🌿 Mirimiri (Massage) – Healing with Mitch Leathem 🌿 -

Turangi | Rongoā Māori | Mirimiri Massage | Holistic Healing

If you’re travelling through Tūrangi, planning a day on the maunga, completing the Tongariro Alpine Crossing or simply in need of a proper reset, make time to experience a powerful healing massage with local practitioner Mitch Leathem.

Mitch is a respected practitioner of Rongoā Māori based right here in Tūrangi, weaving together traditional healing practices like Mirimiri – massage, Romiromi – bodywork and Mahi a Wheua with deep spiritual insight and clinical expertise. Her sessions are not just about bodywork—they’re a return to balance, wairua and whenua.

🌀 This is healing in its purest form—ancestral, intuitive and transformative.

✨ Why Book a Session with Mitch?

Mitch is a true leader in the field of traditional Māori healing, with over 20 years of experience and deep whakapapa connections to Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Kahu, Te Rarawa and Ngāti Whātua.
Her clinic, Ahoake Rongoā, offers both funded (ACC, Tuwharetoa Health, EAP) and private sessions.
Ideal for post-adventure recovery, holistic massage, spiritual grounding, emotional release or deep rest.
The clinic is central to Tūrangi—perfect for a stop on your North Island road trip.

👉 Pro tip: After your session, head a few minutes down the road to Tokaanu Thermal Pools for a soothing soak. Your body and spirit will thank you.

🌀 What is Mirimiri and Romiromi?

Mirimiri massage is a traditional form of Māori healing that goes beyond physical therapy. It works with the body, mind and wairua (spirit) to release blockages, restore energy and create balance. Practitioners use gentle touch, pressure points and guided intention to help clear pathways and reconnect a person to their mauri (life force).

Romiromi is a deeper and more intensive form of Māori bodywork, often focusing on musculoskeletal alignment, massage techniques and energy flow. It can involve firmer pressure, stretching and rhythmic movements that activate the body’s natural healing response. Traditionally, Romiromi prepared warriors for battle or healed them after injury—today, it’s widely embraced for its ability to release deep trauma, tension and emotional weight.

Together, Mirimiri and Romiromi healing practices represent the physical expression of Rongoā Māori, carrying forward ancestral knowledge passed down through generations.