I've made a few changes in the last few months, as you can gather from the title of this blog. The dreadlocks came first; around the last week in May I stopped shampooing and brushing my hair, which is a pretty extreme thing to do considering the upbringing I had and the image-driven culture in which I dwell. When I let go of maintaining my hair in the way society told me I should, the idea of applying make-up also seemed silly to me, so I stopped doing that as well. I also stopped tweezing my eyebrows - something I was always convinced I should do. I decided that when I look in the mirror, I want to see me, every rogue hair, freckle and spot - not the little tweaks I made in order to cover that stuff up so I could feel like the world will accept me for my prettied face.
Once I stopped trying to cover up the stuff that society deems unacceptable, I felt my mask melt off. I started shining from the inside, knowing that I had the courage to bare my imperfections. Once I was able to bare my "imperfections," I realized I didn't really have any, that it was all made up in my mind, put there by my conditioning, silly magazine articles and television ads. I've faced my little fears and realized that it doesn't matter what others think of my appearance, which is kind of my message in this whole deadlocks thing. When it comes to appearance, it's important to adorn oneself in a way that aligns with what's going on inside, despite what others around you may think. My inner Viking warrior-princess is coming out, for this is the first time in my life I've empowered myself in taking control of my physical appearance by giving up control, and looking the way God created this unique manifestation of the universe that is me... It's a liberating feeling.
In addition to these outwardly changes, I've stopped consuming animal products and refined/processed food. Cleaning out my system in that way motivated me to stop drinking alcohol and caffeine. I'm proud to say I'm coming up on my fourth month sober from alcohol and caffeine (with a couple hiccups along the way on the caffeine front). I think I was born drinking coffee from the teat, so that was a rough one to kick.
These are some pretty significant changes, and inevitably I've learned some things along the way. Where ever you are in life right now, I'm hoping these three powerful lessons can resinate and be applicable on your own path.
1. Beauty blossoms from the inside - out. We all know this intuitively, but I think it's difficult to remember. This society's "beauty" industry preys on our human desire to be accepted by pumping out advertisements for clearer skin, longer lashes and flatter abs, what-have you, which in turn causes consumers to believe their eye lashes aren't already long enough, that acne is unacceptable, that a curvy tummy isn't beautiful. Don't fall into it! If you read these advertisements consciously, you'll find yourself reading language that comes from a place of inadequacy, between the lines they say "buy this product and we'll make you better," as if you need improvement... Wear mascara, wash your face, and join a gym - I don't care - but first remember that you're perfect already.
Don't buy into something so easily, first you must understand the seller's agenda. I come across women everyday who fret about something that they believe needs improving when it comes to their appearance - whether they believe they're aging, or gaining weight, or they're too short or too tall, or their breasts are too small or too big. It's a little bit ridiculous, and I have to ask, "where is this coming from, and why does it matter?" If anything, their stress over wrinkles and weight is the real contributor to the wrinkles and weight, and I blame this media-conditioned culture for making us believe we're not beautiful unless we're thin, smooth and shiny. Sorry, but I'm not a plastic barbie doll. No one is. So stop buying into the bull and remember that you're beautiful already. Beauty is in your smile, and in the light in your eyes. It's in your movement, in your grace, in your speech.
It's very important to feel beautiful; I'm not dissing the idea of beauty. I'm dissing the skewed definition of beauty we've come to accept as real. Beauty starts in the silence of your mind. That's where you realize your beauty - when you give yourself quiet time and connect with yourself again. Beauty flourishes when you give to others. It blossoms when you engage in your favorite exercise and realize your strength. It comes alive when you practice creativity.
So quit buying beauty products and start smiling. Start giving time to yourself. Start practicing kindness toward others. Go get the blood pumping, get sweaty and drink water. Remember the creativity you liked to partake in as a child. I promise, you will never feel more beautiful, and others around you will notice, too.
2. Nothing tastes as good as self-empowerment feels. Nothing tastes as good as vitality feels. Seriously, stop eating crap. You will love yourself for it. If you can't stop eating crap, simply be mindful of the crap you're putting into your body and notice how it makes you feel. You owe yourself that much. Man, I love pizza. Ooey, gooey, doughy, satisfying, tasty bread and cheese. Yummy. Yet I've come to realize pizza puts me in a food coma whenever I indulge, and not only that, I've realized it's hard to stop eating it once I've started. One slice of pizza? Please. While I'm eating that one slice I'm already planning on eating two, but stressing out because it's so good I'm going to want three, but I know three slices might be too much and oh, wait - was I eating pizza? I'm too busy stressing to actually enjoy the one slice I'm working on. I don't like food having that control over me. I don't like eating something that I know is not optimal for me, that I know is addictive. Go google genetically modified wheat. Not only is is difficult to digest, but it contains a man-made protein that attaches itself to the opiate receptors in your system, thus acting like heroine, leaving you dissatisfied and wanting more. It's no joke, and it's everywhere.
Empower yourself by educating yourself on what you're putting into your body. You only get one body in this lifetime. It's the vehicle that moves you through your life, and the better you care for it, the better every facet of your life will be. Processed food drags you down and messes with your brain chemistry. It's easy to lose yourself to man-made, food-like substances, much like it's easy to lose your self to drugs. Food that Mother Earth made, in its purist form, is best for the human body - but don't take my word for it. Get on your favorite search engine, get on youtube, go talk to people, go to the bookstore and find out for yourself. In this world, educating yourself on the food you eat and switching up your diet takes an immense amount of courage and discipline. I can tell you this, as someone on the other side, it is worth it. The lightness in your step, the amount of energy you have, the clarity in your mind - I'll take that over pizza any day. Try it to believe it. If you live in the Portland area, I will make you green juice. I'm that amped on it.
