Beautiful hot summer’s day, rude not to enjoy being outdoors. Nature on the canal giving Emma and ourselves a meaninful experience for her locks tidy up.
Summer Boat Life
Jatadreads
First JātaDreads Client COVID Precautions
Beautiful summer’s day, helping to give Nancy and us, the meaningful experience that we aim to achieve, when one chooses us to have their fresh locks installed or maturing locks maintained. We are grateful to Nancy for her patience, as we meticulously followed the Government guidelines in providing our services.
Aboard our home, a widebeam canal boat, cruising the Kennet & Avon canal, basing ourselves in the ancient lands of Wiltshire. The room at the bow, where we practice and study the ancient teachings of Yoga, making it a sacred space. The room opens up into the countryside and through the french doors, there is a seated outdoor space, where one can take time out for refreshments, to connect with nature, soak up her peace and enjoy the canal.
Today was Philip’s first time locking hair for someone other than myself, he did amazingly well. It won’t be long before he is cool to go solo.
Yogashanti
Reopening
Bookings Update:
Gratitude and love to all that have been patient, waiting for us to re-open. We are now fully booked till the end of October. Some of you are already aware that my partner Philip is now training to also lock hair, he’s doing incredibly well and as soon as he feels confident to go solo, I will update on what days we will be adding to the JataDreads appointment diary.
In the meantime, if you would like to make a booking for fresh locks or maintenance on maturing locks, sooner rather than later, to save on further long waiting times, then please get in touch.
Remember, we do have strict COVID-19 H&S precautions in place, which I will elaborate on when you make a booking.
Relaxing Lockdown
JataDreads Update ~ Opening up for Bookings.
Date for the relaxing of lockdown might be July 4th, nothing has been confirmed yet. I will keep you updated.
It is very important that you take into consideration, that I am in the high risk category, I have asthma. My asthma is controlled, however, asthma is a respiratory condition, therefore I will be taking all necessary precautions to ensure my health and safety.
Information of what to expect on the day of your appointment.
Please do not use public transport to get to us. If it’s not possible to walk or use a bicycle, then you must ask a member of your family living in the same household, to drive you to your appointment. Obviously, after your appointment, you are free to use public transport.
When you arrive, I will meet you at the car park that is close to where we are moored. Unfortunately, I will not be as tactile with my greeting as I usually am, I will keep some distance between us, please do not be offended about this.
You will be asked to wash your hands as soon as we reach the boat and I will be asking you to wear a mask, which I will provide. I will also be wearing a mask.
Weather permitting, I will have prepared a shady area for us outside, for me to work on your hair/locks.
All tools I use for locking, this includes combs etc, will have been sterilised.
More often than not, depending on how long an appointment is booked for, I prepared food as part of your day’s experience with us, makes me sad to tell you, that I will not be permitted to this for the foreseeable future. However, I will provide teas, coffees etc, and you will have to keep your mask on and only remove it enough, to drink. Unless of course, taking breaks and go sit outside, we can then remove masks and enjoy refreshments.
I appreciate this is all very clinical, really not ideal, especially as our time together should be meaningful. I will do my utmost best to continue to provide a space that is calming, positive and therapeutic.
When booking an appointment, I will confirm reiterating the above information, together with all the details you need to have, to get safely to our mooring.
Thank you in advance for your patience, loyalty and support.
Yogashanti
Anna-Marie
Please don’t call me a loctician
I don’t like it, I’m not a loctician, I’m Anna-Marie. I have no idea where this label came from, however, I’d hazard a guess, that it originates from the fashion industry and in my book, that isn’t cool. ‘Loctician’…. seems to me, that people put labels on themselves because they need some sort of status; loctician, it’s not even a nice word, it sounds clinical. I don’t appreciate people deciding for me that I should be labelled. So please do not call me a loctician.
We’ve not washed our locks for 2 years!
May 2018 we stopped washing our locks and so far, for both of us, scalp, new hair growth and the locks, have never been healthier, look or felt better.
The first 3 months was about breaking the cycle of washing, which to be honest, wasn’t difficult. The first 3 months both heads went from dry and itchy to oily. The 4th month, everything calmed down and balanced out, scalps and new hair growth began to look and feel healthy. Jumping forward to the present day, Philip’s and my locks look and feel great, we are happy with the result and will continue, not washing.
We didn’t do any research or follow any guidelines, we simply used common sense.
- We both have active jobs. Philip works outside in a dusty, dirty environment. I have a physical job and again a lot of my day is outdoors. Philip uses a head-tube to protect his locks, I tie back and put my locks up and out of the way.
- Sweat. When not at work, we allow the locks be free so air can circulate. It is necessary to regularly maintain the locks stopping them from matting and clotting together. It is important we check each other’s scalp and locks regularly, to make sure that the scalp is healthy and the locks do not smell, so far they haven’t.
- It rains a lot in the UK, we live on a boat, moving every 14 days, come rain or shine. We have to chop wood, carry water plus other jobs to do with sustainable living. Living day to day, we do not let our locks get wet or damp, especially in the winter. Philip’s and my locks are very long and dense, takes all day for both heads of locks to dry, so to prevent them from getting musty and mouldy, we protect them from rain and the damp outdoors.
