Kava Cultures

[The Kap'n]

It really depends on which side of the country we're talking about. If it's Florida the status quo for kava bars is a bit different than that on the west coast.

 

[Halibut_Acid]

Wait what the hell, kava and strobe lights? I can't really imagine that to be honest. I personally think that people should be allowed to use any substance they wish for any purpose they choose to use it as long as they are respecting other people. That being said I think kava has alot more to offer than whatever experience going clubbing(?) on kava entails. I guess what I'm saying is that I'm having a very difficult time imagining this type of environment.

 

[kasa_balavu]

Wait what the hell, kava and strobe lights? I can't really imagine that to be honest. I personally think that people should be allowed to use any substance they wish for any purpose they choose to use it as long as they are respecting other people. That being said I think kava has alot more to offer than whatever experience going clubbing(?) on kava entails. I guess what I'm saying is that I'm having a very difficult time imagining this type of environment.

Many people (at least in my part of the world) find bright lights kinda annoying when they're having a kava session. I suspect kava bars where there is a nightclub atmosphere are kava bars in name only, with a different plant being the at the top of the menu.

 

[AlexisReal]

To me, in my limited 1 year of daily, but mostly solitary experience, my favorite aspect of kava (iromically haha) is it's wonderful flowing sociable effect. It can be very openly communal.

I imagine decent kava bars can be very happy places. Like it should be.

I hope I get to visit one myself one day.

 

[AlexisReal]

Am i the only one that likes kava in solitude? I would never partake in kava bar atmosphere. I appreciate it and it opens the door for those who otherwise would never shell up... but for me kava is way too spiritual for that setting. Im a kava warrior

Yes good emphasis om this point. A beautiful thing about kava. It can be very happily enjoyed by one's self in one's own space and time.

But like I mentioned above, I personally have a real appreciation for the the positive flowing sociable aspects of the kava effects.

So to me me visiting a kava bar is about simply letting your hair down and feeling happy and relaxed around other people you know are most probably feeling the same, but in a totally different environment to an alcohol-based one of course with no agitation or aggression to one another just a more blissful and harmonious environment.

At least I can only imagine.

But yeah, quite right. You don't need a crowd, or any particular setting, to really enjoy your kava, as long as you are relaxed and comfortable.

Very versatile in that sense. I even drink up on it right before me accupuncture and massage treatments lol!

 

[Gabriel Belmont]

So you guys ever drink Kava with your friends rather than doing the Kava bar thing/ or solo drinking? I like the solo chill aspect of Kava, helps me relax and deal with pain everyday. Would be very interesting to experience the difference between kava bars in the US and in Fiji or Vanuatu.

 

[kavakarma]

@Gabriel Belmont I drink Kava with my friends. It feels good nd naatural to go in the kitchen and grab familiar tools. I like the sharing of kava and if my friends dont drink much that's quite ok for me. I have between a shell and six shells of kava about once a week with the social setting of nice friends. It also helps me relax and contemplate pain. I have not yet gone to a kava bar but I definitely prefer making the kava myself. I'm sure my friends & I would enjoy a nakamal atmosphere. Bula!

 

[BobBriggs]

I can only agree with what have been said of K@. My experience is that you don't need many weeks to get a horrible withdrawal. The big contrast between /r/K@ and /r/quittingkratom is also a big sign of how strong the dependency is. The K@ community sees their herb as something that only has positive effects and that it's a positive contribute to their life. Then after some years the same people end up in /r/quittingkratom talking about how it has ruined who they were. I find it really weird that some bars serve both K@ and kava, because of these negative effects the first one has on people.

To be fair, the Quitting K@ subreddit is populated mostly by those who have experienced a lot of issues from it. It is probably not representative either. The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle. I have used K@ and, especially, Hirsuta, about 3-4 times a week for nearly 6 months. So far I had no real issues. My usage of either is low. I take about 2-3.5g each day I use either. I take them for motivation and recreationally. I have experienced only a small amount of tolerance and not withdrawals or anything.

 

[BobBriggs]

So you guys ever drink Kava with your friends rather than doing the Kava bar thing/ or solo drinking? I like the solo chill aspect of Kava, helps me relax and deal with pain everyday. Would be very interesting to experience the difference between kava bars in the US and in Fiji or Vanuatu.

My friends don't really drink kava. I find the problem with kava and socialising is, one, it makes me tired, especially when the session ends; and, two, a session doesn't last long enough.

 

[AlexisReal]

My friends don't really drink kava. I find the problem with kava and socialising is, one, it makes me tired, especially when the session ends; and, two, a session doesn't last long enough.

Kava can be so great for socialising though. It enables an easy, calm flowing way of conversation. My friends also don't drink kava, know anything about it, or show any intetest in doing so.

But human company is usually much more enjoyable to me personally when I have had some nice kava.

 

[AlexisReal]

To be fair, the Quitting K@ subreddit is populated mostly by those who have experienced a lot of issues from it. It is probably not representative either. The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle. I have used K@ and, especially, Hirsuta, about 3-4 times a week for nearly 6 months. So far I had no real issues. My usage of either is low. I take about 2-3.5g each day I use either. I take them for motivation and recreationally. I have experienced only a small amount of tolerance and not withdrawals or anything.

