Winter Updates

Its the end of the year, and I figured it would be nice to share some updates!

This year has been JAM PACKED with action.

Incredible moments of breakdown,

followed with incredible moments of uplift.

Gotta love the waves of life, right?

There's a good amount of happenings to update you all on.

The main update is that SUPER AWESOME VAN PLAN is still moving forward.

Check out that blog to stay up to date on where we are at in the process.

http://superawesomevanplan.blogspot.com 

The second update is that I'm working at a super nice nursing home

in the northern suburbs of Chicago.

The facility and the people and the patients are just incredible.

Such a hard working and motivated group. 

The 3rd update, it that I'm finally in the editing process of some yoga/motivation video content.

I've been sharing media since they came out with built-in cameras on computers. 

I still get a little nervous to put stuff out there.

I've finally decided to shut down my inner critic for a bit and just produce the content.

The first set of videos with focus on CORE ACTIVATION.

One the most important, yet overlooked aspects of functional movement.

Will it be perfect?

NO

Is it top notch production?

No.

Will the classes be against the backdrop of a tropical beach?

No.

Will the exercises be effective and beneficial?

YES.

Will the videos be accessible to all?

YES.

The videos are based on the concept of "dirtbag yoga".

"Dirtbag" is a term originally from the climbing community.

It's used to describe the type of lifestyle that comes naturally 

when you simplify and pursue the activity you love the most. 

It is not tidy and put together.

It is not edited nor shiny nor elegant.

It is what it is. 

Using creativity and problem solving to use what you've got right in front of you.

These will be practical videos with an emphasis on novice practitioners.

All you need is your body and a willing mind.

Lastly, I've been writing more music!

Hoping to flood my youtube channel with music and exercise videos.

Coming at you live, straight from mama's basement. 

It will never be perfect,

the timing, the space, your outfit

Don't wait for the perfect timing,

Just do it, and keep doing it.

Goodbye Cook Farm

SO much has happened.

I've been steeping in deep lessons from farm life.

The experience has really been something I will never forget.

The work has been tough.

The days have been long, some have been short.

My skin is a toasted dark mocha brown,

My cheeks a constant rouge.

My back, my hips, my feet, my hands

All speaking loudly in the mornings with stiffness from the last day's work.

Honest work.

Work that requires a constant moving

Work that is repetitive & meditative 

Work that is dirt & bugs 

Work that is rashes & sweat

The process of farming good quality veggies requires hard honest work

Or otherwise some expensive technology

It requires you to get on the ground

in the ground.

I thought I was tough.

That sun reminded me 

Some weeks day in and out

That I'm nothing 

but a burning little speck of dust.

I'm so glad for this experience.

I'm totally burned out.

I will miss the days on that 7ish acre farm.

I will miss the morning sunrise

The sound of roosters in the morning

The little shiny morning gems of dew

perfectly still and balanced in-between the curly edges of kale.

The rainbow luminescent stalks of swiss chard.

The feeling of wet muddy sucking between each toe of my barefoot.

The scene of light brown weed-ridden dirt 

scuffle-hoed into a deep brown weed-free zone.

The bird's eye view of baskets filled with the 

amazingly vibrant color scheme of a fresh harvest.

The rocking of my body in the back of the truck,

eyes closed & swimming in sweat

 with the cool wind beating my face 

right after the sun had just finished beating me too.

What a freaking life.

I will miss the creatures, humans too,

all the quirks and interactions

convos & soul transactions.

Yum.

Thank you Cook farm.

Brushing the Dreads Out Pt. 2

Why did you decide to brush them out?

I'd had a few intinctual tickles during the past year about cutting them.

Also, I was beginning to get tired of some of the downsides that come with having dreads.

My scalp felt irritated from the varied tension, dreads like to grow into one another.

Not to mention, the washing process started to feel tedious and lengthy.

I figured I had two options:

1. Up my game and consistancy with maintenance (washing, DRYING, & separating).

2. Brush them out, reduce scalp tension, and accept a new style.

I'm lazy about certain things, one of those things includes hair maintenance.

So I opted for #2! :)

How did you comb them out?

I purchased a metal dog comb from Petco for about $6.

