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From the Pacific Isles
comes kava, the peace plant. Kava is the name of both
the plant and a beverage made from its pounded roots.
Kava soothes. Kava rubs the sore and weary shoulders of
humanity and eases the mind of its burdens. In this
regard, kava is the perfect representative of the
Pacific Islands, for it imparts to body and mind what
the imagination conjures about all tropical islands.
No other psychoactive
plant so exquisitely complements the swaying palms, warm
breezes, cheerful sun, and delightful blue waters that
are such a part of island life. With ease and gentleness
and grace, kava has captured those born to the islands
as well as many who visit or settle there. Kava is an
equal-opportunity agent of reverie, soothing and easing
natives and non-natives alike.
For 3,000 years, the
indigenous people of the South Pacific have quaffed kava
for its highly pleasurable feeling of tranquility in
body and mind. As a daily libation among native men and
women, kava is most usually consumed at the end of the
workday, and the ritual of kava preparation and drinking
affords both a social time and an opportunity for
individual reflection.
Kava is nature's most
perfect soothing plant. Consumed in moderation, kava is
an elixir of peace, promoting a state of stress-free
happiness and contentment. Many is the evening I have
sat with friends for a couple of hours before dinner,
drinking shells of kava and discussing the affairs of
the day with a carefree heart.
In marked contrast to
alcohol, kava does not inspire aggressive, boisterous,
or violent behavior. It neither fuels arguments nor
causes drinkers to say embarrassing or stupid things,
and it doesn't produce any unpleasant day-after
hangover. In moderation, kava does not incapacitate the
drinker, hurt health, or fragment the mind.
Kava is not physically
addictive and does not diminish reason, mental clarity,
or memory. Instead, kava's effects are essentially
beneficial. Among the psyche delicacies, kava is the
only one currently being employed as a significant
medicine, even as a substitute for other
well-established pharmaceutical drugs. Kava relaxes and
refreshes at the same time. It promotes a good night's
sleep and enhances vigor upon awakening.
Furthermore, kava is a
social instead of solitary agent of reverie. Kava
drinking reinforces social bonds, enhances sense of
community, and encourages a spirit of conviviality among
drinkers. Kava promotes togetherness, not isolation. In
the islands, kava is used to settle disputes and resolve
disturbances between people.
Kava restores harmony, and
even after the immediate effects of kava have worn off,
the calm and sense of balanced reflection gained while
under its influence remain. For a world that is cranked
to the eyeballs with stress and tension, kava offers
blessed relief.
Excerpted from "Psyche
Delicacies" by Chris Kilham. |
