160,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock 🇳🇿 

Overnight NZ-wide delivery 🚀 | Visit our Auckland bookstore • Open 7 days, 8:30am–5pm

Ara

A Maori guidebook of the mind
By Dr Hinemoa Elder
0.0 (0 reviews)
Brief Description
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, the Māori goddess of... Read More
Format: Hardback
$2399
Elsewhere:
$3000
OVERNIGHT NZ-WIDE DELIVERY

Found a better price? Request a price match

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

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, the 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.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781776950904

Publisher: Penguin Group (NZ)

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 02 September 2025

Country: New Zealand

Imprint: Penguin Books (NZ)

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 1.0mm

Width: 1.0mm

Height: 1.0mm

Weight: 1g

Pages: 240

Collections

2026 Auckland Writers Festival Best Sellers at Book Hero Best Selling Books Dr Hinemoa Elder Festival New Zealand Writers Festival Non-Fiction Happiness & Mental Health Health & Wellness In Stock Books Indigenous Spirituality Mindset & Self Help Mother's Day Gifts Mother's Day Self-Help & Personal Development Books Motivation & Inspiration New Year, New You New Zealand and Australia Published New Zealand Published Non-Fiction NZ Booklovers Awards 2026 Penguin Books Penguin Top Picks for Christmas Personal Development Philosophy & Psychology Pukapuka Reo Māori (Māori Language) Self-Help & Personal Development

About the Author

Ko Parengarenga te moana, Parengarenga is my ocean. Ko Tawhitirahi te maunga, Tawhitirahi is my mountain. Ko Awapoka te awa, Awapoka is my river. Ko Kurahaupo te waka, Kurahaupo is my ancestral canoe. Ko Potahi raua ko Te Reo Mihi oku marae, Potahi and Te Reo Mihi are my traditional meeting places. Ko Te Aupouri, ko Ngati Kurī, ko Te Rarawa, ko Ngapuhi nui tonu oku iwi, My tribes are Te Aupouri, Ngati Kurī, Te Rarawa and Ngapuhi. Ko Hinemoa taku ingoa, my name is Hinemoa. Dr Hinemoa Elder is of Te Aupouri, Ngati Kurī, Te Rarawa, Ngai Takoto and Ngapuhi 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 - Maori Wisdom for a Contented Life Lived in Harmony with Our Planet. Hinemoa is the Kaiarahi 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 Maori. You can also find her on Instagram and TikTok @drhinemoa.

Also by Dr Hinemoa Elder

View all
  • Aroha
    Aroha by Dr Hinemoa Elder is an enlightening exploration of timeless Maori wisdom, intricately woven into a contemporary context. This top-selling non-fiction title from New Zealand in 2021 introduces readers to 52 traditional Maori proverbs, known as whakataukī, each offering a profound lesson for every week of the year. Dr Elder, a respected Maori psychiatrist, delves into these powerful sayings...
    By Dr Hinemoa Elder
    Hardback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $3000
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Waitohu
    From the best-selling author of Aroha and Wawata comes a new and inspiring journal to help you make deeper connections using the energies of Hina, the Māori moon goddess, and the power of aroha. Kia ora! Welcome to Waitohu – a journal where the Māori lunar calendar invites us to write about our lives in a new way. This writing...
    By Dr Hinemoa Elder
    Paperback
    $2800
    Elsewhere:
    $3500
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Dear Moko
    Māori child and adolescent psychiatrist Dr Hinemoa Elder has shaped her beloved book Aroha into this special collection of whakataukī and whakatauakī for mokopuna of all ages. Bestselling author of Aroha and respected Māori psychiatrist Dr Hinemoa Elder has written a special collection of whakataukī for tamariki mokopuna. Puanga kai rau. Puanga, the star signalling a time of the year...
    By Dr Hinemoa Elder
    Hardback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Wawata - Moon Dreaming
    Wawata - Moon Dreaming by Dr Hinemoa Elder invites readers on a transformative journey through the ancient wisdom of the Māori lunar calendar. This deeply insightful book introduces you to Hina, the Māori moon goddess, who reveals a different face each night of the month, bringing with her unique energies and lessons. Dr Elder, known for her bestselling work Aroha,...
    By Dr Hinemoa Elder
    Hardback
    $2300
    Elsewhere:
    $3000
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Aroha - Te reo Māori edition
    Dr Hinemoa Elder's bestselling Aroha, translated into te reo Māori. Published in collaboration with Kotahi Rau Pukapuka. Kia ora. Nau mai ki Aroha. He mātāpono tenei mea, te aroha, no te ao Māori, no mai ano. He taonga te aroha no te whatumanawa, e rongo ai te tangata i te hononga ki te ao wairua, ki te ao kikokiko, ki...
    By Dr Hinemoa Elder
    Hardback
    $2500
    Elsewhere:
    $3000
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow

