About Ngākau Collective
My Why
Ngākau Collective was born from a calling to help wāhine return to their essence. In a world that often pulls us away from our wairua, our whenua, and our whakapapa, this space is an invitation to come back to the ngākau — the heart of who we are. Our journey is not one of striving, but of remembering. Like the unfurling of a koru, we grow by turning inward first.
It is a place to wānanga with the self, to move gently through layers of healing, and to remember the mātauranga we carry within.
Ngākau Collective honours the rhythm of hauora through a Te Ao Māori lens — lovingly adapted for the modern age while staying true to its essence. Here, wellbeing is not separate from land, lineage, or spirit.
In this space, wāhine are supported to reclaim their mauri, awaken their mana, and walk through the world with grounded integrity.
About the Founder/ Kaitiaki
Tēnā koe, ko Verna Maihi tōku ingoa.
I’m the founder and kaitiaki of Ngākau Collective — a space born from deep healing, personal transformation, emotional resilience, and a return to cultural and spiritual roots.
There have been shadows, pauses, and quiet unravelling. Like many wāhine, I know disconnection, doubt, and the long road back to myself. I created this space so that others wouldn’t have to walk that path alone.
Ngākau Collective is where I bring all of me — my whakapapa, my wairua, my experiences as a mama, a wife, a daughter, a sister, and a wāhine Māori finding her way home.
I believe in the strength that lives within every wāhine — and in the quiet power that rises when we reclaim our voice, our confidence, and our sense of worth.
This mahi is my heart work. It’s gentle, intuitive, real — and it was created with you in mind.
Your ngākau knows the way. Trust her. She’s been waiting for you.
From One Journey, A Collective Was Born
Ngākau Journey is the foundation this whare was built on — the first pou to rise.
It’s a guided course for those ready to reconnect with their inner knowing and walk their own path of self-discovery, supported by the rhythm of Te Ao Māori.
If you’ve been feeling the call to return to yourself, this may be your next step.
Begin Your JourneyA Home For the Returning
Ngākau Collective is grounded in kaupapa Māori and created especially with wāhine in mind — wāhine who are ready to return to their mauri, explore their mātauranga, and walk with intention. This space is for those who have felt disconnected from themselves, from their wairua, or from their cultural roots, and who are now ready to come home to their ngākau.
While everyone is welcome, this mahi is offered through a wāhine Māori lens. It honours the strength, softness, and sacredness that wāhine carry — and how their healing ripples into whānau, hapū, and beyond. Whether you're reconnecting with your identity, reclaiming your voice, or simply seeking deeper alignment, this space was woven with you in mind.
Ngākau Collective is here to hold space as you return — in your own time, in your own way.
The Story Behind the Name
"Ngākau" is often translated as "heart," but in te ao Māori, its meaning reaches far beyond anatomy. It is the wellspring of emotion, intuition, wairua, and inner truth — the sacred centre from which our life force flows.
This name honours my late brother, whose passing left an ache in our whānau, and a deeper awareness of the legacy we carry in our ngākau.
Ngākau is also a shape my hand draws again and again — most often as a koru within a heart. To me, this symbol represents both personal growth and ancestral return. It speaks of unfolding, remembering, and the soft strength required to live a heart-led life.
Ngākau Collective is not just a name. It is a commitment to honour what matters most — aroha, wairua, and the relationships that bind us to each other and to our whakapapa. It is a space of healing and reconnection, grounded in truth, integrity, and whanaungatanga.
Wairua Foundations
Ngākau Collective is grounded in a wairua-first approach. We honour the unseen as deeply as the seen — knowing that healing is not just physical or mental, but spiritual. This space is guided by the quiet wisdom of intuition, ritual, tohu, and connection to whenua and whakapapa.
Our mahi is not about fixing what’s broken. It’s about remembering what was always there.
We don’t rush. We listen. We move with integrity and intention.
While our roots are firmly in Te Ao Māori, we also recognise that we are living in a modern world. What we offer has been gently adapted to reflect this — upholding the essence of indigenous wisdom while making space for today’s rhythms, responsibilities, and realities.
These wairua foundations shape how we serve, create, and hold space — not as strategies, but as values in motion. Everything we offer, from courses to kōrero, reflects this deeper rhythm.
Let your ngākau lead. It already knows the way.
