Life in the Ashram, Five: "Look Ma, No Hair!" (or, "How To Beat The Indian Heat!")

Yes, my friends, this is really me!

I vacillated for awhile, to be sure...but witnessing man after man in the ashram shaving their heads over the past few days, I felt impelled to follow suit. The hot season is upon us, and you would have to experience the heat and humidity here to truly understand why it drives anyone sane to such extremes!

Also, the fact that it was not beautiful. I have colored my hair with henna for years, but now with the lockdown it is is not accessible,  and the contrast of the new growth of gray hair against the old henna-ed red hair was strange,  to say the least.  Plus, so much was broken off and getting in my face, especially every time I would be next to or underneath a fan. I was constantly and incessantly brushing wisps of hair out of my face....it would stick to my forehead and poke in my eyes and so forth. The scrunchies I used? They just wouldn't cut it. Either they were too loose and the hair would fall out of them, or they'd be too tight and pull on my scalp and give me headaches. So, as you can see, lots and lots of good reasons to do what I did!!

Besides which, I have wanted to do this for years but not been brave enough..until now.

I have had questions such as, "What does my head truly look like under all that hair?!" "Won't my hair grow back in much stronger and healthier?" (I have heard this is the case.) "What will it feel like?" And so on.

And now I have the answers!

So I will share:

First of all, I was impressed with just HOW MUCH hair came off my head!! My hair is on the thin side by nature, but I have now spent years growing it long. It made quite the impressive pile, I must say! (A tad sorry I did not take a photo of this hairy mess on the floor!)

Secondly, it does not feel like nothing is there. It in fact feels like I am wearing a strange, tight cap of some sort, perhaps made out of sheer nylon. And when the bandanna I am using is on, it catches the nubs, making them bristle. Weird sensation, hard to describe!

The feel of rubbing my hands over my head is also strange...like velour with the grain (is that the correct way to describe it??!), or like little daggery things if I rub against the direction of growth. Of course I have to play with--and experiment with--different sensations!

Sometimes my head feels hot...sometimes cool. Seems independent of the actual, outside temperature. Very strange, indeed!

Finally, the reactions of fellow ashramites....

My "international" friends are awed and impressed. A couple of them--a Brazilian woman and a Swiss one--are seriously contemplating doing the same!

The Indian women...well, as you might imagine, quite the opposite! Their reactions range from stunned silence to outright horror. These women, as I am sure you probably know, are the "devi's", or goddesses, when it comes to dress, jewelry and hair. They go all out, even when working, as I have previously explained. But their hair... their hair is the pinnacle of their pride and joy, and rightfully so. Lusciously long, thick and black... I have envied their hair since I first came to India 30 years ago. I longed to have hair like theirs. Even the older women don't seem to lose hair or the ability to grow it down to the tush! It is truly awe inspiring. I wouldn't dream of chopping off--or shaving off--my hair if it were even remotely as beautiful as theirs! So their wonderment and dismay is understandable. They cannot relate to what I have done, not even remotely. They don't get that my hair is not beautiful--it breaks, won't grow past a certain length, is all gray, frizzy and completely unmanageable in this heat and humidity. It is the only sensible thing FOR someone like me TO do!!!

As for the men... they smile. No comment, but that is typical. They are reserved, polite. Even if horrified, they would never say so! But wouldn't be surprised if many of them are.

So, to keep the shock value to a minimum, I keep my head covered with a bandanna whenever out in "public" in the ashram.

Would love to get your opinions, dear readers!

And here are a couple more photos for your entertainment (and to help you decide... monk-like? Freakish? intriguing?! hmmm.....)

Before the deed was done: help from women to get this stylized! a one time deal....lots and lots of coconut oil was applied to get it to behave! (It also helped to darken the hair so the gray is less obvious. Why the braid itself looks so pretty!) Mind you, I could never do this myself. And I can't be asking an Indian woman on a daily basis to be doing it for me!!)