Ras DANIEL BABU, renowned Rastafari healer and diet specialist based in Japan, was in London in from the 2nd July – 10th July 2012.
“Is there anyone here who doesn’t have stress in their life?”
This was the opening salvo of Ras Babu’s sessions in the LOVE HEALING tour of the UK. Needless to say, no-one raised their hands in the audience. Having lectured in two previous years on the Stress Factor and its impact on health, Ras Babu now focused on remedies to alleviate stress through nutrition, exercise,mind-set, as well as family and community cohesion.
On the first two dates , 2nd and 3rd July, at Open House (Bow) and the Karibu Centre (Brixton) Ras Babu was accompanied by Japanese QI Gong master Ailee who led audiences in a series of exercises designed to promote health and well-being. Ailee’s techniques were enthusiastically received at both venues. They included body-shaking, breathing, movement and walking exercises, as well as sound vibration healing performed with a gong that was passed slowly around the human body. At the Brixton venue Ailee revealed himself as an ‘honorary Rasta’ who had worked with renowned healer Dr Bagga in Kingston, Jamaica. His Qi Gong method was influenced by Rastafari culture. It was aimed at inducing a peaceful good-feeling attitude that removed stress. There were also insightful presentations by youths on Melanin, and by sister Kandake on Reproduction. Ras Babu spoke on positive thinking, community health and self-empowerment: ‘Let your prescription be your lifestyle. Let your kitchen be your first clinic,’ was a recurrent theme throughout the tour.
On Friday 6th July Bongo Dashi introduced a full-house audience to Lennox Finlayter and Patrick Montague, two complementary healers who had developed successful practices across a range of alternative methods. The presence of several vocal young people in the audience was a notable departure from previous years. Ras Babu spoke of the many herbs and foods that were available in the ‘garden’ and the importance of preventative practices used by previous generations.
On Saturday 7th Sister Flowers hosted a ‘women’s only’ session at Tibits vegetarian Restaurant in the West End. Ras Babu fielded a range of questions specific to women’s health, including menstruation, fibroids, breast and cervical cancer, diabetes, blood-pressure and strokes. This session was also well attended and overran its scheduled time-limit by two hours!
Malika House in Birmingham was the venue for the penultimate session on Sunday 8th. Another full-house audience attended. Venue organiser Sis Zauditu opened with a power-point presentation on bowel cancer and offered hands-on experience as a practicing surgeon and palliative care worker in local hospitals. Ras Babu stressed the importance of individual and community health as being closely entwined, and the need for each one to be their brother’s and sister’s keeper in health matters. Questions ranged from the accessibility of Vitamin D and the importance of good sleeping habits, to computer-related ailments and dietary options from nature’s wealth of healing foodstuffs. Pinnacle staff provided high quality health-foods, soups and drinks for the gathering.
Centreprise Bookshop in Dalston was crammed to capacity for the finale on 10th July. The event was hosted by the EWF, who provided lively drumming at the start and end, and served up ital food and refreshment. Sis Kandake gave a second presentation on the reproductive cycle, which was again well received. Ras Babu summarised his main points in a thought-provoking presentation laced with wit and humour. He emphasised the need for self-love, self-knowledge and community-sharing as basic aspects of healthy living.
“The real WMDs are in our own hands: knives and forks!” he said. And “Some of us are digging our own graves with our teeth!”
Cameraman Kwame recorded several of this year’s sessions on DVD. Ras Babu is now on Facebook.
Report by Shango Baku 0790 327 7175