It’s hard to hate Mondays when you’re at the marae.

The laughter of people, young and old, as everyone learns how to use poi, a waiata playing in the background – its' a healing start to the week.

About 15 attended the marae’s poi fitness session, the first in a line of events to celebrate Māori language week.

Shannon Robinson, who works for Waitaha Primary Health, ran the class which combined simple poi movements and stretching.

"I think fitness should be fun,” she said.

"If we teach our whanau from a very young age that looking after your bodies no matter what stage we’re in in life, it’ll hopefully break some health barriers.

"Especially in our Māori and Pasifika communities, we already know our health stats aren’t where we’d like them to be.”

Robinson, who has experience as a personal fitness trainer, said looking after your health goes beyond the physical.

"It’s our mind, our whanau, our community. It’s everything we are as a person.”

Sarah Henny came to the marae to play some waiata, but ended up getting into the poi.

She said the session reminded her of her own upbringing in Hawke's Bay.

"What I love is that from kaumatua (elders) to our young people, we’re interacting. We’re together as whanau.''

Marae coordinator Tania Reuben was pleased with how the first event went.

"This is a time where we can celebrate te reo (Māori language), and tikanga (Māori customs), and bring people in who would like to experience that.”

"This means everything to us.”

Reuben said everyone was welcome to the marae over this week for the rest of the events.

"It’s just about a week of celebrating our language, sharing it, teaching it, learning it.”

By Anisha Satya