> Skip to content
  • Published: 2 September 2025
  • ISBN: 9781776950904
  • Imprint: Penguin
  • Format: Hardback
  • Pages: 240
  • RRP: $24.99

Ara

A Māori guidebook of the mind





From the best-selling author of Aroha, Wawata, Waitohu and E Moko Dear Moko, comes a unique exploration of how to think about thinking, rooted in the wisdom of Māori culture.

Dr Hinemoa Elder introduces us to a profound journey guided by Hinengaro, Māori goddess of the mind, leading us through 23 specific rua, caves, into the unfamiliar depths of Papatūānuku, our earth mother, and back to the surface again.

Hinengaro offers us a dedicated path to gather insights, face challenges and help us navigate the complexities of our minds.

Ara: A Māori guidebook of the mind is a resource for anyone seeking some comfort and clarity amid the chaos of our life’s path. Travel through this mind map navigating growth and discovery.

Join Dr Hinemoa Elder’s quest through these ancient rua and learn about the many gifts and lessons Hinengaro has waiting for you.

  • Published: 2 September 2025
  • ISBN: 9781776950904
  • Imprint: Penguin
  • Format: Hardback
  • Pages: 240
  • RRP: $24.99

About the author

Dr Hinemoa Elder

Ko Pārengarenga te moana, Pārengarenga is my ocean.

Ko Tawhitirahi te maunga, Tawhitirahi is my mountain.

Ko Awapoka te awa, Awapoka is my river.

Ko Kurahaupō te waka, Kurahaupō is my ancestral canoe.

Ko Pōtahi rāua ko Te Reo Mihi ōku marae, Pōtahi and Te Reo Mihi are my traditional meeting places.

Ko Te Aupōuri, ko Ngāti Kurī, ko Te Rarawa, ko Ngāi Takoto, ko Ngāpuhi nui tonu ōku iwi, My tribes are Te Aupōuri, Ngāti Kurī, Te Rarawa, Ngāi Takoto and Ngāpuhi.

Ko Hinemoa taku ingoa, my name is Hinemoa.

Dr Hinemoa Elder is of Te Aupōuri, Ngāti Kurī,
Te Rarawa, Ngāi Takoto and Ngāpuhi nui tonu and is the mother of two adult children. She has lived on Te Motu Ārai Roa, Waiheke Island for more than 25 years, and is the author of New Zealand’s best-selling local non-fiction book of 2021, Aroha - Māori Wisdom for a Contented Life Lived in Harmony with Our Planet.

Hinemoa is the Kaiārahi Oranga Hinengaro at Te Hiku Hauora, Muriwhenua. She also provides youth forensic court reports and neuropsychiatric assessment and treatment for tamariki mokopuna experiencing complexities in their recovery from traumatic brain injury. She is a deputy psychiatry member of the New Zealand Mental Health Review Tribunal.

In 2019, Hinemoa was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit,for services to psychiatry and Māori. You can also find her on Instagram and TikTok @drhinemoa.

Also by Dr Hinemoa Elder

See all
penguin pop image
penguin pop image