Yeah! Thanks soaring eagle! I'm also amazed at how much more confident I am with people, I even feel like people are responding to me in a more positive way even though my hair looks pretty wild. I love it!
Hello dready, beautiful people! I just joined (and donated to) this wonderful online community. I am very glad I found this place on the internet. I also just put my brush and comb aside this past Sunday, June 8th, and have been letting my hair do as it will.
I don't want to spend much time discussing how/what I do with my hair, especially since i just started this wonderful journey of the locs. I did want to share, and possibly discuss, with people here my experience of beginning this process of learning to love myself for who I am. Because that's what I've realized it's about, for me at least.
In these few three days since I have let my hair behave how it wants (still cleaning it w/natural things of course), I have reflected on a lot about why I am doing this. In the short time that I have started this process, I have felt my mindset undergo some pretty significant shifts. It has been interesting for me to see these happen in retrospect. It began when I got dreads in '08 (the dreaded dreadheadhq method...good thing I chopped em off, i guess), and I cut them within a year of having them cuz I was moody. Long story short, I couldn't get "my dreadlocks" out of my mind since then, and I have missed them since.
I began especially missing them recently, and was considering having my girlyfriend backcomb my hair this summer (i'm wiser to wax and such these days). I had a date in mind, but i felt i could hardly wait. It's like I could feel phantom dreads on my head! I want them there, but they haven't manifested yet!
I then came across this lovely website through one of soaring eagle's youtube vids, and suddenly it clicked: put the brush down. That easy! I realized that I wanted dreadlocks so much that I could easily face looking like a wild person for however-long. Which leads me to here. Over the three days that I've let my hair go wild, I was caught up in the idea that I was "going to have dreadlocks." I have been obsessing with how they "should" look by now, or how they "might" look a week, a month, ten months from now. "Am I using the right soap?" "Am I doing this right?" etc. etc. (you know the drill, I'm sure)
I have recently also quit the ol' nicotine (cigs, snuff, inc.), quit smoking weed several weeks ago, am going to graduate from community college after many many years, and have generally been developing a more confident, healthy, loving self. Amidst all of these changes, my "dreads" have decided to emerge. As I was sitting in meditation today, I realized that the process I've been going through with my hair is an apt reflection of how I'm really trying to be in harmony with myself. I "wanted my dreads back" not just for the sake of having a hairstyle, but because I always feel so happy and radiant thinking about myself with dreads. Therefore, I am happy with this process of growing into harmony with my hair and all aspects of my being.
Thank you all <3
Hiya Casey!
I just started dreading my hair, although really I'm only at the stage of having stopped combing my hair hehe. Having had dreads in the past, I remember some of what it was like, and I'm sure I have a lot ahead of me, especially since I'm going the neglect route this time.
I just posted a thread that you may like to read, it might have some pertinence for your situation. It's basically a long-winded way of saying I'm learning to love myself for how and who I am. The title says it all. Best wishes! You can do it!
http://www.dreadlockssite.com/forum/topics/being-in-harmony-with-myself
I think you look great without bangs, but you should do what you want. Unfortunately, I have not advice on how to maintain such a look. My advice would be to just let it go, and you will love yourself more every day!
Welll... update on the washing sitch. So, I got real with myself and realized that Bronners was indeed leaving a tacky residue in my hair, even though my water's only "slightly hard." I've switched over to BS and VERY light acv rinses for the time being. My hair is feeling much cleaner since then, but yeah, like a lot of folks I too experienced what seemed to be an "undoing of progress," which really was the Bronners residue washing out of my hair slowly but surely after switching it up.
I also have some of Vicki's liquid soap, which i tried once and was AmAzInG, gonna use that fo sho. Sorry Bronners...we part ways after many long years.
I am also in this same camp with the bronners, as i just stopped combing my hair about a week ago. According to my city's website, my water is on the edge of being soft and slightly hard. I'm honestly hoping that using bronner's works out because it's so durned cheap once you dilute it. So far so good,it's only been a couple of washes, so i will see soon enough. I found that adding a few pinches of sea salt to diluted bronners seems to help my hair get in a locking mood.
Claire said:
How long did it take everyone to realize the liquid bronners was not going to work? I have washed my hair twice with it & so far, no issues. I love the way the Lavender smells & also love that you can use it for so many other purposes.
I love this site more everyday! I, too, think I fall into the "separation anxiety" camp. I'm doing my best to just leave my hair alone, espeshly since I'm just in the first week LOL! It's not super helpful when some people I know who have had neglect dreads in the past (and never separated) tell me horror stories of massive, painful congos. Well, they /never/ separated - at all - so, that's a little different than separating every once in awhile haha.
Your timeline is inspiring, thank you! I think you look very good all through your different phases, you clearly have been enjoying yourself.
You are beautiful and your locks are lovely. I'm a sucker for redheads too ;p
It's possible to have opinions based on so-called "facts." Science is a religion these days, anyhow. There are facts, and then there are opinions. Facts do not have opinions, people do. Everyone will make their own choice. For better or worse, we will all return to the earth from whence we came, along with all the plastic, carnage, civilzations, pollutions....everything will return to the source, no exceptions. So live your life how you will.
BTW this is a really interesting discussion. I will say that the night that I read this discussion, I circumstantially ate too much meat (I rarely eat meat, only when with my parents who do eat meat), and I DEFINITELY had indigestion for a solid 12+ hrs lol. That experience combined with some points brought up in this discussion made me seriously consider going off of meat. I do fast from meat for long periods for spiritual reasons, but my body will always feel stronger and better nourished when I eat it occasionally. In my experience. And, yes, I do eat a balanced diet when vegetarian or vegan.
Love the locks brother. You look so much happier, radiant even, after your locks started maturing. Lock on!
