The Aro-hā Method™: Emotional Regulation & Wellbeing Services


THE ARO-HĀ METHOD™

A culturally grounded, neuroscience-aligned pathway for emotional regulation, breath retraining, and long-term habit change.

Created by Julia Wikeepa

Aro-hā Method™ helps people move from anxiety, pressure, and overwhelm into steadiness, clarity, and emotional strength — using a simple framework grounded in mātauranga Māori and trauma-informed practice.

It blends:

• Cultural wisdom
• Breath retraining & nervous system education
• Habit-change psychology
• Post-traumatic growth
• Practical micro-practices
• Julia’s lived experience of transformation

This approach is gentle, structured, and immediately useful — ideal for individuals, staff, and whānau navigating stress, emotional reactivity, or repeating patterns.

THE ARO-HĀ METHOD™ IN 4 SIMPLE STEPS

A culturally grounded pathway for nervous-system regulation and lasting change

ARO-HĀ™ is a simple, grounded method that helps people calm their body first — so they can think clearly, respond instead of react, and make better choices under stress.

It’s designed for real moments:

  • when emotions spike

  • when you feel overwhelmed

  • when you know you need to pause before responding

  • when old habits or patterns are activated

ARO-HĀ™ supports people to regulate first, so meaningful kōrero, reflection, and change can follow.

The ARO-HĀ™ Method

  • Aro — Attentive awareness of state
    Learn to notice what’s happening in the body and nervous system before things escalate.

  • Hā — Breath to regulate and restore safety
    Simple breathing that signals safety to the nervous system and brings the body out of fight, flight, or shutdown.

  • Rō — Inward allowance
    Space to let sensations and emotions settle without fixing, suppressing, or analysing.

  • Oha — Access to abundance and choice
    When the body feels safe, clarity and choice can return. Fear softens, and a sense of enoughness and possibility becomes available.

What this helps with 

ARO-HĀ™ helps people:

  • calm emotional overload faster

  • reduce reactive behaviour

  • stay present during difficult conversations

  • make clearer decisions under pressure

  • build trust in their ability to self-regulate

  • create change that actually sticks

This method is used alongside the Hā Tool and short guided resources, making it easy to apply in homes, workplaces, schools, and community settings.

JULIA’S APPROACH

Julia brings a unique blend of:

  • Lived experience of anxiety, addiction, eating disorders & rebuilding life

  • Formal study: BSocSci (Psychology & HR)

  • Trauma-informed practice

  • Mātauranga Māori integration

  • Breathwork training (Max Strom – Italy, Sacred Breath Academy – Thailand)

  • Deep empathy, non-judgement & cultural safety

Her facilitation is grounded in deep presence, safety, and cultural intelligence.

“I help people feel safe enough to feel — and strong enough to change.”

 

NON-CLINICAL & CULTURALLY GROUNDED

This method is non-clinical and complements hauora, clinical, and social services.

Participants learn to:

  • regulate their nervous system

  • retrain breathing patterns (including asthma/COPD support)

  • move out of overwhelm

  • break unhelpful coping (vaping, smoking, emotional eating)

  • develop micro-habits for long-term change

This mahi is ideal for organisations supporting vulnerable whānau and frontline staff

FOR ORGANISATIONS & TEAMS

The Aro-hā Method™ supports staff and clients in:

  • high-pressure roles

  • emotionally heavy environments

  • frontline work

  • wellbeing, mental health, and youth services

  • schools, hauora, iwi providers, EAP, and social services

Workshops can be used for professional development OR client programmes.

 

ARO-HĀ METHOD™ — 6-WEEK FOUNDATIONS PROGRAMME

Investment: $1,200 + GST per person

A guided pathway to emotional regulation, breath retraining, and behavioural change.

Includes:

• Hā Tool
• 7-part video series
• 4 × 20-min guided sessions
• Workbook + daily micro-practices
• Pre- and post-programme wellbeing survey
• Weekly accountability
• Habit change support (vaping/smoking, emotional eating, coping behaviours)
• Trauma-informed guidance
• Aro-hā Method™ integration
• A practical plan forward

This programme builds:

  • emotional steadiness

  • embodied resilience

  • self-regulation

  • confidence

  • long-term wellbeing

Suitable for organisations wanting group delivery over six weeks. Enquire below.

ORGANISATIONAL TRAINING OPTIONS

Breathing Through Stress: The Hā Approach to Wellbeing

2.5-hour workshop • up to 20 participants
$1,800 + GST

Includes:

  • nervous system education

  • breathwork practices

  • Aro-hā Method™

  • emotional regulation tools

  • worksheets + reflection

Optional Add-On: Hā Tools — $120 + GST pp
(min 10, max 20)
Includes: Hā Tool + e-book + integration practice

 

Follow-Up Integration Package

$2,500 + GST — 3 × 120-min wānanga

Supports:
• Aro-hā Method™ integration
• Emotional regulation in real life
• Accountability & consistency
• Boundary-setting
• Long-term resilience

WHY ORGANISATIONS CHOOSE THE ARO-HĀ METHOD™

Organisations choose this approach because it provides simple, culturally grounded tools that staff and clients can use immediately in daily life — creating lasting behavioural and emotional change.

ENQUIRE OR BOOK

To bring the Aro-hā Method™ to your organisation or clients:

Our offerings and pricing will be changing next year as we shift into a new direction and expanded goals. Enquire below to lock in current 2025 pricing before the update. Alternatively, email 📧 info@hahabitnz.com