On the Plant Wellness Travel Trail in St. Lucia

It's too late to go back now – the priest is waiting for us. As a guide, you close your eyes and grab your seat belt, rattling down the sudden rocky mountainside. We are heading to the isolated Kailash rejuvenation centre, a 30-minute winding from Castries, the capital of St. Lucia. The honorable priest Kailash, the founder of the Center, greets us with fresh cut coconuts and we drink sweet and cold water from the inside. “Blessed,” he says, moving us towards one of the herb gardens. “Welcome to Mount Kailash.”

Before he settled into the secluded peak where his farm stood, Priest Kailash studied medicine and built a reputation as a skilled herbal doctor. “When I left medical school there was a taboo towards herbs,” he explains. “Because knowledge was lost and therefore misunderstood, people would dismiss their use as 'Voodoo'. “However, this has changed, and the Chinese Medicine School of Rejuvenation Center teaches students around the world about the use of nature in healing. Most visitors have learned, come here and seek recovery in various forms, both physical and mental, and the wellness program is carefully coordinated for each individual.

The hill surrounding the center is wrapped in a blanket of trees and ferns, and blows as waterfalls tumble in the distance, from plants to trees. As he walks through the thriving garden, the priest Kailash points out some of the herbs and explains its uses. “Carpenter bushes,” he says, snatching a handful. “This is one of the best things for hormonal balance, PMS and menopause issues. It helps balance estrogen and progesterone levels. It is also suitable for the circular thyroid system. .”

And there are many plants to learn. The feather leaves from the King of the Forest King are antibacterial, antifungal and are used to relieve skin problems, while inger is used to aid nausea and digestion. Lemongrass is used to discover that it can reduce inflammation and reduce blood pressure, reducing anxiety, pain and fever, but cocoa is effective antioxidant properties and anti-inflammatory when consumed or applied to the skin It has characteristics.

This last plant is in mind that the tour is over and it's time to endure a dangerous expedition back to the mountains to maintain the chocolate body wrap schedule. St. Lucia is famous for its cocoa plant, which grows abundantly throughout the island and is used much more than food. This luxurious treatment moisturizes the skin, increases its elasticity, and promises chocolate-like mummy-like packaging. My skin is soothing and moisturizing.

The next day, deep into the ocean of thigh deep, you can feel the salt water undo all the cocoa wrap hydration work, but I'm here to learn about the superfoods of the moment . My guide, Bourbon Francis, Kayak-on-the-Bay, walks through the warm waters towards Praslin Island, a nature reserve home with endemic species like the blue Whipail lizard, and we'll be there. Pull the crafts.

The Peace Bay surrounds the island on the east coast of St. Lucia, and is dotted with sea moss farms. At first glance, they appear to be nothing more than a series of floating buoys and thin rods rising above the waves, but soon they discover submerged crops clinging to the rope just below the surface. These waters provide the ideal environment for growing sea moss.

The ocean gently splashes on our feet, and local farmers harvest precious produce, pull it from the rope, gently lower it down, gently lowering it to the floating dinghy near it. Bourbon explains that St. Lucians will pitch their poles and mark them with flags to assert their farmland. His father harvests sea moss daily from a 7,000-square-foot plot of the bay and exports most of his crop to the UK.

Seymos, a type of algae or seaweed, is rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber, and is said to be beneficial for digestive health. It is also thought to be useful for energy levels due to its high iron content, which is iodine-containing thyroid function. “You should try it here,” says Bourbon, throwing me a piece of slippery brown-colored seaweed. It pops and has a salty umami flavour when you chew it. Perhaps it works well with smoothies.

The power of the Piton

The iconic Pitons of St. Lucia are registered in the territory from the Caribbean, and invite climbers to summit sharp spires. But today I'm choosing something a little easier. Located near the town of Soufrière on the west coast of St. Lucia, the trail cuts through the rich tropical forests and discovers several medicinal plants at the edge of the road as you walk. After a final sweating of “Stairway to Heaven,” we emerge in a breathtaking, 360-degree view of the 360-degree pitons and petit pitons. From our advantage here, St. Lucia spreads out before us in the green sea, but with my new knowledge, I see from a different perspective. As a rich plant with healing power.

Returning to sea level, a short drive from the island's active volcanic bubbles and hissed trailhead, its stimulating, sulfur scent fills the air and attacks our senses. A steamy geothermal field 1,000 feet above sea level heats mineral water from the rainforest that flows into the mud baths of Sulfur Springs.

These pools are popular with locals looking to achieve baby soft skin, and mud is thought to be beneficial for sunburn, eczema, arthritis and joint healing. Bathing in these pools is a strange and wonderful ritual. We scoop up a syrup-like black sludge from a bucket, apply it to ourselves, stand still and let it dry for a while to absorb nutrients before sinking into the hot muddy water of a mud bath.

The next day, under the shadow of Petit Piton, a soothing chorus of frigate birds and finches fill the air as we meander along our small paths. It leads us to a series of ancient petroglyphs etched into prehistoric rocks, hiding in the lush leaves of Stonefield Villa Resort. A larger-than-life character who oversees the garden on the 26-acre facility, Pancho de Kea is taking a walk right in front of us. The ancient places appear to be ritual, and Pancho says it was used to support birth and utilized the energy of the Pitons looming above.

He is rich in knowledge when it comes to plants and points out some of the things St. Lucian uses for wellness and healing, such as the Moringa, known locally as the “Tree of Life.” “You can buy moringa capsules at the health store. They dry the leaves and turn them into flour,” says Pancho. “You can cook it or eat it raw in a salad. It's incredibly good for you.” Moringa is considered one of the most nutrient-rich plants in the world, and countless health benefits Among the above benefits, it improves the immune system, promotes liver and kidney function, supports digestion, supports energy, reduces cholesterol, and normalizes blood pressure.

The golden turmeric is next. “We'll dig it out to get the route,” Pancho explains, carrying a dull thumb-shaped nugget aloft. “I take it, add a bit of cayenne pepper, maybe a little lime and drink it first in the morning for the anti-inflammatory benefits.”

Daryl Farrell, a cheerful 27-year-old chef and culinary consultant, will be on the tour and picking produce from the garden as we roam around together. Aloe vera for sunburn. A patchouli flower that makes tea to treat the flu. And sour sup, which is loved by the locals. “We use sour sup in our breakfast fruit bowls and smoothies at any time during the season,” explains Daryl. “Some people boil flowers because the leaves are used in tea and are likely to help regulate blood pressure while they are likely to help with cancer.”

Flowering flowers around the garden remind me that my next stop is the onsite spa with the overall Hibiscus Facial. Locally manufactured products are infused with hibiscus and virgin coconut oil for this bright, tightening beauty treatment. First, my face is purified, exfoliated, toned and steamed before the face mask and moisturizer is applied. Hibiscus, considered a “natural Botox,” is full of vitamin C, which helps promote collagen production and tons the skin.

Feeling relaxed and rejuvenated, we can head out on a sunset cruise and see the Pitons from the sea on our Mystic Man tour. As the sun sets below the horizon, the sky gradually changes from blue to attractive shades of yellow and purple. They stare at the mysterious twin peaks of the island rising from the water like ancient pyramids. It's no wonder St. Lucia is captivating visitors. I think this is a land that is troubled by medicinal plants and emits recuperative energy. This island appears to be infused with healing powers.