Dreadlocks
Left to its own devices, hair will naturally knot together and form mats or "dreadlocks". Upon seeing Dreadlocks, most people think of Bob Marley, reggae, and Rastafarianism, unaware that the roots of Dreadlocks go back much further, to at least 2500 BCE with the Dreadlocked Vedic deity Shiva
and his followers.
Dreadlocks are a universal phenomenon in the East as well as in the West. Spiritualists of all faiths and backgrounds incorporate into their paths a disregard for physical appearances and vanity. And so, throughout the world, such seekers often cease to comb, cut, or otherwise dress their hair: This is how "dreadlocks" are born.
In the West, the Nazarite is most widely known for developing Dreadlocks. In the East, Yogis, Gyanis, and Tapasvis of all sects are the most famous bearers of Dreadlocks.
Dreadlocks, then, are universally symbolic of a spiritualist's understanding that vanity and physical appearances are unimportant. The counterpart to Dreadlocks is the shaven head, which has the same aim: disregard for vanity associated with physical appearances. Usually we find that spiritualists whose religious path includes elaborate rituals tend to embrace the shaven head technique as it affords a level of ritual cleanliness, while those mystics who adopt meditative or otherwise non-ritualistic paths prefer to
disregard the hair altogether and thus develop Dreadlocks.
Dreadlocks are more than just a symbolic statement of disregard for physical appearance. Both Eastern and Western Traditions hold that bodily, mental and spiritual energies mainly exit the body through the top of the head and the hair. If the hair is knotted, they believe, the energy remains within the hair and the body, keeping a person more strong and healthy.
An excellent example from Western tradition is biblical Sampson, whose unsurpassed strength was lost when Delilah cut off his *seven* locks of hair. In classical India, all students on the spiritual path were directly enjoined by their scriptures to develop Dreadlocks as a means to detach them from physical vanity and aid them in the development of bodily strength and supernatural mental and spiritual powers.
As the world moved into the Industrial Era, Dreadlocks were rarely seen anywhere outside of India. However, at the turn of the Twentieth Century, a socio-religious movement started in Harlem, NY by Marcus Garvey found an enthusiastic following amongst the Black population of Jamaica. This ecclectic group drew their influences from three primary sources the Old and New Testaments, African tribal culture, and The Hindu culture that had recently become a pervasive cultural force in the West Indies.
The followers of this movement called themselves "Dreads," signifying that they had a dread, fear, or respect for God. Emulating Hindu and Nazarite holymen, these "Dreads" grew matted locks of hair, which would become known to the world as "Dreadlocks" - the hair-style of the Dreads.
Soon after, this group would focus their attention on the Ethiopian Emperor Ras Tafari, Haile Selassie, and thus became known as Rastafarians. But the term "Dreadlocks" stuck.
Ever since becoming connected with the Rastafarians in the early 1900's, Dreadlocks have taken on, in addition to their original religious and spiritual significance, a potent social symbolism as well.
Today, Dreadlocks signify spiritual intent, natural and supernatural powers, and are a statement of non-violent non-conformity, communalism and socialistic values, and solidarity with less fortunate or roppressed minorities.
Braids
Braiding is a fun and fashionable way to do hair. There are several types of braids. This article will
tell you how to do a simple braid, a French braid, an inside out braid, a German braid and a fishbone braid.
To do a simple braid pull all the hair back, you may want to secure it with a rubber band. Divide the hair into three sections. Take the right section of hair over the middle section, now take the left section over the middle one. Alternate the right and left sections until you reach the end of the hair. Now band or clip it to keep it in place.
A French braid is the next most popular braid. To do this braid, start at the very top and take three small, but equal sections of hair from the front. Begin braiding by moving the right to the middle and then the left. In your right hand pick up a little more hair and move this into the middle. With your left hand pick up more hair and move it to the middle. Continue alternating, each time picking up a little more hair on the side. When you come to the bottom of the head you should have picked up all the hair. Now just continue with the rest of the hair like the simple braid. This braid will probably take a great deal of practice. Some hints to make this braid look good are to begin the braid with most of the hair from the top of the head and then each time you gather more hair get even amount all the way down.
An inside out braid is basically a French braid done inside out. Gather the first three sections of hair, but instead of going over the middle section go under and make sure it is pulled kind of tight, but be careful not to pull hard on the scalp. Continue by picking up a little more hair each time and taking each section, alternating right and left, under the middle one. This will produce a braid that sticks out off the head.
A German braid is done by taking a section just above one ear and braiding over to the other ear. Like the French braid you gather more hair each time you move the sections to the middle, but with this braid you only gather a very tiny amount of new hair. Only pick up the areas of hair right next to the braid. Continue over the head to the other ear and then down to the end of the hair and band or clip. This headband effect will hold all the hair out of the face even though most of it still loose.
A fishbone braid is done by dividing all the hair into two sections. Take a very small section from the top of the right side and add it to the left. Don’t keep it separate after that. Take a small section of hair from the top left and add it to the right. Continue to go back and forth working all the hair in. Keep it tight. Work down the head and continue in the same way until you have reached the bottom of the hair, band or clip. This braid is very impressive looking especially if use very tiny amounts of hair, but it can take a very long time to complete.
