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This mahi is not separate from who we are — nor is it mine alone.
Hēni Babbington
Founder | Rongoā Māori Practitioner | Certified Health Coach
Ngāti Porou | Ngāti Tūwharetoa
Most people know me as Hēni. I am a māmā first and foremost. Raising my children has shaped so much of who I am, how I see the world, and how I move through it. Everything else flows from there.
This mahi is not separate from who we are — nor is it mine alone.
Rongoā Māori is grounded in connection — to whakapapa, whānau, whenua and the wider world around us.
My own learning has been shaped over many years through my parents, wider whānau and whakapapa. Knowledge was shared through words, through observation and practice, and through simply being immersed in and embodying the ways of my whānau.
Rongoā has therefore never felt like something I simply found. It is part of a much longer journey of learning, remembering, observing and continuing to understand what has been carried before us.
Through Te Hono Kī Manawaū, the mahi is about creating space for people to reconnect — with their bodies, themselves, their relationships, their whenua and their own understanding of wellbeing.
The practice is grounded in Rongoā Māori and may draw on mirimiri, romiromi, taonga pūoro, waiata, reflection, conversation, stillness and presence, depending on what is appropriate for the person and the mahi in front of us.
Contemporary wellbeing approaches also inform the way the practice operates today. Where appropriate, we work alongside counsellors and other health professionals, recognising that wellbeing can require many forms of support and that no one person holds all the answers.
The path into this mahi has included many different experiences. My professional background spans more than 15 years working within legal environments across Aotearoa New Zealand and internationally, followed by community and national engagement roles.
These experiences brought a strong understanding of structure, communication, advocacy, complex systems and the importance of meaningful connection. Alongside this, learning through whānau, whakapapa and Rongoā has continued.
These experiences now sit alongside one another — structured and intuitive, professional and cultural, contemporary and grounded in what has been carried before us.
Ultimately, the mahi comes back to the person in front of us.
There is no single pathway and no prescribed timeline.
Our role is not to tell you who you should be, what your journey should look like, or how quickly you should do the mahi — the work of reconnecting, reflecting and finding your own way.
It is to create a space where you can pause, listen to your body, reconnect with yourself and allow the next step to become clear.
Sometimes that begins with simply being met where you are.
And sometimes, that is enough.
Kia tau te rangimārie.
Hēni Babbington
Rongoā Māori Practitioner | Founder
Te Hono Kī Manawaū
ACC Registered Provider | Sensitive Claims | Southern Cross Easy-Claim | Victim Support Provider | Clearhead EAP | Vitae EAP | Registered Health Coach | HCANZA Member | IICT Member
A Quiet Return
To create a grounded space for restoration, remembering, and return.
A space where people feel supported to listen to themselves, reconnect with their own guidance, and move forward with greater trust in how they respond to life.
Honouring the wisdom of Rongoā Māori, while working gently alongside each person's lived experience.
Te Hono ki Manawaū
To return to yourself is not to become someone new.
It is to reconnect with what has always been there — your body, your rhythm, your own knowing.
This mahi offers grounded support through presence and care — honouring your lived experience, and creating space to align, integrate, and return in your own time, at the pace your body is ready for.
Meet the Team
Our Rongoā Māori practitioners bring deep cultural knowledge and trusted experience to their work, delivering safe services recognised by ACC and Southern Cross. Each practitioner contributes their own strengths while upholding the integrity of traditional healing.
Massage Therapist
Michelle Edwards
Kia ora, I’m Michelle Edwards, a qualified massage therapist based in Taupō. I’m passionate about helping people reduce pain, improve mobility, and feel more at ease in their bodies through evidence‑informed massage therapy and therapeutic treatments.
I began my career at QE Health in Rotorua, an internationally recognised rehabilitation centre specialising in arthritis management, chronic pain, and recovery. Working alongside clients with a wide range of musculoskeletal and neurological conditions gave me a strong clinical foundation and a deep respect for the complexity of each person’s healing journey.
My approach is caring, professional, and tailored to the individual. Manaakitanga guides the way I work — every client deserves to feel heard, respected, and supported. I’m committed to providing treatments that promote physical wellbeing, comfort, and meaningful recovery.
Whether you’re healing from an injury, managing a long‑term condition, or simply needing relief from everyday tension, I’m here to help you move well, feel better, and reconnect with your body.
Tono mai, kuhu mai.
Kaimahi – Quality Systems, Compliance & Practice Support
Mary Crane
We welcome Mary Crane to the Te Hono Ki Manawaū team.
Mary joins us from QE Health in Rotorua, bringing extensive experience across health and wellbeing services in both the United Kingdom and Aotearoa New Zealand. Her background in quality assurance, safeguarding, compliance, policy development, and person-centred practice strengthens our commitment to providing safe, consistent support for our kiritaki and their whānau.
Mary provides independent guidance across our quality systems, documentation, policies, compliance, and the ongoing refinement of the foundations that support the mahi. She works alongside our team to help ensure these foundations remain practical, fit for purpose, and aligned with our values.
While Mary leads our quality assurance and compliance processes, the cultural foundations of Te Hono Ki Manawaū remain grounded in te ao Māori, tikanga Māori, and mātauranga Māori under the leadership of our Māori practitioners. All Rongoā Māori practice and cultural guidance remain under the leadership of our Māori practitioners.
Mary's role helps strengthen the foundations that support our practice so our practitioners can remain focused on the mahi, walking alongside our kiritaki and their whānau with care, respect, and compassion.
We value the knowledge, integrity, and experience Mary brings to our kaupapa and are grateful to have her as part of our team.