Te Kōpū Ūkaipō
A space to pause, reconnect and remember
Like the whare tangata, Te Kōpū Ūkaipō is a warm, protected and nurturing space. It offers wāhine the opportunity to step away from the noise of everyday life, rest within meaningful kōrero, and reconnect with the strength of their tūpuna and their own inner knowing.
Our Purpose
Te Kōpū Ūkaipō is delivered as a guided reflection wānanga that supports māmā to navigate the identity shifts of motherhood. Through kōrero, reflection and collective connection, it creates space for women to reconnect with their own knowing, strengthen their sense of identity and belonging, and recognise the relationships and places that sustain them.
Rather than offering answers or attempting to fix, Te Kōpū Ūkaipō is grounded in the belief that every wāhine already carries her own wisdom. The role of the framework is to create the conditions where that wisdom can be remembered through reconnection to whakapapa, whenua, self, and the relationships that sustain us.
The Tohu
The tohu (logo) is a visual representation of the foundations that underpin Te Kopu Ukaipo.
Te Kōpū (The Outer Shape): Represents the whare tangata (womb) and the tapu space held by wāhine. It invokes the domain of Hineteiwaiwa, wrapping māmā in a protective spiritual korowai (cloak) during the wānanga.
Ūkaipō (The Core Heart): Represents our true home - the physical and spiritual places we return to for deep nourishment, identity, and a strong sense of belonging.
Whenua (The Bottom Ridged Line): Represents Papatūānuku as a calming anchor for rest, release, and rongoā (healing). This honors the dual meaning of whenua - the land that sustains us and the placenta that nourished our pēpi.
Whakapapa (The Unbroken Thread): Represents the continuous ancestral lineage looping through womb, home, and earth. It reminds māmā she is never isolated, standing as the central living link between her tūpuna (ancestors) and her future generations.
About Me
Kia ora! Ko Kayla ahau. He uri tēnei nō Te Arawa, Ngāpuhi hoki. I am a māmā of five, based in Ōtautahi, Christchurch, and I enjoy being amongst te taiao and spending time with my whānau.
I am currently a Year 4 Bachelor of Social Work student at the University of Otago, alongside ongoing learning and professional development in areas including perinatal mental health, child protection and trauma informed practice. I am also undertaking Te Tohu Taonga Pūoro through Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, continuing to explore and deepen my connection with this area of te ao Māori.
My background includes hands on experience in family support roles, as well as community led work and initiatives focused on whānau and perinatal mental health. I have also organsied and hosted an event dedicated to Perinatal Mental Health Awareness.
The foundation of Te Kōpū Ūkaipō has been shaped by my own lived experience, rangahau and ongoing learning. Throughout its development, I have intentionally sought guidance and whakaaro from practitioners with expertise across areas relevant to the kaupapa. Their insights, encouragement and guidance have helped me to strengthen and refine the framework as it has evolved.
Te Kōpū Ūkaipō has grown from this combination of lived experience, learning, research and connection. It is my hope that this kaupapa can offer wāhine a space to pause, reflect and reconnect with their own knowing, identity, belonging and whakapapa throughout the journey of motherhood.
Our Guidelines
You choose what you share. There is no expectation to disclose anything personal or private.
What is shared within the wānanga is held with care and respect for each person’s privacy and lived experience. The mana and dignity of everyone in the space will be upheld.
Information about local support services will be available if needed.
Please note: Te Kōpū Ūkaipō is not a counselling, therapy, crisis or clinical service.
Contact
Te Kōpū Ūkaipō is currently entering its pilot phase, with the first community wānanga taking place in September 2026.
If you have any questions, or would like to learn more about the kaupapa and upcoming wānanga, feel free to reach out for a kōrero.