“Why do you want to look 10 years older?” My hairdresser asked.

She poured soap into her hands and rubbed it into a lather.

“Lean back more.”

I dropped my head back into the sink a little further and closed my eyes as she scrubbed my long, blond, over- processed hair.

“I’ll do it, but I am stating for the record, I think it’s a bad idea.”

I was chopping off my hair and going natural… grey.

Aging is an interesting process. Women are taught to fight it every step of the way.  he hair gets blonder, the makeup thickens, we loathe every pound, and the word anti-aging  is written on everything in the bathroom.

We are bombarded with advertising slogans like ‘fight aging,’ ‘lose weight,’ ‘look younger,’ and ‘battle wrinkles.’

The wording suggests that we should go to war… with ourselves.

Words carry power and energy. They do not just signify, they transform. I decided to stop fighting and live in peace.

Chakra Five, Vishuddha teaches that every action and every word that we set into the world carries a vibration. This gives us the power to transform energy. You can elevate or destroy with language. We wrote Sankalpas, on day one, understanding the weight of words.

Our bodies take in every cruel word we have ever uttered about ourselves and carry the residue. Each word, either spoken or thought, shifts the energy of the space. You can feel it when you enter a home, meet someone for the first time, or when you say something you regret.

Pronouncements linger and I’m tired of commercials that scream “You are not allowed to age.”

I have colored my hair since I was twenty and have sported every hue from black to bleach blond. To be honest, I had no idea what my real color was anymore and I just wanted to be free from the cycle.

Some believe that we carry our past experiences in our hair. When we refuse to shed it, we cannot let go of the past. People often even keep the same hairstyle that they had during what they perceive to be the best time in their life.

If we remain stuck in the past and define ourselves by our stories, we cannot grow.

Day Ten..I am off to get a hair cut. Picturing in my minds eye that which doesn’t serve me; the things I think I should be, wish I was, and have not forgiven myself for. All snipped away with my hairdressers scissors.

​Fun Facts:

Hair possesses spiritual significance in many cultures. Buddha shaved off his hair when he left his old life in search of answers. Buddhist men and women will shave off their hair as a symbol of detachment.

Ancient Asian cultures believe that the Miko (mediums) carry their power in their hair. So all women under 40, believed to be child bearing cut off, were obligated to tie their hair up.

Will you let go and discover things about yourself? If you blog, be sure to let me know so that I can share your experience and add you to our list of 24-ers.

Get tossing and get clear, my friends!

Check out last weeks The 24 Thing Challenge. Days One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six and Seven.

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Editor: Renée Picard

Photo: Pixoto