It was the only thing strong enough to get through a several dreads in one sitting. 

Pictured Below: Beastly hair weapon.

Did you use any products?

I used a detangler for the first couple of dreads. I also washed them with conditioner that had avocado and olive oil in it. However, after getting through some of them, I found it WAY easier to brush them out dry. For the future, I suggest brushing them out dry from the start and skipping the condtioner/detangler. The detangler is GREAT for natural hair (once the dreads are brushed out).

How long did it take?

I had 100 dreads. Some of them, about 4 maybe, were actually 2 dreads bundled into one!

Each dread took about 15-20 minutes.

That is 2,000 minutes.

That is 33 hours and 20 minutes.

From start to finish, it took me about 3 weeks.

By about midway, I had a pretty ruthless and efficient little system. I could get 4 out per hour each day. Some days I would puchout like 7 and feel really accomplished and hopeful.

Other days I rested, because the process took some real muscle endurance.

What lessons did you learn from combing out your dreads?

Definitely learned alot about being patient with life's process, being patient with others, and most importantly being patient with oneself. I found myself rushing alot, too, only to find quicker burn out and a need for longer rest periods. 

One day, while in the heat of it, I was combing out a 2 for 1 dread and observing how rough the process looked. It was full of tearing, pinching, pulling, repeat. I would occassionally clip my thumb with the metal because of plain old upperbody and fine motor fatigue. I developed some good calluses and little scars, too.

In this process I experienced the truth that any good thing found worthy of accomplishing is going to require a process that feels anything but comfortable. The worth and value is in looking back on the work. The aquisition of the things that your soul craves usually requires a rough and bumpy, and sort of messy, process. It's amazing, because the struggle in that mess makes the outcome taste that much better. :) 

Would you get dreadlocks again?

I will never say never. Its hard to say because of how much I'm feeling the new style and scalp relief.

**Disclaimer: I had a sensitive scalp prior to locking my hair. I attempted to oil my scalp with dreads, however it didn't seem to provide relief.**

What does hair maintenance look like now?

Hair maintenance now looks simple!

Thanks to my wonderful mama aka Helen's HomeStyle Hair, I am currently rocking a short/medium length afro. I don't have to worry about getting my head wet in the shower at night, simply because hair drying time isn't as lengthy. Now I just shampoo, condition, detangle, and braid or let free. Now that I'm back into the routine of it, its actually a quick process. Another thing, I ABSOLUTELY LOVE the feeling of a brush around my scalp in a hot shower. Mega. Mad. Feels. #treatyourself #sensorybreaksOT #feelthefeels #scalpmassage. Who hashtags in blogs...? 

Me.

STAY TUNED: Next up, story about a fun series of creative yoga videos for ALL levels. 

Brushing the Dreads

I grew up hating my natural hairs.

Like deep hate, the messy cry face kind.

When I considered locking up my hair, 

I thought it would be the ultimate solution 

to the problem I'd built around the type of hair I have.  

Lots of people ask questions about my hair.

So here are listed the pros/cons of dreads.

And other dread questions.

Dreadlock Pros:

-Mystical Look

-More Conventional than Afro

-Easy Styling

-Less Maintenance (Daily)

-No hair products

Dreadlock Cons:

-Increased Maintenance Time

Must Dry Completely (1-2 hours)

-Scalp Irritation from Knotting

-Increased weight/thickness

-Must Rip apart regularly to prevent Congos

_____________________________________________________________

Dreadlock Questions/Answers

How did you make them?

I backcombed and twisted 100 1-2 inch sections of my hair with a comb.

How long did it take?

It took me 1.5 days to complete. 

However, I ended up having to re-backcomb all of them after 3 months

How do you wash them?

Most common question. I wash them the way you'd wash out a sponge.

Squeeze and add water. Squeeze and add shampoo.

Squeeze and add water.

I occasionally used DreadHeadHQ shampoo.

Then I started using baking soda and apple cider vinegar.

Doesn't your scalp itch?

Yes, but no more than it normally would. I have naturally dry skin.

How do you prevent them from getting mold?

