My Foster Hair, the Sequel

Five years ago, I cut my hair off and donated it. I wrote a post called My Foster Hair, that described my feelings of attachment and nurturing before, during and after the process.

This week, I did the same thing. It took me a while to decide to do this again. Originally, I wanted my hair to be longer than it was before I cut it, but the opportunity to do this came up in such an obvious way that I couldn't ignore it.

Our attachment to hair is a funny thing. I spent years receiving compliments for my long, healthy straight hair, only to mumble how much I wished it was longer, or shorter, or curlier, or thicker, or lighter or something-er. The grass is always greener, and someone else's hair always better, in some way. About a year ago, I came to the conclusion that I really didn't appreciate the hair on my head, and perhaps it was time to grow it out and give it to someone who would.

Before

After

I remember fielding a call from a potential student when beginning my Tuesday yoga class for cancer survivorship; she wanted to know if the class was all women, and if they had hair. At the time, I thought it was an unusual question, and that she would be better off asking me more about the class itself, but it turns out that this is not an unusual question.

Hair makes a strong statement. We even have the expression, "having a bad hair day," which acknowledges how much we are influenced by our follicles.

Some women I know chose to shave their heads as an empowering act as soon as chemo began to take its toll. They tell me it helps when it's on their own terms. It's bold and emotional to let go of all the hair on our heads, even though, technically, the visible hair shaft is considered "dead".

This time around, I donated my hair to an organization called Wigs for Kids. They operate via donations and are committed to offering hairpieces to children free of charge. If you are interested, you need to follow their guidelines and can mail in your hair at any time.

Letting go of your hair certainly leads to a lightening of your load, especially if you consider how much it may help others!

Namaste.

Announcements

• Next yoga teacher training event is Saturday, August 3: Effective Yoga Teaching Strategies After Cancer Treatment; see events page for more details.
• Beginning September 4, Lorien will be teaching 2 classes for the Stanford Cancer Supportive Care Program! Wednesday's classes will be gentle movement and relaxation, and Thursday's classes will be empowering alignment, balance and strength building; both classes will meet 1:30-2:45pm at Samyama Yoga Center in Palo Alto. The Stanford CSCP are generously offered to patients, survivors and caregivers free of charge, thanks to generous donations.

My Foster Hair

Dearest yogis and yoginis,

Happy summer! Those of you who have seen me recently know that I cut my hair short. I didn't cut it because of the season; I donated my hair to an organization called Locks of Love, a non-profit group that provides hairpieces to children suffering from long-term medical hair loss. My daughter's teacher presented the idea to the class at the beginning of the school year, and we did it together. It was an interesting journey for me. I didn't think much about it until the time grew closer, and my hair was at a length that I really enjoyed. I never resented committing to the project, but did feel some conflict as I thought, "why can't I keep it this length always?" Then, I began to realize my mistake: hair grows - my hair, especially... I could never keep it the same length, because it's always changing. I began to detach from my hair, thinking of it as "foster" hair, and nurtured it for someone else. What a rewarding lesson! Rather than clinging to something that was bound to cause me unhappiness, I let it go for someone else to use. It made me want to repeat the process - to cling to the process, even! This is the work for me. I hope you find a rewarding way to let something go this summer.


Namaste,
Lorien

Remember, if you would like to be removed from the newsletter distribution, please let me know. Simply reply with the text “remove from list” in the subject line.

MONTHLY POSE
Upavistha Konasana (Wide-Angle Seated Forward Bend pose)
To come into the pose, sit on the floor with your legs extended in front of you. Lean your torson back a bit, and press your hands into the floor to open the legs wide. Ground your SITS bones down (if you are stuck rolling onto your tailbone, elevate the hips as described below). You knees and toes should face up. Raise your chest up and out to bend forward, keeping the knees and toes facing up and your back long. Find your limit and either rest on your hands, elbows, a bolster or the floor. Once you've found your edge, back off a bit and soften the joints - ankles, knees, hips, back, shoulders, neck and jaw. Breathe here for 1-5 minutes, supporting your torso with your hands as you come out. Be sure to rotate your ankles, bend your knees and rotate your hips to relieve any tension. Here is the Yoga Journal's picture of the pose.
Variations:
If the hips are tight, elevate them with a folded blanket or cushion.
If the hamstrings are tight (you feel an excessive pull at the back of your knees), bend your knees and put a towel or blanket roll underneath, or place your feet flat on the floor.
If you don't feel yourself descending very far, put a chair in front of you and rest your arms and head on the seat of the chair. Here is a picture of that variation.
Benefits:
This pose opens the hips, groin, back and inside of the legs, massages the reproductive organs, stimulates the ovaries, calms the brain, relieves sciatica and arthritis in the hips.