Before I was a yoga teacher, I worked in the hair industry. I used to wash and color hair. I worked at a hair salon in New Jersey for several years. In fact, I had equal desire to attend cosmetology school as I did yoga school. Interesting blend, I know.

After college, my parents gave me the opportunity to choose one. I opted for a month long Yoga Teacher Training in Costa Rica (DUH). Though, my affinity for all things hair-related is definitely still alive!

Since my early 20s I hadn’t changed the way I colored my hair. I always got highlights ‘my way’ (I knew what to tell hairdressers since I had basic background experience and knowledge).

The way I was highlighting my hair was actually harming my hair due to the harsh chemicals (sadly organic non-toxic bleach doesn’t exist yet and I have a strong feeling it never will)…

My hair was breaking off, and I instinctively knew this way of coloring my hair was not sustainable…

Low and behold, one of the participants on a retreat I ran last year in Bali happens to be a super successful hairdresser in LA. Her name is Lauren. The moment she saw my hair she was literally begging me to let her change it up. I resisted. She wanted to completely transform my hair and get it back to its healthy natural state. Still, I resisted.

Deep down, I knew she was right. She told me it would take at least a year of color correction and going in for deep conditioning treatments. I could feel my own impatience bubbling up inside of me. I was so used to a quick fix. Even if it meant harming my hair at the expense of relatively unskilled coloring methods, I was very much attached to what I knew.

As I write this I am instantly taken back to a decade ago living in Costa Rica and contemplating whether I wanted to become a monk and live in a monastery in Japan. Yes, this would involve shaving my head. The thought seemed immensely liberating yet simultaneously scared the crap out of me…

That being said, surrendering to Lauren’s wisdom felt like a middle ground of sorts. She was the one person who cared enough to tell me that my hair was going to fall out if I kept treating it the way I was. It was time to grow out of my old ways… of my old identification through my hair.

I am fully aware that all of this may sound quite vain, however the way we relate with our habits, even something as simple as how we do our hair or the clothes we wear, can inform the way in which we approach other aspects of our life. I realized I was totally attached, not so much because I thought that constantly dying my hair was healthy and the right thing to do but because I knew that the reversal and ultimate healing process for my hair would be a huge or deal and I was impatient. It seemed insurmountable, so I just stuck with what I knew…

I was also scared! What if the outcome was not to my liking? It was a big unknown!

SOUND FAMILIAR?!? ANYONE??? ;-)

It’s already been nearly six months, and not only is my hair so much healthier and more natural looking but I have noticed that since letting go of my old ‘setting’, my life as a whole started evolving in unexpected ways. I’ve slowed down my need to ‘rush’ things in my life, especially in my business. I’ve revisited writing, planning and structuring out my goals in a step-by-step fashion. I’ve been taking more breaks and experiencing more intuitive ideas and incredible opportunities for growth and abundance. When we are slow and spacious in our being, life flows graciously with less effort and strain.

Is it just me? Or is it BEYOND obviously inter-connected?

I have come to the conclusion that ‘letting go’ is beneficial, whether it’s letting go of an old hairdo that’s not ‘you’ anymore, letting go of a relationship that you’ve grown out of, letting go of a pair of shoes you’ve had for ages that you know will never land on your feet again, etc. You get the point. And when we let go, we are making space. What fills that space? Well, we don’t necessarily get to know. But what we do get to do is create clear intentions and take directed actions. Trusting a trained hairstylist to nurse my hair back to health isn’t necessarily something to be scared of, but it did require me to surrender and trust. It required me to be patient and allow the step-by-step process that would ensue.

I couldn’t be happier with my choice. Not only did I let go of an old way of coloring my hair, I released an old belief system. I released an old identity. I didn’t realize how related it all was until I let it go…

I encourage you to take some time to journal about that in your life which you’re ready to upgrade, transform or relinquish. Where in your life do you feel like you are settling for an old way of functioning that is not allowing you to access your highest potential? Where are you rushing or hoarding? Where are you not fully trusting your gut instinct? Be gentle with yourself and start to envision your next ‘look’. Write it down. Make an action plan. And take the first step today! Change and evolution are natural, though they can oftentimes bring up fear. Allow the fear of the unknown to be filled with that which you desire to create. Set yourself up for success and create the space for the magic to flow in!

Shayna Hiller

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