They are called the Sentinelese and they are the very last people in the entire world to be untouched by modern civilization.

With a population estimated to be between 40 and 400, they live on North Sentinel Island in the Andaman chain in the Bay of Bengal.

Not much is known about the Sentinelese except that they aggressively defend their tiny island no bigger than 44 square miles.

Get too close and they will shoot you with…hold your breath…bows and arrows.

It’s no laughing matter given that two Indian fisherman who drifted too close in 2006 were killed by the Sentinelse. The Indian Coast Guard tried to recover the bodies using a helicopter but were met by the customary hail of arrows and had to abort the mission.

Other than the occasional drifters, for the most part, modern civilization has left the Sentinelese alone because they would have little or no immunity to even the most basic of our germs like the common cold.

The following video shows extremely rare footage of friendly (albeit distant) contact with the Sentinelese. Look closely at them. They are a reminder of what we were like thousands of years ago…healthy, fit, strong, self-sufficient.

http://vimeo.com/31214034

Most interestingly, they appear to be matriarchal, as seen by the woman dragging her man away from the strangers (at 1:32 into the video).

I find something very beautiful in the Sentinelese’s primitive, relaxed, simple way of life.

It’s hard to believe people like the Sentinelese still exist, given that our world is so complicated, stressful, and overwhelming.

Lululemon North Sentinel Island

I know what you must be thinking and no this is not a hoax. I also looked carefully at the above video expecting one of these Sentinelese to be clad in Lululemon Astro Pants doing Supta Trivikrmasana. But no, they are the real deal. Go ahead, Google them.

I share this with you not to say…. let’s get rid of the gadgets, strap on loin cloths, and go backwards.

But how can we move forward in a way that soothes the soul and creates a more natural, sustainable pace and style of living?

The Mayans say 2012 is the year when the world comes to an end. I agree, the world of chaos, distraction, and information inundation. Let that world die. And a let a simpler, more sacred life begin.

*****

If you share my frustration with the difficulties of living in a world where emails pile up faster than a fart in a windstorm, I’m leading a Livin the Moment program in 2012. Email me at [email protected] and write “2012” in the subject for the delicious details.

Namaste,

David Romanelli
www.beautifulfunnydelicious.com