I'm locked up

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(Edited)

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Applying minimalism in my life has allowed me to peel back some layers for total self-acceptance, and recently in my philosophy class, I was enlightened about some of the phases that I have been through and what I still experience.

I learned about Trigunas (In Hindu, tri means 3 and gunas, means attributes, nature, or quality). The three attributes namely Satva, Rajas, and Tamas, are all parts of the personality in humans. These attributes might be more dominant at different stages of our lives, and although some are more desirable than others, we need all three attributes to help keep us balanced.

The Satva which is the most desirable and what we should all aspire to be, has to do with knowledge, happiness, selfless service, and setting priorities in our lives. The Rajas are when we are driven, action-oriented, highly motivated, and energetic. While the Tamas are the darkness, ignorance, inertia, laziness, and inaction.
You can see why having a balance might help, such as if there are too many Rajas, one can lead to burnout, so having a few Tamas is good, in that you might be better able to go with the flow allowing things to fall into place, right?

Reflecting, there were a lot of Tamas qualities in my personality that manifested into rebelliousness, and one of the things that I was inclined to do as a teenager was to lock my hair into dreadlocks and follow a Rastafarian movement, which is prominent in Jamaica. However, I was apprehensive and never did it, fearing that I was just going through a phase.

Yet, that deep desire lingered.


I was also introduced to the subject of Ayurveda, the oldest time-tested and proven health science, particularly on the Dosha in Ayurvedic Medicine. I learned my dominant dosha type to be vata (mixed with a little Pitta), which explains my thin, dry, hair and other attributes such as dry skin, the way I speak, my inability to cope with the cold weather, and other aspects of my personality and general approach to life.

My loose natural hair requires regular maintenance and care, which is time-consuming and pricey, against my minimalist ethos, and I felt like I was a slave to my hair, for having to spend hours washing, detangling, treating, and styling. So, I did extensive research about different kinds of dreadlocks (locks or locs), to see which would be most suitable for my needs.

Through minimalism and mindful practices, I've become more balanced with the attribute of Satva domineering my personality. This makes me prioritise simplicity in all aspects of my life, to have the time to do more of what brings happiness.

So, after much evaluation and honesty with myself, I confidently embarked on my lock journey, knowing that it's a spiritual journey of self-acceptance and love, that gives me more freedom to wash and go daily if desired, with a longer gap in between my maintenance regime.



The installation of microlocs by a professional Loctician is costly and time-consuming, however, in the long run, having my hair locked is worth the investment, with a fraction of the cost of maintaining my hair loose.

There are many different types of locks and locking methods for achieving dreadlocks. I decided on microlocs (tiny locs), based on the texture and density of my hair, the look and feel of locs that I desired, and the versatility of styles that can be done with microlocs. Also, the feedback from people with traditional thick dreadlocks is that they grew heavy and sometimes caused a strain on the neck.

Here are my trial-and-error findings of temporary twists.

5.jpgToo big for what the dreadlocks would develop to be.
4.jpgWay too fine sections that would not be a good foundation for locs to grow.
3.jpgJust the right size in look and feel. Similar to what the loctician installed

It was a big decision that I wanted to get right the first time, so for several months, I tested the look and care of these locs by twisting my hair into tiny sections, as a trial of what my lifestyle would be with permanent locs. It was a game-changer.

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I understood the freedom of wash n'go's without a myriad of products and steps to follow, and I loved the movement of my hair. However, by this stage, I knew for sure that the sections were too small.

While searching for the right loctician, I wore my hair in tiny twists to get accustomed to the look and feel of my hair. I eventually stumbled upon a Jamaica loctician, who installed my locks with me needing to break the bank.


VID_20240806_173449 (1).gif

This was "Day One" of having my locks permanently installed on August 6, 2024. I think that the timing of my loc-installation and choice, correlates well with having my trigunas balanced, in that I'm wiser and deliberate in my aspirations.

Now, my haircare routine is more alignment with my lifestyle. Things are a lot simpler, and I think that my hair was born to lock.

My natural loose hair did nothing but knot and tangle, so, these microlocs have been the best thing. Instead of using products to detangle my woolly hair, these locs, which are like crocheting or knitting my hair strands make more sense.

I can wash and go and I only need to visit the salon every 8 weeks to retie my new growth, and the good thing about these locks is that if I should decide to make them bigger in the future, I could combine them.

This is my response to this week's KISS, the question here in The Minimalist community.

I would be pleased to hear about the needs in your life and what you have been doing to simplify and achieve those needs, or if you check the links to discover your dosha to see how what you could apply to improve your life.
Thanks for stopping by:)

All images, gifs, and videos are the original property of the author.



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42 comments
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(Edited)

For the record, here's the video...

⚠️CORRECTION: Yes, it is microlocs!

It's sisterlocs that uses a special grid and specific technique:)

The hair is light and soft to touch, and the movement is the best part!

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Maybe I should follow this style of hair is it easy to wash? I shaved my long hair few months ago kinda regret it miss my long hair

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Haha! I'm sure it will grow back soon... then you could think of locking it up:)

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I kept it for almost three years I didn't like the daily shampoo and conditioner takes so much time and quite a bit of money too haha 😹

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Gotcha!
Yeah, anything to make your life easier makes sense:)

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So if I lock it up how do you take care of it same routine shampoo as well?