- When we go swimming, we rinse the locks in clean water only. Obviously only swim in the warmer season, locks dry much quicker and thoroughly from the sun.
- We do not put any oils on our scalp. After almost 24 months of letting the scalp and hair do it’s natural thing, we don’t need to.
- From day one, at no time, did Philip’s or my locks smell!
Why did we do this? We wanted to at least give it a go, worst case scenario, we would have to wash our locks again. Not being fans of cosmetics, we began to feel passionate about letting hair self clean, results are amazing. We do believe ,for us that is, that the washing with soaps, was more of a contribution to itchy heads, dry skin and oily hair.
This blog entry is by no means an effort to persuade peeps, to stop washing their hair, this is simply, Philip’s and my experience, and we would like to share it with you.
Unregulated Trade In Human Hair For Extensions ~ Human Exploitation
I will not get involved With Hair Extensions………..
Initially, this blog entry was to inform mostly, on the subject of Sādhana (commitment to spiritual life, the means of realisation), and why I will not get involved with hair extensions. Since learning more about the human hair extension industry and it not being humanely regulated, then it is far more important to prioritise and begin this blog entry, regarding the industry’s exploitation.
No One Asks Questions
Where is the hair coming from?
Who donated their hair?
Is the hair from an adult or a child?
Was the hair cut/shaved as a religious offering?
Those having their hair cut/shaven as a religious offering, do they know that their hair is being sold for profit?
Is the religious profit going back into the community?
Did they donate willingly?
Is a hair broker involved, are they FairTrade, did they pay a fair price to the individual for their hair?
Was the hair cut from someone living or deceased?
Despite a label, can you be 100% sure, the hair is human hair?
I have listed the links below to help you.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2006/jun/25/india.theobserver
http://www.markglenn.com/news/where-human-hair-extensions-come-from-india-children-pay-the-price
India & Thailand
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlZ1SWLBfPE&t=616s
China
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/indepth/national/black-gold/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4grRL7eB9vA
India & Russia
Venezuela
Ukraine
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2012/oct/28/hair-extension-global-trade-secrets
Sādhana
I will not get involved with hair extensions of any kind, that includes extensions that are already installed. I lock hair purely for spiritual reasons, things such as hair extensions, contradict the ancient teachings to which I have committed my life and live daily.
Asmitā
Asmitā translated: ‘I’ amness, which relates to the Ego and is listed second in line, as one of the five afflictions that cause suffering. The ancient teachings guide us towards recognising all five afflictions, however for the benefit of this blog entry, we will remain focused on Ego. The teachings help us to know when the Ego benefits us or not. Vanity grows from Ego, which does not benefit and inevitably causes disappointment and unhappiness.
I appreciate, that when one chooses to lock up their hair, the initial installation and subsequent months of maturing, will challenge Vanity. The ‘wanting’, for one’s locks to look and feel amazing from day one, can be consuming, leading us to make decisions, that result in internal regret. Therefore, please allow me to bring to the surface, some important considerations before making a costly commitment.
Dharma
Patience is a Virtue. The Goal is not the focus, the focus is *why, *how and *what happens, as one illuminates towards the goal and ……. this needs patience. Your hair will grow long enough for you to lock up, then over weeks, months and years, your fresh locks will reach the mature goal, of this there is no doubt.
*Why, and maintaining the integrity and the essence of Why.
*How, this is the hardest part, this is patience.
*What, we learn about ourself as we grow and mature.
Sanskrit word for Virtue is Dharma. Dharma translates, ‘essential qualities: highest duty’. Dharma is how we act in the present moment and is a product of our personal Karma. Karma is a product from past memories.
Ahimsā
A moral observance that is a great vow, Ahimsā translates as ‘non-harming’. There are no ethics in the hair extension industry and its trade, it is pure human exploitation. Please read the opening of this blog.
Science
Hair is used in scientific research in the context of DNA, to find out about the genetic make up of the person the hair came from.
Karmagenes ~ There is also a DNA for characteristics, ie, the inherited personality traits of a grandparent. Scientific research is now being done to investigate characteristic DNA and the links to mental illness. Also comes under the umbrella of Epigenetics.
Mysticism
A Shaman practice; in order to take on the characteristics of their spirit animal, the Shaman wore the skin/fur/feathers of the animal. Therefore, if one is wearing the hair of another human ………
Recent fresh locks and tidy-ups Aug to Dec 2017 #jatadreads #dreadlocks
A few of the heads I’ve done from August to December 2017
Important Fee Notice
I’d like to begin with saying a huge thank you to everyone who has trusted me with their JataDread journey. I am sorry that I have to do this but my hourly rate will be increasing to £20 as off 1st January 2018. I don’t like having to do this but my study fees have also increased and I use all the money I earn from locking hair to pay for my Yoga studies. I hope you all understand.
Yogashanti
Recent tidy-ups and fresh locks #jatadreads #dreadlocks
Here is some locks that I’ve either started as fresh locks or tidied up since my last post in February 2017. Happy days x
JataDreads 