Māori believe a person is made up of 3 aspects - The Wairua (spiritual aspect), The Hinengaro (mental aspect) and The Tinana (the physical body).
Rongoā Māori is based around bringing healing (or as I think of it - 'Balance') to the whole person, so encompassing all 3 of these aspects. If one is unhealed / out of balance then the person will never feel 'whole' and issues can continue to arise. It is very difficult for a person to fully understand their Mana (personal power / value) when their thoughts tell them otherwise or they are in constant physical pain etc.
To achieve this, through the power of IO (The Creator) I can see into each of these aspects and can use a number of means to achieve a return to a more balanced person.
Some of those 'means' can include any or all of the following:
Karakia, waiata, Kōmiri (a form of counselling), Pure (a spiritual form of cleansing), touch and body manipulation, ritual, movements, the preparation of oils, wairakau (tonics), panipani (salves) and sprays.
I accept however that at the end of the day, each person has their own journey with IO and my mahi will be only to the extent I am given.
Every Rongoā Māori Practitioner will have their own Matauranga (belief system) around what they do but we all work within that basic understanding of the 3 aspects of a person (no matter what their culture/DNA). I say this because Rongoā Māori works for all races of people - not just Māori and many of my clients are non-Māori for this reason.