Applying minimalism in my life has allowed me to peel back some layers for total self-acceptance, and recently in my philosophy class, I was enlightened about some of the phases that I have been through and what I still experience.
I learned about Trigunas (In Hindu, tri means 3 and gunas, means attributes, nature, or quality). The three attributes namely Satva, Rajas, and Tamas, are all parts of the personality in humans. These attributes might be more dominant at different stages of our lives, and although some are more desirable than others, we need all three attributes to help keep us balanced.
The Satva which is the most desirable and what we should all aspire to be, has to do with knowledge, happiness, selfless service, and setting priorities in our lives. The Rajas are when we are driven, action-oriented, highly motivated, and energetic. While the Tamas are the darkness, ignorance, inertia, laziness, and inaction.
You can see why having a balance might help, such as if there are too many Rajas, one can lead to burnout, so having a few Tamas is good, in that you might be better able to go with the flow allowing things to fall into place, right?
Reflecting, there were a lot of Tamas qualities in my personality that manifested into rebelliousness, and one of the things that I was inclined to do as a teenager was to lock my hair into dreadlocks and follow a Rastafarian movement, which is prominent in Jamaica. However, I was apprehensive and never did it, fearing that I was just going through a phase.
Yet, that deep desire lingered.
I was also introduced to the subject of Ayurveda, the oldest time-tested and proven health science, particularly on the Dosha in Ayurvedic Medicine. I learned my dominant dosha type to be vata (mixed with a little Pitta), which explains my thin, dry, hair and other attributes such as dry skin, the way I speak, my inability to cope with the cold weather, and other aspects of my personality and general approach to life.
My loose natural hair requires regular maintenance and care, which is time-consuming and pricey, against my minimalist ethos, and I felt like I was a slave to my hair, for having to spend hours washing, detangling, treating, and styling. So, I did extensive research about different kinds of dreadlocks (locks or locs), to see which would be most suitable for my needs.
Through minimalism and mindful practices, I've become more balanced with the attribute of Satva domineering my personality. This makes me prioritise simplicity in all aspects of my life, to have the time to do more of what brings happiness.
So, after much evaluation and honesty with myself, I confidently embarked on my lock journey, knowing that it's a spiritual journey of self-acceptance and love, that gives me more freedom to wash and go daily if desired, with a longer gap in between my maintenance regime.
The installation of microlocs by a professional Loctician is costly and time-consuming, however, in the long run, having my hair locked is worth the investment, with a fraction of the cost of maintaining my hair loose.
There are many different types of locks and locking methods for achieving dreadlocks. I decided on microlocs (tiny locs), based on the texture and density of my hair, the look and feel of locs that I desired, and the versatility of styles that can be done with microlocs. Also, the feedback from people with traditional thick dreadlocks is that they grew heavy and sometimes caused a strain on the neck.
It was a big decision that I wanted to get right the first time, so for several months, I tested the look and care of these locs by twisting my hair into tiny sections, as a trial of what my lifestyle would be with permanent locs. It was a game-changer.
While searching for the right loctician, I wore my hair in tiny twists to get accustomed to the look and feel of my hair. I eventually stumbled upon a Jamaica loctician, who installed my locks with me needing to break the bank.
Now, my haircare routine is more alignment with my lifestyle. Things are a lot simpler, and I think that my hair was born to lock.
My natural loose hair did nothing but knot and tangle, so, these microlocs have been the best thing. Instead of using products to detangle my woolly hair, these locs, which are like crocheting or knitting my hair strands make more sense.
I can wash and go and I only need to visit the salon every 8 weeks to retie my new growth, and the good thing about these locks is that if I should decide to make them bigger in the future, I could combine them.
This is my response to this week's KISS, the question here in The Minimalist community.
I would be pleased to hear about the needs in your life and what you have been doing to simplify and achieve those needs, or if you check the links to discover your dosha to see how what you could apply to improve your life.
Thanks for stopping by:)
All images, gifs, and videos are the original property of the author.
