A Rasta day
Lessons in peaceful living
Bill Milligan
Driving through lush jungle on a winding road, about fifteen minutes outside Montego Bay, we reach our destination, a Rastafarian village tucked into rolling hills, with tropical birds and thick towering bamboo. This is one of sixteen Rastafarian settlements in Jamaica, where the Rastafarian culture began.
On this Jamaican morning we were visiting, along with a group of uniformed high school students, part of an estate owned by the Nelson family who have donated a portion of their land to promote the Rastafarian lifestyle. The Nelsons introduce us to “First Man," an imposing figure, who guided us to the village.
We came upon a clear stream, separating the Rasta compound from the estate. Crossing the stream signifies a symbolic cleansing, before entering a sacred land.
In the distance we heard the soothing sound of drumming, occasionally interrupted with brief staccato attacks. “First Man” explained, in a deep baritone, the many medically important indigenous plants, fruits and vegetables used by the Rastas. The drumming, scent of wood burning, and cannabis created a calming effect. Our inhibitions lessening, we began to open up to the Rasta experience.
As we ascended the gentle hill, the drumming and scents became more intense. We were met by other Rastas who offered us gourds filled with coconut water, which we sipped while we watched the drummers under an open air hut, known as a palapa, which is used for ceremonies and educational presentations.
After our welcoming coconut water we were taken on a tour of the compound and shown the organic gardens with herbs and vegetables. The Rastas utilize a variety of huts for different purposes. These include a spa hut for massages and herbal baths, a crafticians hut, where they create, demonstrate, and sell thier own crafts, a tea hut, where many types of therapeutic herbal teas are brewed, an Ital hut where Rasta women prepare vegetarian dishes, and a reason hut, used for exhibits and presentations about Jamaican culture andRasta lifestyle.
We were drawn to an open wood-burning stove with a boiling pot simmering with fresh shredded coconut, used to make the coconut oil used inItal cooking.
In the reason hut we learned about organic farming, the dangers of processed foods, and the need for all of us to understand labeling on bottles, cans and on everything we consume.
On top of a small hill stood a walking labyrinth, created from carved bamboo. We were told these labyrinths go back many hundreds of years, originating in Asia. The Chinese believed that liberating the filter between the subconscious and consciousness can bring resolution to deep-seated problems. The Rastas use this labyrinth for contemplation and problem solving.
Amidst this sensory experience we became grateful to be introduced to this rich and varied, culture.
Rastafarians have shared their beliefs with the world via their music and philosophy, and given Jamaica a special place in history.
(The legendary Bob Marley was a devout Rastafarian.)
Rastafarian communities can now be found on every continent but there is nothing quite the same as Rastafarians in Jamaica, the land of their roots.
The world has this island to thank for nurturing a peaceful culture. Though the use of cannabis is illegal in Jamaica and other places around the globe, the Rasta culture embraces healthy organic eating, self-sufficiency, peacefulness, conservation, education and avoidance of alcohol.
While not the lifestyle for all, there are many positive concepts we can embrace from the Rastafarians, which can improve our planet and ourselves.
For more information about this Rastafarian village near Jamaica's Montego Bay, click here.
Photos: Member of the village amdist a natural abundance; vegetarian cooking in the Ital Hut; the author with his Rasta friends; "First Man" cleansing in the river. Photos by Yndiana Montes.
Bill Milligan, a retired family physician, is the English editor for Solo Caribe
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