Sunday, March 20, 2011

A new love, a new 'do, and a finished project!

image via weheartit

Lately I've been having some trouble getting comfy - sitting, laying down, whatever. My back has been hurting a bit, and I've been having some ligament pain in my abdomen. Everything is stretching so quickly, I can hardly keep up!

I decided I would take things into my own hands. After downing a chocolate soymilk with a scoop of protein powder, I set to work on my prenatal yoga DVD. I've always been really fond of yoga, stretching and flexibility training, and it's always been something I've been pretty good at. Today was punishing - about an hour of a series of warm-ups, standing poses and then floor work, and I'm spent. I tend to follow the second trimester example rather than the heavily modified poses for the third trimester because the heavily modified poses make it all too easy. My belly is still small enough that I can bend pretty far, and get a nice challenge.

I love it. I feel so, so good. When I was about 15 I had a book of yoga poses that I would go through once in a while, which I liked, but this.. this is different. I want to do this every day! I feel so pleasantly loose, warm and calm. I have a feeling this is the beginning of a regular yoga practice in my future. The prenatal yoga video focuses mainly on opening the pelvis and hips, and stretching the back and triceps which is all helpful for childbirth and relieving tension.

I finished the red soaker! Then Danger! the cat munched on all the loose ends I neglected to weave in omgrightaway and ruined one of the leg cuffs. I should know better by now. I unraveled it and picked up the stitches and re-knit about half of it. It doesn't quite match the other side, but it'll do just fine. I started a purple one, in Wool of the Andes, colourway "Hyacinth". One must have stamina!

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Speaking of stamina..

I spent the better part of the 17th and a portion of the 18th sectioning and back-combing my hair. That's right folks, I dreaded up again - my second set.

An awkward mirror photo of the back!

Dreads, second set

They're far thinner than my last set, and I easily have over 100. I'm really quite pleased with myself, and looking forward to watching them tighten up and mature.

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I combed out the first set because I have psoriasis on my scalp and was managing the chronic itchies quite poorly. The thickness of my dreads was not conducive to treatment of it as the roots tightened up. I'd be lying if I said that was the only reason, though, because a good part of it was because I caved to societal pressures to 'look a certain way' and because of the constant small-minded rudeness of others.

This set is comprised of far thinner sections, though, thereby exposing more of my scalp to air and remedy. I'm not going to let this control me, and I'm not going to let the opinions of others have any bearing on how I look based on common misconceptions.

Little does everyone know, dreads are not dirty, smelly or unhygienic in any way when properly cared for. Dreads wash just like regular hair does and when allowed adequate drying time are a healthy, natural way of wearing your hair. In fact, clean hair dreads up much more effectively than dirty, greasy hair (or hair with additives like wax.. ew). I sectioned and back-combed my hair to afford me some control over the formation  and size of the dreads, but when left to their devices, most if not all hair types will dread on their own.

All in all, I'm really happy with my decision. I can't wait until my baby girl's fingers curl around my new dreads, but until then.. more baby knitting, and I'm excited to say, more yoga, too!

5 comments:

  1. Your hair looks amazing. Seriously! I never understood the misconceptions people have about dreads. I think they look great <3

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  2. Thank you, I love them! :)

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  3. Hullo! I stumbled across your blog thru Bonzai Aphrodite, and would love to know which prenatal yoga DVDs you might recommend?
    I have just finished my first trimester of an unexpected, but welcomed, pregnancy & miss my Hot Yoga classes SO much! My neck aches to the point where I have headaches for hours! I hate it!
    Anyway I really like your blog, and your dreads are wicked awesome.
    x Tasj

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  4. @Natasja - Hey! Thanks! I'll be posting about the yoga videos really soon. Congrats on your pregnancy!

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