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Yes, you shampoo it as you would with normal hair. That's one of the reasons why I went for these tiny locs.
I enjoy having head massages:)

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Massages does sound heavenly hmm now you make me think about getting the long hair back haha 😂

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I added you to my favorite authors list, but when I saw 'I'm locked up,' I seriously thought you were in trouble—had me worried there for a bit, 😂 lol! Just finished a long shift, it’s 4 a.m. here, washing clothes now. Don’t give your uncle a heart attack, haha! 😂

Anyway Love your journey toward balance and simplicity with minimalism and self-acceptance! The microlocs look amazing and seem perfect for your lifestyle. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on Trigunas and Ayurveda!

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It’s 4 a.m. here

Oh, no! Well, I feel better. It's 1 a.m. for me. Two hours past my bedtime, but I am not tired tonight.
I'm sorry I made your heart skip a beat. Thank heavens I'm free!
Thanks for tuning into my blog, I appreciate it... but please get some sleep:)))

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My laundry 🧺 almost done haha 🤣 gonna sleep soon I'm glad you're fine take care and keep safe always.

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I admire locked hairs, you look really good in yours. I guess it doesn't require more than loose hairs which I do have but I still don't give much attention to mine 😅

Love your smile on those vids by the way 🥰

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Thank you!😊
I do love loose natural, but with my lifestyle, having it locked is easier.
The salon that I go to is run by a Ghanian lady and there are many Nigerian customers, so I'm slowly learning about your culture:)

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that looks pretty on you !LADY . I wonder if it's itchy on the scalp when you have dreadlocks?

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Thank you! 😊
I'm happy that I discovered this tiny kind of dreadlocks.
No, I don't have any itching problem, or any tension on my scalp because the loctician is mindful not to do it too tight:)

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Bellezza <3

Oh wow, I'm really keen to learn more about Dosha (got a couple tabs open and will plunge into the literature in a minute). Thanks for that! I've heard some of the terms before, but wasn't sure what they referred to.

I'm glad to hear the locs are suiting your lifestyle so well. They certainly look lovely, as do you <3

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Hey! Thank you!😊
I think you might be Pitta, with a little Vata, and I'm curious to know what you find out.
It's an amazing concept that my teacher highly recommends for feeling balanced and also for optimal health through the right food consumption and for skin and hair:)))

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Aaah I'm in love with these. Really enjoying reading about this (except for the extremely rude suggestion that i quit coffee to 'fix' a Pitta imbalance! Preposterous!). Though I think I'm the other way around, Vata seems dominant to me with a little Pitta. :D

It's an amazing concept that my teacher highly recommends for feeling balanced and also for optimal health through the right food consumption and for skin and hair:)))

That aligns with where I am so much right now. I love the concept. It seems to hold true to me that what we eat and how we practice the day-to-day is primarily responsible for our well- (or ill-) being.

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Extremely rude suggestion that I quit coffee to 'fix' a Pitta imbalance! Preposterous!

Haha! I read a lot of nonsense about eliminating coffee for me too 🤣

Yeah, I see you as Vata too, but a studious one. 🤗

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Ahah. The centre of the triangle. I admire the intentionality. Would have been like clashing with yourself if you stayed with the time consuming routine.


I feel so confident I heard "I'm so excited" in the end. 😁 Yayy!

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Not sure how you're going do with permanent locs. I know I'd unlock them the next day. XD But they suit you finee

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Hehe, thank you 😊

I know I'd unlock them the next day.

I doubt you would. Not after spending an entire day to have them installed, especially if you paid the general asking price here in the UK, not to mention the price for it in the US.

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(Edited)

The short videos, are they for me?🥹😍
I don't understand why I'm grinning from ear to ear ☺️.
You are beautiful, and this locs? Gorgeous!

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Thank you for your lovely comment 😊
I had the videos in my album for a few months and only finally got to post them:)

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If only I still had hair. Oh my dear old age

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Oh my God! That was a bold move.

I struggle with my hair too 😫 it is so stressful. My hair tangles a lot and it takes a lot to take care of. To be honest, this year I don’t even pay attention to it anymore.

For years now, I still can’t take the bold step to keep my hair lock and simplify, ha. I am scared that I might regret it, and start longing for braids or cornrows.

But I do fix locs, because I love it. And a lot of time, my hair is always on natural twists (half of the year you will see me on this, lol)

Anyways. I love it. It looks so good on you! Your smile is everything 🌹🌹

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Thank you 😊

I used to feel the same way about wanting the versatility, but the locs are so much easier. I don't have to worry about anything.

My hair is always on natural twists

So, maybe you'll one day get to the stage where you're ready to lock your hair. You're still young and it really is a spiritual journey.

Also, maybe you'd have a network of friends who know how to do locs, to help you out when you're not able to do them yourself:)))

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I suggest to check this one out www.minepi.com/zdigital , huge airdrops. Goes live in early 2025.

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