Yeah just avoid the potential trap of daily K@ use, as it sounds you responsibly are with the alternation.

With daily use, at any dose, physical dependancy will occur, tolerance will shoot up, and Withdrawals would need to be negotiated.

I actually feel that K@ gets a slightly unjustified slate. I speak up strongly about it's negative aspects, having had a very bad withdrawal experience myself, but I feel it has a place for the right individual or condition, when used responsibly.

 

[kastom_lif]

So you guys ever drink Kava with your friends rather than doing the Kava bar thing/ or solo drinking? I like the solo chill aspect of Kava, helps me relax and deal with pain everyday. Would be very interesting to experience the difference between kava bars in the US and in Fiji or Vanuatu.

When I drink kava alone, it is contemplative. I "listen to the kava", or perhaps more accurately, my mind processes the things that it has been thinking about in a calm environment, free from anxiety and distraction.

When I drink kava socially, I listen to my kava buddies. Of course, we all take turns talking and listening. But really, it's the same thing as solo kava. We're in a calm environment that's free from judgement and shame.

Social kava is a way to overcome misunderstandings and resolve conflict. Social kava is also a way to just have a fun time. The same can be said of solo kava too, if you think about it. The only difference is whether the dialogue is internal or external.

So, even if you just tank a bucket of thick, heavy kava and go sit in the dark for a few hours, remember that yu mas harem kava gud we. Have a talanoa session with your own mind.

Reference: http://blog.core-ed.org/blog/2014/12/creating-the-talanoa-conversation-is-all-it-takes.html

The word ‘talanoa’ is a term meaning to talk or speak. The four elements around the word ‘talanoa’ are attributes that make the ‘talanoa’ more meaningful and rich. They are Tongan words with similar meanings used in other Pasifika languages.


Ofa/Love — When we talanoa with our Pasifika parents, families, and communities, whether we are in parent interviews or Pasifika parents fono/meeting/hui, we start with questions about ourselves. O ai a’u? Ko ai au? Who am I?. This sets the scene of your talanoa and shows that you are sharing your love with everyone by acknowledging who is in the meeting. This ‘ofa’ can mean different things, but in this case it’s about who you are. This becomes a time when barriers come down and you start building a relationship or connection with one another through knowing who you are.


Mafana/Warmth — Throughout the ‘talanoa’ the conversation is warm and not threatening to both parties. At times, teachers just want to get to the point and then move on. Having this warmth in a conversation builds rapport, developing a connection to bring in the trust of the parents. The talanoa becomes more of a heart-to-heart, and a supporting of one another rather than picking up the bad points of the learner.


Malie/Humour — We love humour in our ‘talanoa’. The talanoa needs to have a bit of humour in order for the conversation to be real. Pasifika parents will often use an example that the teacher has given them and they will turn it into something hilarious. This indicates that both parties are starting to trust one another, and the relationship building is becoming stronger. You can often find something funny in a situation by over-exaggerating something to the point of being ridiculous. This is a great way of building that mafana as well.


Faka’apa’apa/Respect — The respect is the final element, but it is also woven throughout the four elements, and this is where the ‘talanoa’ comes to fruition. Both teachers and parents start building the ‘where-to-next’ stage because of the mutual respect from both sides. This helps to build a shared understanding between the teachers and Pasifika parents, families, and communities.

 

[Palmetto]

Unlike most of y'all, I drink kava mostly at work now. 5 days a week. 3 heaping large spoonfuls. Usually a mix of heady and heavy. Right now, mostly Stone, which some people think is heavy, but doesn't work on me so heavy. My current job kinda sucks. It helps me get through the BS.

Another thing I do differently is going through about 4-6 washes before I give up straining. I like to extract as much as possible.

 

[Jean]

You cannot expect kava spreading all around the world and the kava being treated as in the Pacific Islands. It's neither good nor bad, it is a fact.

 

[Blergs]

I never minded it so much - but I get the point. However, I think it is useful for a term to describe that point where you have had a lot of kava. Not quite to the nausea or uncomfortable, but beyond normal functioning. Rooted seems to down to earth, Kavafied has been taken, Shelled maybe?

She'll shocked? Cowabunga dude!

 

[Blergs]

So you guys ever drink Kava with your friends rather than doing the Kava bar thing/ or solo drinking? I like the solo chill aspect of Kava, helps me relax and deal with pain everyday. Would be very interesting to experience the difference between kava bars in the US and in Fiji or Vanuatu.

I'll drink it at say a friends gathering, while they drink alcohol. They call it my mud or sand water lol . They don't want any overall. I got my friend ash to take some 50% co2 extract paste to try for anxiety. Told her take it like a pill. Hopefully that breaks her in..
Personally I drink it alone at home or whatever I'm doing during the day.

 

[kavakarma]

Bula @Blergs , have a shell with me if you're here.