Rastafari Way Wellness Retreat: 8-days, 7-nights RastafarI wanderlust: wellness, yoga, food, art, culture, and spirituality, all infused together, creating a dynamic experience of what it means to live The RastafarI Way. 

 Objective
Spiritual awakening and tuning: The Journey calls for serious aspirants who are open to connecting to Source through nature, Rastafari lifestyle and the yoga of life. Infusing all these elements will not only bring healing but also spiritual ascension on your individual journey.

Proper Relaxation: The rests in the music are just as important as the notes. This retreat is a way of balancing the inner and outer energies through relaxation. When the body and mind are constantly overworked, their natural efficiency diminishes. Modern social life, food, work, and even entertainment makes it difficult for us to relax. You will learn to economize the energy produced by your body. This retreat will help you achieve complete relaxation physically, mentally, and spiritually, with the practice of yoga nidra and pranayama (breathwork and meditation respectively).

Enhance yoga practice with a distinct focus on breath work, meditation, and asanas (yoga postures/poses): Each yoga class will be customized for active recovery and relaxation. Classes will be taught for all levels. Instructors will provide modifications for beginning yogis and also opportunities for advanced practitioners to grow their practice. Even if you have never practiced yoga, you will find these sessions energizing and empowering!  Mediation and sound healing are also on the schedule to help you relax, rejuvenate, and recover.

Detoxification of the mind and body: On this retreat, you will tap into Source by detoxifying mind to body. This will be done through the works of proper exercise, proper relaxation, and proper nutrition. We will practice daily meditation, yoga and maintain a plant-based diet.

Connect with nature and rejuvenate inner senses: This retreat will be a time to find the dynamic balance so we can easily adapt and change in order to handle the left turns of life without being thrown completely off course. By honoring the rhythms of nature that are also reflected in the cycles of our own lives we allow Self to live in harmony.

The embodiment of Higher Self through the Principles and oneness of  Rastafari and yoga: Unity, Love! Collectively we are all gathered for reasons greater than matter. Rastafari and Yoga is portal of transcendence. 

6:00 AM

Starting our day with breath-work and meditation will set the tone and vibration for the remainder of the day. Tuning in to the creative power of the ambrosial hours (Amrit vela) of the morning. Each day we’ll rise and breathe consciously and meditate.  For our meditation practice we will be focusing on the five elements (ether, air, water, fire, earth).

7:00 AM

Wake up and flow. Re-energize the body, clear the mind, open the heart space, and embrace the abundance  from the universe.

5:00 PM

Evening practice to help you relax after a long day. Let go, re-center and restore; restoration of stillness. 

7:30 - 10:30 PM 

Enjoy an evening of reggae music and fermented roots while getting acquainted with the other guests.

 11:30 AM

Zimbali prides itself on the love and consistency that goes into pristine sustainable farming. You will get an exclusive tour of the farm where you will learn about permaculture farming and the benefits of growing your own food and getting food from other local farmers or growers. 

2:00 PM

The intention is to bring forward a practice taught by our ancestors to enlighten, ground, and remind us of our authentic nature and the vitality of such ancient practice. Fancy Fruit will host a workshop teaching us ways to safely prepare and consume raw food as well as the benefits of having a raw food diet. (IG: @fancyfruits_heal_thy_self) 

8:00 PM

A fire ceremony is a powerful Rastafari practice used to release unwanted energies and attachments from the past in an effort to make space for new intentions (a purge). A fire ceremony can be used to release unhappy memories, fears, negative emotions, and anything that you are holding onto that doesn’t serve or add value to your Higher Self. By releasing such unwanted energies and old patterns into the fire, you are healing at the soul level. This fire ceremony will rejuvenate and cleanse your entire being, followed by “a reasoning” (a conversation which is also customary to The Rastafari Way) with a Rastafari elder. 

11:00 AM

As with many traditional cultures, you sometimes have to travel a long way to get a genuine experience; the same holds true at Zimbali. Located in Canaan Mountain, 30 minutes outside Negril, Zimbali is a rare gateway where you can experience the real culture of Rastafari. Come and meet Rasta ‘Fiyah’ and hike with him up to his farm “Camp Survival”. 30+ years of natural living and farming, Fiyah upholds the real levity of Rastafari. On the way, you will pick fresh fruit and spices, stop at “Gracie’s Spring” to fill your water bottle with natural water straight from the ground, then ‘start the fire’. Rasta Cooking is known as ‘Ital Cooking’ and it relies on all-natural herbs, spices and hand squeezed coconut milk and oil contributing to its unique flavor and rich nutritional value. This is a true learning experience on so many levels that many people have found life-changing 

3:30 PM

Sound healing and traditional West African dance movement. This session will flow slowly, creating a moving meditation designed to build internal heat slowly and gently.  We will also promote relaxation through Pranayama (breath-work) and meditation techniques, all to the dynamic sound of African drums 

8:00 PM

In Rastafari, drumming is a vibration we love, and Zimbali has some of the most talented drummers on the island. There is something about drumming in the hills; it becomes a time machine that brings you back to the primal self that lives within us all. This expression will allow you to feel the rhythm of nature and re-establish your rhythm within. 

