Health 'n' Hair

It's only been two months since I chopped my hair off...I know, weird huh. My hair is growing like a beautiful plant. I really like it. Today I looked at myself in the mirror and smiled...and said, I really like my hair.

So, Friday night K and I went to our friend Caleb's art opening. It took us 30 minutes to get into the actual show. We kept running into friends and catching up. It was really fun to celebrate. Moving on...I'm chatting it up with friends Emily and Amanda when a stranger, who looks familiar, taps me on the shoulder. She asks if I would be interested in attending a natural hair meet up. I was so happy that I wanted to scream a little bit. OFCOURSE. I'll get to learn from others who are vets and newbies and figure out what they use...how to make homemade products! And anyone who wants to come can come...anyone who wants to learn more about hair and good hair products.

Finding like-minded people who care for their hair and their health inspires me...

What's inspiring you today?

Working Out + Natural Hair

I had an epiphany last week. I don't hesitate to work out, sweat or even swim.

I always made my hair appointments for Saturday afternoons...by that time I would've gotten a workout in and I would have a chance to get an individual workout on Sunday so my hair would get that initial I just got my hair done sweat/scent out. I hated how my hair would smell after a relaxer...and when I would sweat it seemed like I would run around class apologizing for the smell. No one else smelled it...I was the only person to smell it.

Since cutting my hair I've noticed that I workout in a different way. During our work conference last week I went swimming without thinking about my hair...I knew all I had to do was wash my hair...throw some product in it and let it air dry.

It just made me happy.

yes I do like the curl in my hair

I'm getting to know my hair more and more...it's a fascinating relationship, a fascinating and new relationship. I'm trying to put less processed items in my hair...and let it grow and grow and grow...and just drink in the nutrition that I may or may not have given it in the past years. I feel like myself more and more each day.

What are you doing in your life...what choices are you making that are making you feel more and more like yourself?

Blind Date Update

So i've been loving my natural hair for a little over a week. We're no longer just dating...we're in a full-blown relationship. I didn't know that I would like my hair so much. I'm still getting to know the ins and outs of taking care of this hair. It gets a little dryer a little quicker.

I have noticed the following....
I feel compelled to wear makeup and/or jewelry every day. It's weird...I don't know if it's part of trying to get used to having short hair and understanding my feminine outside of my hair length.
I get surprised to see myself in the mirror each morning.
I like to take the time to care and nurture my hair.
I take a lot of self-portraits of my hair...I might've taken one photo/day last week...:)

Do you have natural, unprocessed hair? Anyone can answer. What are the ways you express your creativity in your hair without products?

I fell in love....hard

I fell in love hard...with my hair. Seriously. I was nervous that I wouldn't like my hair so I did the following:
• I took the day off after my haircut. Kenley and I were leaving for a much needed vacation on Friday so I needed to take the day off anyway. I was nervous to go out in public, but I was surprised that it was okay.
• I wanted to cut my hair before seeing one of my natural hair inspirations, Jill Scott.
• Purchased some hair products before cutting my hair...I got used to how they felt. And I did a lot of prep by reading some of my favorite blogs.
• Had dreams about my haircut the night before

After I got my hair cut, I rushed home. I needed to see someone's real reaction. Kenley liked it. And I wanted to see for myself in the safety of my bathroom, I didn't just like it, I loved it.

31 day challenge: I chopped my hair off

I've written about my hair and desire to go natural. I could go into all of the reasons that I wanted to go natural...but I've written about it a lot. I'll give you a brief summary/overview. I would refer to my hair as not as good as Kenley's. I loved getting relaxers. And then there was a point where I realized that when we have children, I want them to be comfortable in their own skin and even their hair. I wanted to be able to work with natural hair and be comfortable with my own. I went through figuring out what it meant for me to continue getting relaxers...for me, I was done putting the chemicals in my hair. I'm trying to work on eating whole/clean food...food that is somewhat connected to its natural form...I don't get it right every day or even every meal. But I want to be good to this body and my hair and love it in its natural state.

I realized that cutting my hair was a very visible way of saying that I choose not to use chemicals in my hair...well, not some of the bad chemicals that straighten hair. My goal now is to welcome my new hair. I love love love it. It has this cute little curl. I want to learn how to really do my hair and be good to it. And to be good to my body. The way that I want to love my hair, I want to love my body. It's what I have right now and every step of the way is a beautiful part of my journey.

I'm enjoying the 31 day challenge. I realized that my body loves getting 7 hours of sleep. I hit a point where I was trying to get less than 7 hours of sleep and when I would do that, I would hit snooze. :) Now doesn't that make you laugh. So I'm going to go to bed earlier, probably incorporate less tv into my life, and do lots of other things. I'm tracking my food and working on my pushups...those are hard!

My hair!!

Tomorrow is my hair day...I'm doing the BC aka the big chop. I thought I could do a long transition, but I realized that it's been three months since I'd had a relaxer and i'm not putting the time into my hair styling right now...and I want to take care of my hair.

I have had really great friends who have asked how I'm feeling...they want pictures, etc. This morning I was driving to work and thought that today is the last day that I'll have my hair how it is....for who knows how long. Tomorrow at this time i'll be counting down the hours until I get my hair cut...and when I get it, imma rock it cause it's gonna be fierce. :)

thank you mother earth

So today when I was gardening I was struck by the fact that I was massaging the ground. I was working through the soil and incorporating soil and dirt...and digging and planting. It was the weirdest feeling to work with the earth...I felt really connected to the earth in my own journey. We have to put work into our lives, we have to kill weeds, we have to plant, we have to water, we have to care for it...I also understood my friends who love love their gardens, they plan their vacations around the garden. I wanted to spend all of my time with my little plants and see how much they will have grown...

