Have you ever considered chucking your shampoo and never looking back? To many of us, the very idea of doing this is met with a confused ‘why?’ But to a growing number of people, it is essential to healthy hair, as well as a healthy environment.

Shampoo has only been around for about a hundred years, so how did people clean their hair before then? The answer may surprise you. For one, they didn’t bathe nearly as often as we do today. Bathing once a week or even less often was deemed perfectly acceptable.

When they did wash their hair, the most common method was with soap. While this may horrify some contemporary people, it is important to note that Victorian era people used castile soap, which was milder than the mainstream soaps of today. Other common household hair cleansers were vinegar, egg yolks, rosemary, and rum.

The modern anti-shampoo movement, or ‘no poo,’ as it has come to be called, believes that shampoo strips away the naturally occurring oil in the hair, called sebum. This results in an increase in oil production by sebaceous glands in the scalp, perpetuating a cycle in which shampoo becomes necessary to properly clean the hair.

No poo predominantly champions the use of vinegar and baking soda, although there are a host of methods used to replace traditional shampoo. Whatever method is used, the first few weeks of the transition are difficult for most, but the hair tends to adjust after this period. Advocate Assya Barrette blogged about her own transition, which is a nice testimonial because it describes failures before eventual success. She wrote:

“For the first month or so after giving up shampoo, your hair is supposed to be super greasy as it readjusts to no shampoo. Then, it bounces back and looks better than ever before.”

Healthier hair is not the only reason people quit shampoo, however. One can save quite a bit of money in the process as well. For women, hair products are often the most expensive part of their personal care arsenal. A study by the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs recently found that women’s shampoo and conditioner on average cost nearly twice that of men’s hair care products.

Source

Finally, no poo advocates also stump for the environmental benefits of quitting shampoo and conditioner. A typical bottle contains many un-pronounceable additives, which range in effects from being a simple irritant to potential carcinogens.

This growing movement is therefore intriguing for many reasons. Have you or would you quit shampoo? Share your reasons below!

(Special thanks to: attn:, Green Living Tips, and Our Heritage of Health for their research on this subject.)

Lightworkers are those who have an innate desire to spread ‘light,’ in other words, concepts such as freedom, intelligence, self-actualization, love, etc. This mission in life does not necessarily result in a therapeutic or spiritual career, but often the road naturally draws the lightworker toward these types of callings.

The word ‘lightworker’ is often misunderstood. It seems to invoke the concept that one soul might be ‘more special’ than the next, or that some are ‘working for the light’ while some are not.

Simply, lightworkers may feel different than other people due to a strong sense of their life’s purpose, but they are not inherently ‘better’ or ‘higher consciousness’ than others.

Such claims of superiority come from an unenlightened place in the heart. Indeed, every soul on the planet becomes a lightworker at some stage of evolution.

That said, the soul of a lightworker is predisposed to a quick spiritual awakening. They may be older souls which have reincarnated over and over and gone through specific experiences which have planted the seeds for this type of inner mysticism to develop more naturally than in most.

Again, these souls are not ‘better.’ They have also been subjected to the pain and illusion that all experience in the karmic wheel eventually. Continue reading →

Inspirational cliches exist for a reason: there is often some wisdom behind the quick platitude. However, we tend to use them most often when those around us are feeling pain, depression, or just plain need our love and nothing more.

When we encounter bad experiences, we are quicker to respond than when we encounter positive things. This is a survival mechanism, from an evolutionary perspective. However, we live in the modern world, and just because our friends are in trouble doesn’t mean their lives are in danger.

The following are the things you will be tempted to say when a loved one is facing emotional distress, and why you should say something else instead. Or better yet, say nothing and give them a hug.

You Can Choose To Be Happy.

While this is partly true, and common advice in the world of spirituality, when it is said to someone who is already down it has the opposite effect of what is intended. Think about it: if you’re really struggling, what do you want to hear?

That you can wave a magic wand and reverse the emotions you’re feeling so deeply? This phrase, spoken at the wrong moment, is deflating, not uplifting.

Everything Happens For A Reason.

This may be true, but not everyone believes it.

It is therefore unwise to speak it to someone in distress, who is having a hard time seeing the larger picture to begin with, unless you know for a fact that they believe it as well, and you are certain that they need a reminder. Continue reading →

The term ‘out of body experience‘ (OBE) was coined in 1943 by George N.M. Tyrell in his book Apparitions. It is basically the soul’s endeavors outside the body, and can occur during periods of dreaming, psychedelic experiences, sensory deprivation, conscious astral projection or near death experiences.

Early researchers Celia Green and Robert Monroe adopted this term as an alternative to belief-centric phraseology. Studies have confirmed that at least 10% of the human population has had an OBE, but in most cases if someone has had one, they have had several.

In history, such greats as Thomas Edison and Salvador Dali are known to have employed OBEs in the creative process.

There have been several documented methods by which one might induce an OBE. Binaural beats at a frequency of 4 Hz were observed as effective by the Monroe Institute, and many other researchers support the use of this technique in conjunction with others as away of induction.

Also, stimulation of the brain has been used, via magnetic, direct, or electrical stimulation, to achieve these states.

Perhaps the easiest way for the layman to enjoy the wonders of the OBE would be to employ sensory deprivation, sleep training, or metaphysical methods outlined in this or any number of spiritual websites. Continue reading →

We often tend to look at the unconsciousness of sleep as a physical necessity that is healing but takes up a whole bunch of time. However, sleep is for the mind as well as the body, and focusing attention on this mental and emotional side of sleep can allow us to turn a mundane activity into a mystical ritual.

Have A Routine.

Sleep routines are not just for children.

They exist for a good reason, for adults as well. This could mean a book and a bath, or could be more deeply therapeutic such as using essential oils or moisturizer.

These activities will wire your brain to know it’s about to go to sleep, and will eventually induce sleep.

Forget The Caffeine.

Caffeine is both a stimulant and an appetite suppressant. As such, you will feel nourished and energetic when you could naturally be neither. If you are using caffeine to stay up later, you will not be in optimal health.

Only Sleep When You’re Tired.

You can actually sleep too much, but if you are receiving full amounts of rest every day, your body will only sleep too much if it’s sick or otherwise unwell.

If you are well rested, you can release the fear of sleeping too much and let your body get what it needs. Continue reading →