MYTH: YOUR HAIR IS DEAD
Most alternative medical disciplines, and many ancient cultures, plus our great grandmothers will certify that this is a big fat lie. Although it is true, there is no blood supply in the hair shaft, it sure as hell feeds the hair follicle and this blood supply is crucial to hair health. Yet our whole body, including the skin or nails has a vital force, an electrical magnetic energy which can react to environmental conditions, so like the rest of you, the hair is still 'alive' in this life force sense and the more of the right attention you give it, the more chance you have of it becoming your crowning glory.
The Native Americans believed that not only is the hair alive in this way, as an extension of our bodies and personalities, but also the physical manifestation of our thoughts. This wise community are not the only ones. Many cultures put emphasis on the hair by either not cutting it, dreadlocking the hair or keeping it in a turban; plus we have the story of Samson and Delilah in the Bible where Samson loses his strength when his long hair is cut. But how does this help us?
BIO-DYNAMIC HAIR
If we also see the hair as an extension of our nervous system and as a very subtle antennae receiving and emitting electromagnetic energy, we can also see that if our hair is not growing with vitality, it is showing us that something is wrong with our whole system. Just an awareness of your hair as an extension of the ‘the self’ and treating it with a little more respect can help combat many hair woes, going a little further and treating it the same way a bio-dynamic farmer would treat his crops, by using the lunar calendar for maximum flourish, could put your hair back into the natural cycle and if this interests you, look no further than The Hair Shaman here:
http://www.thehairshaman.com/
The Hair Shaman advises using a wild boar brush to brush the hair thoroughly in order to spread the natural oils from the scalp, all the way down the hair shaft. I tried this and can highly recommend it as a way to add luster, shine and volume to hair. It really makes a huge difference and feels great - so much so, I now do this regularly. The Victorians were on to something with their 100 brushes a night and since they didn't have nylon brushes back then, they must have used wild boar brushes or something similar. They also didn't have shop bought conditioners, so their hair must have benefited from this ritual with the distribution of natural oils down the hair shaft to give it ultimate condition and shine using the hair's own moisturisers. Hair really responds to this in a magical and noticeable way.
Brushing the hair like this uses the natural oils that build up at the scalp as a natural moisturizer and conditioner for the hair, instead of washing them away as we do when we wash our hair every other day or more. Our own self-made hair conditioner is simply the best way to add extra moisture and incredible shine, so get into this habit and see how you end up washing your hair less and conversely get added bounce.
HAIR AS A SENSORY FIELD
You may have read that story about the American Natives who were conscripted as soldiers in the Vietnam war as trackers since they were known for their amazing ability to track animals and foe across long distances. These war heroes refused to have their hair cut to regulation length but the army went ahead and gave them buzz cuts anyway. They then found out, these natives lost their ability to track when their hair was cut. You can google this story for the details, however, the point being made here is that their hair was part of their nervous system and sensory field, just like the heart is, so if not for the extra blood flow, brush your hair regularly for the heightened sense of awareness and clarity from your crowning glory. Read the full story here:
The essence of this is the same all the way through, that our hair is not a dead part of us but an integral part of our whole symbiotic system and our crowning glory. When the hair is not growing healthily, it means our body is not working well and there is something systemic that needs fixing. I'm definitely on the side of the Native Americans.
Danny from the cult film 'Withnail and I' is in in on the game: "I don't advise a haircut, man. All hairdressers are in the employment of the government. Hair are your aerials, they pick up signals from the cosmos, and transmit them directly into the brain. This is the reason bald-headed men are uptight."