Episode 31
69 mins
Jase Te Patu - Mindfulness, Maori Mythology and Yoga
Jase Te Patu is a Yoga teacher based in Wellington, New Zealand. Jase has a lot going on! He heads up his yoga studio, Power Living Wellington, he facilitates men’s groups and is leading the charge in creating discussions around men’s mental health. He also recently created M3Mindfulness, an initiative being introduced to schools in New Zealand that incorporates Mindfulness, Yoga and Maori mythology.
In this episode we learn about Jase's life growing up, being raised by his grandparents and speaking Maori until he reached school age. We learn about how he struggled with being forced into a specific version of masculinity at boarding school, and how that informs the work he does today.
We learn how Jase went from competitive sport in his youth to dance and then how he discovered yoga, Jase goes on to tell us about his important work in mental health and men's health, and we have a discussion about how his new school program, M3mindfulness came to be.
This episode really means a lot to me - as a Maori and a man myself, I really resonated with a lot of what he has to say, and I feel the work he is doing is incredibly important. Jase is not afraid to show his authentic self or his vulnerability. He shares wisdom that we really need in the world in this day and age, and we are truly honored to be able to play a small part in that.
Highlights
Click on a timecode to play from that time in the recording.
1:40 Growing up in New Zealand speaking Maori - raised by his grandparents3:15 Jase describes life out on the Marae
5:08 Jase describes kohanga reo - kindergarten where you speak in Maori
5:55 Was Jase’s childhood immersed in Maori Spirituality?
8:13 “Making shapes is just a way for us to connect to the greater”
9:20 Was it a hard adjustment going to boarding school?
13:30 Does your early experiences of masculine conformity in boarding school inform the way that you encourage men to express their authentic selves today?
16:23 “You don’t fit in here” On being too White to be Maori, to Maori to be White.
18:20 How did sports influence Jase?
20:40 Creating a truly inclusive space
26:00 How did Jase discover yoga?
27:00 What are the similarities between dance and yoga for Jase?
29:50 “You really don’t need to try so hard”
31:00 When did Jase realise he wanted to teach yoga?
33:39 Why did Jase decide to open his own studio?
35:06 Jase reconnects with his mother.
35:54 “This is bigger than you, boy”
39:30 How m3mindfulness came about.
46:30 Youth (and male) suicide rates in New Zealand are amongst the highest in the world.
47:40 What self care activities does Jase do to keep himself able to do what he does?
54:45 How Jase got started with leading men’s groups.
62:40 Does Jase have any advice for people wanting to be better at holding space?
65:44 Words of wisdom - the meaning of Aroha
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