10:30 AM

Discovering sacred plants, this tour is designed to connect you with the culture of holistic herbal healing. We will journey to a sacred herb farm for this tour. On this local organic farm, you will learn about the different types of herbs, their powerful healing benefits and how to use these plants for medicinal and sacramental purposes. You will also get an opportunity to interact with various herbal remedies and have lunch on the farm. 

4:00 PM

The workshop will cover the benefits of detoxification and introduce effective detox methods or regimen that will help improve your lifestyle in many ways, shapes and forms. The workshop will also cover ways to stay motivated while detoxing, and how to maintain a well-rounded nutritional and self-care plan. We will also discuss ways to kick-start a healthy Diet - How detoxification can help you transform your diet and your relationship with food and self (self-identity is paramount!). (IG: @wellnessrebirth) 

5:00 PM - Reggae Roots Chalice Yoga 

8:00 PM -  Roots Reggae & Chalice 

Infusing all these fundamental elements of Rastafari livity for a truly authentic experience. Roots - Fermented herbal drinks ~  Reggae - The heart and soul of the Rastaman vibration ~ Yoga - Unity and an embodiment of the Divine ~ Chalice - interacting with medicinal herbs in a sacramental way. 

10:30 AM (Brunch)

What does it mean to eat ital and why is it vital to the sustainability of Rastafari lifestyle? Rasta’s have been preaching and teaching the essentials of a plant-based diet, herbal healing and growing your own food long before this “new age trend” so this cooking show/workshop will cover the importance and benefits of the rastaman's diet. We will also enjoy an Eco-Cuisine which is a fusion of raw and gently cooked dishes made from sustainably sourced ingredients 

12:30 PM (Beach Day and Beach Yoga)

 Some days you just want to hang out- period. Negril is blessed to have a 7-mile, white sand beach, one of the island’s favorite spots. Ideal for a chill day and watching the sunset after a relaxing Vinyasa Flow. 

8:00 PM

Reggae is the vibration and voice of the rastaman that became a significant part of the Jamaican culture, and transcended into the rest of the world, energizing truth and rights. This live musical experience will bring to life the true essence of what it means to “lively up your Self”;  Words, Power & Sound. 

11:00 AM

You have the option of choosing which of these anointed individuals you’d like to spend quality time with. What a BLISSing to be in a place where we can share in such talents together.

1. Iesha: Iesha’s iconic Rasta look married with her colorful crocheted clothing blends perfectly within the vibrancy of Negril. But don’t let her humility fool you - she is highly sought from people across the seven seas (such as Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones) for her eye-catching beanies (tams) and clothing. You have the option of spending a few hours with this gifted woman as stories and knitting go well together, and Iesha is a master of both.
2. Artiste Ishanti: Canaan Mountain (the elevated terrain within which Zimbali resides) is blessed in a plethora of ways, one of which is being the home to this prestige act. Having worked as a teacher and accountant in Kingston, Artiste Ishanti did what many dream of doing by leaving his corporate gig in pursuit of his art. Upon moving to Canaan Mountain, he set up his studio, and since then, his work has made its way to the National Gallery of Art in Kingston and has been featured in shows around the world. His gifted hands have created wonders via wood carvings, shell carvings, leather works, and gemstones. Ishanti’s workshop is only a two-minute stroll from Zimbali, and here we will be able to view his myriad of works and bask in conversations with him. For those interested in this workshop option, Ishanti is willing to be kind enough to offer one-on-one lessons by the hour for a very reasonable rate so that you can create your own memento to take home with you.
3. Bongo Roache: Roache is a renowned herbalist & Rasta Elder who has appeared in many videos and books such as A Guide for an Awakening Planet: A Joyous Journey into One Love (Messages of One Love) by Rasta Elder Scram. People travel from all over the world to consult with him. Tutored in the eternal knowledge by his 98-year-old guru, ‘Bong Hughe’, Bongo Roache is a timekeeper of the ancient knowledge of herbal healing (as directly handed down from Africa). Bongo Roache has dedicated his life to healing with plants & herbs and travels the entire island collecting his plants and serving the people in need of healing, the Jamaican ‘Dr. Sebi’ if you may. He boasts many original and 100% organic remedies geared towards detoxification and cell rebuilding. Bongo Roache will provide one on one consultations to our guest which will undoubtedly leave you in awe due to his wealth of knowledge and sheep-like humility. A reincarnated African King, Bongo Roache is a diamond in the rough.

8:00 PM

We will hold space for each other by sharing our talents (soul’s expression). You’ll be given the opportunity to express the gift given to you by The Divine Creator. An acknowledgment of this divine creative force will bring joy and light to your spiritual journey. 

11:00 AM

Some days you just want to hang out- period. Negril is blessed to have a 7-mile, white sand beach, one of the island’s favorite spots. Ideal for a chill day and watching the sunset after a relaxing Vinyasa Flow.