for understanding
TE PŌ
Te Pō is a realm of creativity and the natural process of turning dreams into reality. Our time in Te Pō sometimes starts with a flash of inspiration and total clarity about what we want to create. Other times this is a much more gradual process of trial and error. Whatever your creative process looks like, this is the realm where you have the time, space and resources you need to dream, draw, weave, build, and make.
IMAGINING
Te Pō aronui –
Te Pō is for absolute imagination
DESIGNING
Te Pō whāwhākau –
Te Pō is for designing with purpose
MAKING
Te Pō te auaha e –
Te Pō is for creating
TE AO MĀRAMA
In Te Ao Mārama the path forward is clear and we feel confident in our ability to make positive change through our own actions. Te Ao Mārama is where we get to share our ideas publicly and build the support that we need to make things happen. Often this requires us to let go of control and allow other people to get involved in our project. Turning our ideas into reality often involves them taking on a life of their own.
Te Korekoreka is a way for us to embrace the wisdom of the past. But it understands that the past is the only path to creating a sustainable, prosperous, healthy future. This is best expressed in the Kāi Tahu whakataukī, ‘Mō tātou, ā mō kā uri ā muri ake nei’. Te Korekoreka is not about personal growth. It is about ‘Mō kā uri’ and the work of transforming the future for our mokopuna.
ACHIEVING
Te Ao te pahawa
– Te Ao Mārama is for achieving
CELEBRATING
Te Ao te haumihi
– Te Ao Mārama is for acknowledgement
COMPLETING
Te Ao te whakaea e
– Te Ao Mārama is for bringing to fruition
Thank you for traveling with us on this virtual journey through Te Korekoreka.
We hope this gives you a better understanding of the kawa and the vision we hold.
KARAKIA
Te Kawa o Te Korekoreka is based on a famous karakia composed in 1849 by Kāi Tahu rakatira and tohuka Matiaha Tiramōrehu. ‘Kei a te pō’ tells the story of how the universe was called into being through song. The karakia describes four key realms of creation – starting with Te Pō (the darkness) and moving into Te Ao Mārama (the light), then Te Ao Tūroa (the physical world), before returning to Te Kore (the nothingness) before returning to Te Pō and the cycle repeating.
Immerse yourself in the karakia to start your journey through Te Korekoreka.
