About several years ago I wanted to get locks,
Not because I felt it was time for them, but because it was the stlye & everyone was getting them.

Now(2003) I'm thankful that I didn't get them then(1997) because I was only doing it for the style and not for the meaning.
Going on this journey has open my eyes to a whole new world of afrocentric and Natural living.

I believe it's a higher calling for us to get to the root of our ancestors. Understand the real meaning to living the NATURAL WAY. I have found thousand of sites about nappy hair and it's journeys. Why it's good for the soul and why doing this will cleanse your life.

My journey begun when I found this site about 1 month 1/2 ago. It helped open me up to stories I have never told my best friends. Stories I needed to let lose. I feel once I started telling those stories my path became a little easier. I started focusing on ME and the big picture to changing the old me into something positive. I found that I need to be a natural sista. I need to live, act, love, dress and become ALL NATURAL.

My eyes has open up to the beauty of having a nappy hair, afrocentric attitude, clear mind, and a new path. I won't forget where I came from but where I'm going is better.

Also I now understand why going natural is a learning experience. It's not only about hair, it's about living, self respect, self love, self understanding and self journey. I't God's way of saying to find your'e path take a journey into a world you didn't understand, study it and learn from it. Then pick your own path and respect it.

My question to you is when you decided to go nappy did your attitude change, did the path you once have change for the better. Did you believe in yourself and your background more.
Did you change your eating habits(go vegan) exercise more, become more poetic the whole nine. :love:

Please add to my Journey, All comments are welcome

I am beautiful
because I have a pure heart,
I am natural
because I belive in me
I am strong
because I did it all for me
I am unique
because there's only one of ME!

WE unite with love and We respect with our hearts.
peace, love & unity
AZZURA(GOD'S ANGEL)

I have alway had locs. My mother raise me with a strong sense of my culture. My mother never change her eating habit or put perms in our or her hair to fit the mainstream culture. We eat meat once a week and on special occasion (birthday, wedding, anniversary) and she never celebrated the other holiday (fourth of july, thanksgiving, xmas). No alcohol or smoking or swearing.

So glad to respond to you! :)

My journey began when I met a friend who was already on the path of enlightenment. We used to talk about many many things. He motivated me into thinking about living a natural lifestyle. But, what really happened blew my mind. We went to the beach one weekend, spontaneously, and I haven't been the same since. All I did was sit out there and watch the ocean, smell the breeze, and look out at the horizon. When I got back home I had this urge to cut my hair...that was the first step in my transformation. You know how we women are about our hair!! Mine was very long, silky straight, dark brown (I always got compliments) but that didn't matter anymore. I got twist, you know with beeswax (can be an allergin) and all, for a few months. Then it grew, like a weed, too long for that so I wore a small fro with a scarf tied around it. My friend who was my hair stylist kept urging me to grow dreadz but I refused. I knew if I did it would be a commitment for a higher purpose and I wasn't ready.

When I was ready I did it. I had already started to change my diet and thinking pattern. Meditation helped my find inner peace...something we all are searching for. My new friends were like-minded. It is very very important to be around people who are on the path because it helps us grow.

My whole life changed for the better. I am not vegan...yet! If that is meant for me I will be. I do stress fruits, vegetables and lots of water in my diet. My skin, nails and hair are very healthy and I excersise 5 days a week.

Food is energy. Fruits and vegetables supply "living" energy to your body and raises your vibrational level aiding in intuition and universal energy overall.

I have been at it for 2 years or more now. I wouldn't change a thing! Enjoy your new life and develop your third eye. Work on your chakras (meditation) and life opens up new worlds for ya!!

Hotep!!

By the way...read, read, read. My mind became a sponge and I'm still going!!!!!!! You must learn to live in the world but not be of it.

this thread is right on point sistah... being natural does overflow into every area of your life when you choose to take that DIVINE journey... indeed, it is a beautiful thing!!!... i agree that being natural extends much further than our hair... we must work on mind, body & soul to truly bask in the bliss of being all natural...

i've had my locs for 4 years now and it's amazing to watch & feel it grow from stage to stage... and when one incorporates better diet & exercise... and better thinking & living... etc, etc... absolutely nothing compares to the feel...

not completely vegan... don't do swine or beef... really on poultry & veggies... still working on SELF... and developing my NATURAL WEALTH

peace

I WANT 2 GIVE YOU ALL MAD THANKS & LUV 4 RESPONDING 2 THIS THREAD.

I FEEL LIKE YOU ALL ARE A REAL NEED & PART OF MY JOURNEY.
& IF ANYONE KNOWS OF ANY GOOD BOOKS TO START FROM PLEASE LET ME KNOW, I'M ABOUT TO GO ON A TRIP AND I NEED SOMETHING POWERFUL TO READ TO CARRY WITH ME.

THANKS
AZ

hmmm... :) Iyanla Vanzant's One Day My Soul Just Opened Up- 40 days & 40 nights of spiritual growth... is a really good read... even if you've already read it... it's good to review from time to time... since it's a day by day kinda food 4 thought...

peace

when you decided to go nappy did your attitude change, did the path you once have change for the better.

ANSWER.....I believe that my attitude did change but it wasn't anything I had any control over. It was like this was me...the person I had been searching for all along

Did you believe in yourself and your background more.

ANSWER----I would say that I was more aware of my strength and the natural ability and power that I had posessed all along just from being a black womb-man. This was not becasue I looked nor felt or was living natural but more or less because I was finally aware of what was already geneticaly mind. I felt empowered because I was from most girls my age(i was a teen then) although I longed for them to define their abilites as well. So I felt blessed and as though I had overcome and I felt free because I didn't care anymore about anything else I had been told. I was only concerned about learing who I was and where I was going.

Did you change your eating habits(go vegan) exercise more, become more poetic the whole nine

Answer----I did change my eating habits. I wasn't vegan at first but I am now. I began excersising my natural abilities and intuitions. I would pay more attention to nature and intuitions. I would meditate alot and practice breathing patterns to feel a connection between the mind body and spirit.

In general, everybodys path is going to take them some place unique. We may not practice the same rituals, have the same opinions, nor even look the same way. In other words....I decided to loc my hair but it certainly doesn't mean I don't appreciate an afro and although I may not agree I still love my sister that uses Bone Straight. Thats what makes us all unique. Especially as wombmen. We can appreciate various traits in one another.

I have been natural for almost 2 years now. Slowly but surely my attitude and lifestyle is starting change. I am becoming more positive and confident.

I've been natural for 9 months now.

I'm more health conscious now and am considering a vegan lifestyle. My concern is I'm already thin and I don't wish to lose any weight.

I no longer rock the false nails and I only wear lip gloss. My confidence has arisen.

I've always had a love of black culture and black history so that just increased.

I think it takes a certain strength to be natural in a permed world.

i agree, it definitely takes a lot of strength to be natural. I find it kind of strange, since this is the way we were meant to be.

Living natural is the way we were meant to be. Unfortunately, our socialization for a while urged us to embrace every other cultural standard of beauty except our own. That is changing though. But what's so ironic is the fact that other cultures are taking from the black community what we know are our beauty traits. Examples:

butt implants, breast implants, collegin for thick lips, tan, tan, & more tanning, braids, etc.

Now that the beauty industry is incorporating these looks as the "standard", maybe we will adopt our natural "abilities" more and learn to love and appreciate our God given bodies as the gift they are!