The Aroha Team
Rosanna Marks
Ko Rosanna tōku ingoa
Mai i tōku Tupuna Whaea:
Ko Puhi-moana-ariki tōku Tupuna Whare
Ko Nukutawhiti te Tupuna i Runga i a Puhi-moana-ariki
Ko Kupe te Tupuna i te Taha o Puhi-moana-ariki
Ko Mamere tōku Wāhi Tapu
Ko Maungataniwha tōku Maungatapu
Ko Tapapa tōku Awatapu
Ko Mangamuka te Kainga Noho
Mai i tōku tupuna Matua i te taha o tōku tupuna Matua:
Ko Ngati Wairere te Hapu
Ko Waiti te Marae
Ko Tainui te Waka
Mai i tōku Tupuna Matua i te Taha o tōku Tupuna Matua
Ko Ngaiterangi rāua ko te Arawa ōna Iwi
Rosanna Marks is the principal holistic therapist and founder of Aroha Bodywork at Aroha Love. She is a loving and gifted healing practitioner. Rosanna has a diverse cultural heritage; New Zealand Māori and Celtic bloodlines from her mother with Eastern European bloodlines from her father. Rosanna works innately with her tupuna (ancestors), completely trusting in their guidance and wisdom.
Rosanna is an internationally trained and licensed holistic therapist, beauty therapist for 30 years, Reiki master teacher for 18 years, healing Bellydance teacher and advanced bodyworker specialising in traditional, ancient cultural philosophies. Rosanna infuses Rongoā Māori plant medicine into Aroha products and is also an internationally certified fragrance specialist, creating the natural scents and infusions for the Aroha product collection. Rosanna is a Rongoā Māori practitioner with ACC referrals.
Rosanna is a certified Arvigo Maya abdominal therapies licensed practitioner and has studied Mayan spiritual healing under Rosita Arvigo in Belize, Central America. She is an abdominal massage specialist and travels the world regularly to learn more to enhance her skill set for her clients.
Both Rosanna and her partner Benton are nature lovers and eco-conscious planners, designers and stylists for their business Aroha eco-weddings + sacred ceremonies and you can view their work here.
Benton Day
Benton is a Reiki Master Teacher and has been practicing Reiki for 13 years. Benton is Head Chandler (candle creator) and front of house sales-manager at Aroha Love.
Trained under the highest standards of Aroha Love and the Australian Reiki association, Benton brings a fresh, practical approach, balance and strength to his work here at Aroha. Benton looks after Aroha sales and admin and is your point of contact when you phone us.
Benton supports Rosanna with Reiki workshops at Aroha Love and provides amazing vegetarian catering for all of our workshops + retreats.
Benton manages the Aroha candle + Aroha product collections, and can help with orders and corporate gifting.
An avid nature lover, Benton is our eco-conscious planning manager for Aroha eco-weddings + sacred ceremonies.
Bruno
Bruno is an integral member of the Aroha whānau. He is a pomchi (Pomeranian-chihuahua) and is usually the first to hear you coming up our front stairs – you will hear him!
Bruno loves to bark, eat, walk in nature, play with his toys and he keeps our team very entertained, fit and grounded.
Bruno likes to hang out in our office space and courtyard at the back of Aroha.
Bruno is super cute and we love him dearly. There is nothing like a team member that keeps us on our toes!
Our Tohu / Kōrero / The Story of our brand
Aroha is a word that belongs to the Māori people of Aotearoa (New Zealand).
Aroha means Love. A profound message of connection, breath, creative force, focus and energy.
Our business branding is a result of the essence we wanted to create. The core of the brand Rosanna wanted to create always came back to culture, love, and nurturing people back to wellness.
The team use the word ‘Aroha’ as the core of their values, purpose, and essence, operating as a small business in Tamaki Makaurau (Auckland). Everything we offer encompasses Aroha.
Rosanna is proud of her Māori heritage and she has deep connection to her ancestors (tupuna) healing + wellbeing (hauora), our earth, air, water and life which is interdependent and integrated (te taiao), nurturing (manaakitanga), healthy earth (whenua ora) and spirituality (wairua), all sacred to the Māori culture.
The essence of the brand Aroha flows into our beautiful Aroha heart tohu (logo), created for us in 2010 by Māori designer Tukara Matthews.
Tukara's creative mahi (work) is stunning and our Aroha heart is a powerful representation of our mahi (work) at Aroha, ancestry, and creativity.
Our tohu (logo) and kupu (word) 'Aroha' are registered trademarks in 4 classes (skincare preparations + candles) in New Zealand and (candles + weddings) in Australia, the use of this word in these specific classes is primarily for our business branding in these areas, reflecting the essence and authenticity of our brand.
We have chosen ‘Aroha’ for our business branding, not only to ensure the integrity of the word is maintained to the highest standards and ethics within our business, but also to ensure the integrity and sacredness of our boutique, Māori inspired creations; our products, our services, and the deep healing work practised here at Aroha Love.
Our tohu encompasses all the mahi (work) that we do at Aroha.