Secrets of Kogi culture

Let me take you back around 300 years, back when the colonial persecution was in its initial phases. The Tairona was an ancient civilization that thrived in present-day Columbia. While the colonial persecution was happening, the Tairona civilization lost a lot of its members. The Kogi people are some of the last few surviving descendants of this civilization which retreated back to the isolated mountains of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta (situated in North Columbia).

Contrary to most modern societies, the Kogi place a high value on living in perfect harmony with their surroundings and being connected to their spiritual being. It's not surprising that, like many other indigenous groups, the Kogi are wary of outsiders and take precautions to keep them out of their isolated mountain home. But things changed in the 1980s…

The era of FOMO

In the times of the ever-expanding social groups, the anxiety of being left out of endless events happening around is no outlier. As the penetration of social media has increased over the past decade, the peace of mind of the collective community has gone down. People are addicted to spending time outside of themselves, either it is in an outdoor setting or an indoor setting (through social media and news). Time spent alone, sitting down and introspecting, has been declining.

Back in the late 1980s, the Kogi people were so concerned about the troubling effects of industrial destruction on their local landscapes and ecosystems that they agreed to have an outsider, Alan Ereira, come into their lands to film a documentary. Although the primary focus was on the widespread devastation caused to the Earth, the documentary also gave us a brief peek into their culture, spirituality, and beliefs.

One of their lesser-known practices is their emphasis on spending time alone. The Kogi peoples follow a different spiritual tradition than the rest of us, one that places a premium on quiet introspection in the dark. During the Darkness Meditation, individuals are encouraged to turn inwards and focus on their breathing and thoughts, while seeking guidance from the Great Mother or Aluna to better nurture and protect her. Kogis also have a ritual for young, coming-of-age Kogi people. These young adults are sent to dark, secluded places for several days to meditate and fast. This is to better understand the needs of mother nature and connect to their spiritual realm.

Kogi civilization isn’t the only one which has given a lot of value to spending alone time. Numerous cultures across the globe like Taoism in China, Ainu in Japan, Sufi tradition in Islam, Yogic culture in India, Dogon in West Africa, etc. have constantly re-emphasized the importance of Alone Time.

TIPS ON SPENDING TIME ALONE

The thought of spending time alone with your thoughts is so frightening to us today. I have heard my friends say to me ‘I can’t be alone with my thoughts, I become hyper-anxious. An acquaintance of mine couldn’t do a singular activity without some background music in their ears since he was not able to function with his thought running astray.

The point is not to listen to music, but more so about how much more precious our alone time should be to us. People try to get into the habit of meditation just to stop after a few days. So here are some tips to manage and protect your alone time:

1. Start small: You don’t have to become a ‘Guru’. Take small steps like going to dinner or going on a walk alone without anything running in the background.

2. Turn off distractions: Spend some time away from social media or your friend circle.

3. Dedicated space, dedicated rituals: Designate a space in your home or work for you to retreat to every day at the same time. 20 mins dedicated to your quiet place or cozy corner with no distractions. Rituals like burning incensed sticks or candles also help you relax and get into a comfortable zone.

4. Time in nature: Spend some time in nature alone to achieve a state of balance and harmony. Sitting down near a stream hearing water flow or on a park bench listening to chirping birds might just make you a little less anxious.

5. Practice mindfulness: Make the most of your alone time by practicing mindfulness, which entails paying attention to and accepting what is happening in the present moment without judgment. Meditation, deep breathing, or even just paying attention to your immediate environment can all help.

This is it for this issue. Eid Mubarak to all my friends who are celebrating it and Happy Weekend to everyone else.

PS — Go check out the BBC documentary on the Kogi tribe ‘From the Heart of the World: The Elder Brother’s Warning’. It is an eye-opener.

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