3. Trusting your sober self is the most powerful, loving thing you can do for yourself. When you stop consuming intoxicants, be it alcohol, caffeine, or any other form, your relationship with the intoxicant becomes clear, namely, the reasons why you partook and what kept you justifying it. The feeling is akin to stepping out of a haze and finding yourself again.
For me, I started drinking at a young age in order to be rebellious, to be cool, to stave off boredom and the pressures of being a teen. By the time I became an adult, alcohol was ingrained into my lifestyle, and it became something to do, something to enjoy with others. More deeply, it was a way to feel comfortable around others because I didn't trust myself to be witty, social, accepted - without it. After eleven years without a significant break, it was taking a toll on my body I didn't realize until I stopped. The dehydration, the hangovers, the fogginess in the brain, the lethargy and lack of motivation, I accepted as normal.
My decision to stop drinking is akin to my decision to grow my dreadlocks. Just like I let go of maintaining my hair in order to trust my own beauty again, I let go of alcohol in order to trust my own personality. I realized alcohol wasn't serving me in a positive way, and when I stopped I fell in love with my sober self. Trusting yourself is the best thing you can do for your self. It's not easy for most, and it takes courage. When you stop consuming intoxicants, you start feeling. You feel life as you felt it when you were a child. It's nice to get that youth back.
I've come to learn that the human body is a miracle. You've got everything you need to heal, stay alive, stay happy and stay balanced already inside of you. When we start mucking up that perfect system with food and drugs, it gets thrown out of whack and then we think we need more outside substances to help us feel better and keep us going. When you take a break from putting substances into your body, you feel that perfect system working to get you back into balance again. It's a powerful, loving practice to let your body be, trusting in its miraculous, intricate systems that work together in perfect harmony. When we ingest an intoxicant, it's like putting a wedge into that harmony. Have trust in your body's own healing powers. If you can do that, you can connect with yourself in a beautiful way.
I can go on forever about all this, so I will end by asking you to please message me via facebook or email if there's something you'd like to change in your lifestyle, or a substance you'd like to take a break from, but the task seems scary or daunting. I've been there, and it makes it easier if there's someone you can reach. Friendly support helps :) I'm here. I'm here to help you empower yourself. We're in this together!
Lot's of Love,
Caitlin
Last February/March, after years of bad skin and the usual massive amount of Internet research before I do any personal experiment, I decided to stop using shampoo and soap in the shower. I'd still wash my hair and body with just water, and use soap on the more bacteria-prone areas, but otherwise, nothing. The result? Entirely positive. My skin feels smoother, there's far less breakout issues, there have been no complaints of "dirtiness" or smell (or, at least, no one has outright told me, which doesn't necessarily mean it's true...), and I've saved a good amount of money.
ReplyDeleteGoing on what I've seen online, this seems to be the common reaction. Almost everyone says the same thing: they don't really need soap and shampoo. This goes completely contrary to the advertising that's shoved down our throats constantly every day: we need shiny, straight hair and clean, smooth skin that only certain products can give, and if we don't, no one will love us / we won't be attractive / we'll be made fun of / we're worthless as human beings! It's an entire industry (and definitely not even close to the only one) that's built entirely on the concept of exploiting insecurities involving how one perceives others perceive them.
I've been essentially cut off from pop culture and advertising for quite a long time now, and those rare times I do see commercials are just so amazing. They're just so incredibly manipulative in such subtle and blatant ways that I actually find myself getting angry. Yet, for a lot of people, they're just an omnipresent force that's mostly subjectively tuned out but never completely out of mind. They're always working away, reinforcing those insecurities, presenting an image of what's attractive and desirable and acceptable, which is why it can be so hard to even question it. We're all told from our earliest ages that we should do our best to conform, lest our deepest, darkest fears ring true.
The worst part is it'll never be some easy fix. It's not some one person or group behind it. It's the entire construct of society, based upon tens of thousands of years of human culture, influenced by the actions and decisions of every single person born during those years. The culmination of human existence exerting itself and evolving itself every single second. No wonder it's so hard to even reach the point one can begin to question aspects of it, let alone see those aspects (like the societal concepts of beauty and attractiveness) as what they are: just a construct of humanity, not some truth of life. Hell, I'm questioning it all the time, and yet I still subconsciously act in ways that show an implicit agreement with it! It is not easy to overcome that which you have been told your entire life.
Which is why I am still such a fan of the Internet and technology in general. Truly easy, instant methods of sharing information means those things we think are truth (without even realizing it!) can be easily challenged by the readily available experiences of others. Just here- right now- you have posted a blog post about your experiences. People will read it, and be influenced by it. Even if they don't realize it, even if it's not that big, still that influence is there. It'll play a part in building that new second. Even if it's just a grain of dust in the end, if you give the universe enough time and grains of dust, it'll build an entire planet out of it.
I swear I was just going to write a quick comment about my experiences giving up shampoo and soap. I don't know how it ballooned out of control so quickly with preachiness. Ah well. C'est la vie.
Brendan, thank you sooo much for your response, and sharing your experience with me. I miss your mind. And it's so true! Soap is silly! The mainstream stuff is laden with chemicals that dry out the scalp and skin, causing your body to produce excess oils to compensate. Once you kick the mainstream soap the body's natural oils get back into balance. My skin cleared up nicely, too! You've inspired me to keep writing and sharing my experiences, so thank you. We're totally on the same page. If you're ever in the Portland, Oregon area stop by and I'll make you a juice and we can talk about all this in person :) Oh, I think about you from time to time because the beer up here is out of the world. Too good. Thus my need to take a little break from it... hehe.
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