If they get wet, you MUST dry them as thoroughly as possible. Dreads are composed of your hair, the hair you lose/shed, and small bits of lint and other micro material. Allowing dreads to hold water for too long could encourage contamination.

What do you do if you don't want them anymore?

I never knew how to answer this question, as I hadn't planned or felt the desire to not have dreads. I figured I would just cross that bridge when I arrived.

I arrived!

Turns out brushing them out works.

What a process.

Leave a comment below 

if you want to know more about the process 

and the lessons I learned

 from patiently choosing to comb out 

100 dreadlocks!

Coming next:

Combing The Dreads Out

Questions/Answers

Why did you decide to brush them out?

How did you comb them out?

Did you use any products?

How long did it take?

What lessons did you learn from combing out your dreads?

Would you get dreadlocks again?

What does hair maintenance look like now?

#weeklyreflections

 

This past week, definitely felt like I was about to burst. Everything felt like it requires the efforts of my entire life to complete. But here I am, still breathing still living still doing. 

Relevant.

I started a larger sized dream catcher. 

I usually can get them done quickly and well without much force.

This go around, I was forcing it.

I got all the way to the center ring and pull too tight allowing too much tension, and POP!! About 3 freaking beads literally stapped in half and shot across the room, leaving huge holes in my work. 

The how was "tension".

So I went and undid the entire dream catcher and attempted to change the how. Still in progress.

#weeklyreflections

So…has anyone else felt like their throat, nose, and sinus have transformed their membranes into rugged sand paper? This week I've had to work around some allergy and sinus issues that have made things way less fun. 

Of course, it has sort of been on and off. Little allergy outbursts where my eyes, throat, and nose feel so dry and itchy and MAD. Thankfully, there have also been some clearer moments sprinkled in. 

In the middle of an "allergy fit" so to speak, I noticed how much tension I let into my body.

I would scrunch my nose, forcing air in and out to "clear the mucus".

I would shrug my shoulders up as I rubbed my itchy nose and aggressively attempted to hock loogees (a professional term) to "get the bug out". 

In those "tense" moments I felt like this:

"WHY MEEEEEEEEE?!?! I JUST WANT A REGULAR FACE THAT DOESN'T ITCH AND FEELT DRY!!!! WAAAAAAA…."

I definitely feel, in my own experiences of suffering, that my brain instantly wants to convince me I am totally alone in the situation. That I'm alone, and no one else in the world has experienced this same suffering and that it will never go away.

What a silly mind.

We are never alone in suffering. In fact, it is the suffering that creates our most potent abilities to connect with one another. It's called compassion.

Com= with/together

Passion= to suffer

It is the greatest kind of love. To come down and suffer with someone, or to accept someone willing to suffer through with you. It turns out, tons of people are experiencing the same feelings with their sinuses and such. Perhaps some seasonal shift effect. I was never truly alone, just fussing too loudly to realize the presence of company.

#weeklyreflections

This was such a relevant teaching for me this week.
Such an emphasis on keeping your head in the present moment.
Not letting the mind pull you into past or future.
I pulled this little #wisdomnote from the jar the weekend I left my parents phone plan.
I had a perfect idea of how things would go.
I would get to leave the family plan without any fees
And then I would punch in my phones info to join a new online phone company.

Didn't exactly flow that way.
I failed to do more in depth and upfront research on the company I'd plan to join.
Which set me back, ALOT
So, if you've tried to contact me via phone/text lately, I'm sorry I couldn't respond!
I've been without phone/text/internet right in my palm for about a week.

Initially, it felt like I was missing a huge something.
Like I was regressing because of the lack of connection.
I couldn't access whatever information I wanted, whenever I wanted.

This piece of wisdom kept me a float.
Reading it every morning helped me to access the information right in front of me.
When ever I wanted.
I really came to understand how much distraction I allow
to stop me from filling up my free time in a more productive manner.
It's crazy.
I've loved it.
I've been tapping into free wifi just to keep my blog and #100daysofgratitude going.
And to manage some mini bits of online business.
Other than those little moments of free wifi,
I'm forced to look my free time in the face
forced to really think about what actions I want to plant right now
in order to potentially see a certain fruit later.

Life reminding me through my own little situation to return to the present moment.