More from Self-Help & Personal Development

View all
  • New Release
    How to Hero
    In his brand-new book, bestselling author & award-winning adventurer Ross Edgley detailsthe science, psychology and history of heroism, uncovering what drives ordinary peopleto do extraordinary things. Written during his historic 1,000-mile (1,600-km) swim around the entire coast of Iceland,the book follows Edgley as he battles Arctic storms, active volcanoes and one of thelargest hurricanes ever recorded in the Atlantic -...
    By Ross Edgley
    Paperback
    $3299
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • New Release
    Protocols
    Simple, powerful and evidence-based solutions to life's most common challenges - the first book from renowned Stanford professor Dr Andrew Huberman. Dr Andrew Huberman, host of the world's leading health podcast, Huberman Lab, and neuroscientist and tenured professor at Stanford School of Medicine, introduces Protocols, an essential guide to improving brain function, enhancing mood and energy, optimising bodily health and...
    By Andrew Huberman
    Paperback
    $3399
    Elsewhere:
    $4000
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • New Release
    Endo Empathy
    Voices. Visibility. Validation. Endo Empathy is your emotional companion to life with endometriosis. Inside, you’ll find validation while reading the emotional stories from 33 members of New Zealand’s endometriosis community. Learn how to identify your feelings by connecting with your body, and discover ways to care for yourself while making space for these emotions. Discover more about endometriosis and emotional...
    By Natalie Hampshire
    Hardback
    $3299
    Elsewhere:
    $3500
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • New Release
    Live Free
    From victim to survivor, and now thriver. 'My mission is to clear the path ahead, just a little – so that maybe you won't have to endure what I did to live the life you deserve.' Former world No. 4 tennis player, commentator and body positivity advocate Jelena Dokic shares the tools and insights that helped her reclaim her life – and...
    By Jelena Dokic
    Paperback
    $3299
    Elsewhere:
    $4000
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Winner's Formula
    The Neuroscience of Peak Performance, Success, and Happiness Why do some people win all the time? Why do others languish? From Olympians to Formula 1 drivers, addicts to billionaires, cognitive neuroscientist Dr Kerry Spackman has spent decades working to help people understand how to succeed. In The Winner's Formula, Kerry explains what goes on in your brain when you are...
    By Kerry Spackman
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Let Them Theory
    New York Times Bestselling Author. Millions of books sold worldwide! A Life-Changing Tool Millions of People Can't Stop Talking About What if the key to happiness, success, and love was as simple as two words? If you've ever felt stuck, overwhelmed, or frustrated with where you are, the problem isn't you. The problem is the power you give to other...
    By Mel Robbins
    Paperback
    $2599
    Elsewhere:
    $3200
    (9)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • "What Were You Thinking!?"
    Everything parents need to know about their baby, child or teen's developing brain to raise resilient, emotional intelligent kids, by globally renowned neuroscience educator Nathan Wallis. 'What were you thinking!?'If you've ever asked this in despair while watching a toddler melt down, a tween push boundaries or a teenager make a truly terrible decision, this book is for you.In "What Were...
    By Nathan Wallis
    Paperback
    $3299
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Eat Your Ice Cream
    Eat Your Ice Cream
    The New York Times bestseller that presents a bold new vision for living well and ageing with purpose from a world-renowned health expert THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER From a leading doctor and world-renowned health expert, the simple, uplifting and practical guide to cutting through the wellness noise, living well and ageing with purpose. ‘Essential reading for anyone who...
    By Dr Ezekiel J. Emanuel
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $4000
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Choose Your Hard
    Every path in life is hard. Being unfit and unhealthy is hard. Choosing to exercise, eat well, face discomfort, and do the difficult things is also hard. The question is: which hard do you choose? In Choose Your Hard, Professor Grant Schofield, one of New Zealand’s most cited health scientists with over 18,000 citations in the scientific literature, argues that...
    By Grant Schofield
    Paperback
    $3300
    Elsewhere:
    $3500
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Atomic Habits Daily Calendar
    The Atomic Habits Daily Calendar
    Powerful ideas for each day of the year from the author of the #1 worldwide bestseller, Atomic Habits. Based on the principles that made Atomic Habits a global phenomenon, this daily calendar turns habit formation into a simple daily practice. Get actionable guidance, motivational insights, and system-building tools that make it easier to get a little bit better—every day of...
    By James Clear
    Calendar
    $3699
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    Backorder
    Ships mid November
  • The DOSE Effect
    The DOSE Effect offers small habits to boost your brain chemistry. "This book will help you find more motivation, create deeper connections, energise your body, and destress your mind," says Jay Shetty, author of Think Like a Monk. Life can feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. Today’s fast-paced world leaves many of us struggling with extreme emotional highs...
    By TJ Power
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Now What?
    There are countless self-help books telling you how to get the life you want—how to find your purpose, make your plan, follow your goals. Yet, too many of us are frozen in life, unfulfilled and stuck with what we have. Too often, we only see our future through a lens of the past—our past beliefs, experiences, and circumstances. We desire...
    By Gary John Bishop
    Paperback
    $3299
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 160,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.

Self-Help & Personal Development lists from the team

Explore our curated lists from our heroes to find your next read!

The Latest at Book Hero

View all