What the Yanomami Tribe Can Teach Our Comfortable Civilisation

Civilisation has given us much: ergonomic chairs, instant groceries, streaming entertainment, and the ability to complain about slow Wi-Fi while sipping almond lattes. We’ve come a long way in establishing comfort. Yet, in our pursuit of convenience, we may have misplaced something essential – rituals of balance that tether us to community, spirit, and nature.

Take the Amazonian tribe Yanomami reahu, a feast where villagers gather, eat, dance, sing, and inhale ebene to commune with spirits. The reahu reminds us that restoring balance isn’t always a solo excercise – It’s also collective, celebratory, and deeply spiritual.

Tribal communities lived unrushed because they measure time by observing the movements of the sun moon and stars. They gauge the change in seasons by the changing natural world around them. These seasonal changes guide agricultural practices and are marked by social rituals, and religious observances. Far from the consumer-driven holidays of modern times, these rituals were the threads that wove the tribe together.

Tribal Rituals vs. Modern Balance

In tribal life, balance is woven into the fabric of community, spirituality, and nature. The reahu feast embodies this integration – rituals are not optional extras but the glue that binds people to each other and to the cosmos. By contrast, modern balance is often compartmentalised and commercialised: we pursue work-life equilibrium, fitness routines, or mindfulness practices as individual projects, usually mediated by apps or scheduled between deadlines. Where tribal balance is holistic and communal, modern balance tends to be fragmented and solitary, leaving us comfortable yet spiritually undernourished.

Why Lessons of the Past Matter

This contrast invites us to reconsider what balance truly means. While modern civilisation has given us efficiency and convenience, it has also made connecting with community harder. In big cities which are cultural melting pots filled with diverse languages, traditions, and demographics, barriers of culture, communication, and sheer busyness often prevent meaningful connection.

As we approach the end of the year and Christmas celebrations, it’s a great time to reflect on what community celebration means. Knowing its benefits can enhance our experience, reminding us that shared rituals are not just festive extras but essential for mental health, wellbeing, and resilience.

• Mental Health Benefits: Shared rituals reduce isolation, reminding us we belong to something larger than ourselves.
  • Gathering with friends or family to decorate the Christmas tree together. Each person adds an ornament that represents a memory or hope for the coming year. This shared act transforms decoration into a ritual of belonging, reducing feelings of isolation.
  • Singing carols as a group, whether in the neighbourhood or at home creates a sense of collective joy and connection that no solo playlist can replicate.
• Wellbeing Benefits: Integration of nature and spirit grounds us, countering the disconnection of urban life.
  • Using natural elements like holly, pine, or eucalyptus branches as Christmas decorations. The scent and texture reconnect us with nature, grounding the celebration in something more than plastic ornaments.
  • Lighting candles or creating a “gratitude wreath” where each person adds a note of thanks. This blends spirit and ritual, reminding us of the deeper meaning behind the season.
• Practical Benefits: Collective balance fosters resilience—something no productivity hack can replicate.
  • Hosting a potluck Christmas dinner where everyone contributes a dish. The shared responsibility lightens the load, while the collective feast strengthens bonds and resilience.
  • Creating a tradition of “shared giving”—friends or families pooling resources to support a local charity or community cause. This collective act builds resilience not only for the group but for the wider community.

Meaningful Community Connection

For busy working mothers, meaningful connection doesn’t have to mean big, boisterous gatherings. It can be restorative, intimate, and aligned with self-care. Here are some ideas:

• Relaxing Shared Rituals: Sauna sessions, spa days, or group massages where friends can talk while unwinding. These combine downtime with connection, offering both physical restoration and emotional bonding.
• Gentle Wellness Circles: Small gatherings for meditation, journaling, or tea ceremonies – spaces where conversation flows naturally without physical exertion.
• Skill Exchange with Ease: Instead of heavy workshops, create “light skill swaps.” For example, one friend demonstrates a simple craft, another shares a quick recipe, and another offers a mindfulness technique. Keep it short, fun, and low-pressure.
• Collective Pauses: Activities like bush walking at a gentle pace, restorative yoga, baking together for a larger group, or crafting circles. These pauses are about slowing down together, not performing.
• Storytelling Nights: Make them attractive by setting a cozy atmosphere – candles, blankets, warm drinks. Invite friends to share personal stories, cultural tales, or even humorous anecdotes. To keep it engaging, theme the evenings (“stories of resilience,” “childhood adventures”) and mix formats—spoken word, poetry, or short performances.

Civilisation has given us comfort, but comfort alone does not equal balance. The Yanomami remind us that balance is not always achieved in isolation – it is also danced, sung, and celebrated together.

Think about it

What is a favourite community ritual that you would love to reintroduce in your life?