I feel like I'm able to catch the slightest glimpse of how God must adore creation. There's no way to completely understand it of course...but I was just so happy outside and really wanted to be happy with the journey that I'm on...our journey is ongoing and we have to be fully present....what have you done today to be fully present to yourself?

PS I'm getting my haircut on Thursday :)

my hair...my hair....

So, I'm sort of obsessed with touching my hair right now. I haven't cut it yet, but I'm watching it grow into its natural state, a little bit at a time. There are days when I second guess my decision to cut my hair. I rationalize and convince myself that I could do one more relaxer and then tackle my hair the next couple of months.

I rationalize and convince myself of a lot of things...tomorrow i'll write in my journal...tomorrow I'll run a little bit farther. Again, another example of how I don't like to stay in the present. So, today, i'm loving my hair each a little bit more each day. I can't help it, it's a part of me, a part of me that I've never seen before. It's like I'm giving myself a shot at being itself. Gotta love myself today. You, too. Okay?

natural: i am not my hair

I've decided to let my hair live naturally. I asked a lot of good friends their journeys with natural hair. I've googled everything under the sun. I talked it through with my mom and felt that I was able to articulate what brought me to this place.

I enjoy the consistency that a relaxer gives my hair. It's bone straight and easy to manage. My hair was long. My hair dresser would tell me how much my hair had grown since I'd last seen here...and then the creamy crack would hit my scalp, i'd feel the burn, look in the mirror and relax because my hair was about to be straight. (funny that the product is even called a relaxer) The last weeks before a retouch, I would curse new growth...those little curls that caught all combs and brushes. Those little waves needed to be taken care of. So, this last time I sat in Classy's chair and talked with her about what I wanted to do. I wanted to make my next appointment for either a retouch or a trim.

So, i'm a few weeks in from my most recent retouch and I'm looking forward to the journey with natural hair. I almost forgot to write what made me some to this conclusion.

A lot of times I would tell Kenley that I wanted our future kids (we aren't pregnant) to have his hair. Yes, his hair is beautiful, half asian, half black. He has these glorious, flowing curls that seem so easy to manage. The more I would say that, the more I would wonder what that meant about my hair. I don't even know what my real hair even looks like other than the inch of new growth that I tell to straighten up. I remembered watching Good Hair and all of the questions I had coming out of that movie. What would I tell my kids about their hair? That it's a beautiful mixture of the Sturdivant-Wilson's Thai, African, Caucasian, Native American heritage? And that's why it's sometimes curly, sometimes has a red tint...why it's frizzy in the summertime. Yes, I think I would tell them that...and I had to start telling myself that. My hair does represent my family and my heritage. I didn't want to keep adding these strong chemicals to my hair. I want to put good and healthy foods into my body (hence my renewed commitment to eating vegetarian, leaning towards vegan). I want to honor my body with what I do to it and what I put into it. Trust me, I don't get it right, hardly ever, but I'm trying and I know I need to try.

I also want to understand what I find as beautiful and where in my life have I been conditioned to think something is beautiful (straight hair)...and I'm not my hair anyway (check the lyrics below).

I'm looking forward to the freedom that I think I will have with my hair. I know that this won't be an easy journey. It's something so new and something that I can't even plan for...but it's something that i'm anticipating. I'll probably keep blogging here about whole health...and include my hair in it...that is part of me. :) If you have any tips for hair and skin care...naturally, let me know!

Also, here's some education if you don't know what happens when I get my hair relaxed, here you go:

lyrics to india.aire's not my hair.

Little girl with the press and curls
Age 8 I got a jerry curl
13 and I got a relaxer
I was the source of so much laughter
15 when it all broke off
18 when I went all natural
February 2002
I went on and did what I had to do

Cuz it was time to change my life
To become the woman that I am inside
97 dread locs all grown
I looked in the mirror for the first time and saw that (hey)

(Chorus)
I am not my hair
I am not this skin
I am not your expectations (no)
I am not my hair
I am not this skin
I am the soul that lives within

(Spoken)
What she do to her?
I don’t know; it look crazy!
I like it.
I might do that.
I wouldn’t go that far.

(Verse 2)
Good hair means curls and waves.
Bad hair means you look like a slave
At the turn of the century
Its time for us to redefine who we be
You can shave it off like an African beauty
Got in on “loc” like Bob Marley
You can rock it straight like Oprah Winfrey
It’s not what’s on your head, it’s what’s underneath (say hey)

(Chorus)
I am not my hair
I am not this skin
I am not your expectations (no)
I am not my hair
I am not this skin
I am the soul that lives within

Does the way I wear my hair make me a better person
Does the way I wear my hair make me a better friend
Does the way I wear my hair determine my integrity
Expressing my creativity

(Verse 3)
Breast cancer and chemotherapy
Took away her crown and glory
She promised God if she was to survive
She would enjoy everyday of her life
On national television her diamond eyes are sparkling
Baldheaded like a full moon shining
Singing out to the whole wide world like hey

(Chorus)
I am not my hair
I am not this skin
I am not your expectations (no)
I am not my hair
I am not this skin
I am the soul that lives within
(Repeat)

If I wanna shave it close or I wanna rock locs
That don’t take a bit away from this soul that I got

If I wanna wear it braided all down my back
I don’t see nothing wrong with that