I know you’ve probably seen an onslaught of comments, articles and memes when it comes to Will Smith, Chris Rock and the Oscars. There seems to be a plethora of thoughts on the incident itself but rather than reflecting on the occurrence itself, I thought about the experience of Black women when it comes to other’s holding our vulnerability and pain in a way that acknowledges our humanness.
Last month, for ‘Women’s History Month’ my aspiration was to celebrate the softness of Black women and this moment amplifies the importance of this in everyday circumstances.
In my journey of being a Black woman and holding space for the healing of Black women, I’ve found that it is often only ‘rage’ that tends to capture people’s attention and even in that case, it seems to be more about misunderstanding our emotions of frustration and where it stems from by labelling us as “Angry Black Women” as if we’re overreacting and that our truth is insignificant within the Western lens.
The reality is that most of us have lived with the world silencing our pain, a deep level of trauma that travels many generations. This trauma breeds anxiety, depression, scarcity, doubt, shame and more. We’re constantly being convinced that ‘resilience’ and strength is the only narrative that will be validated.
The Latin root word of ‘resilience’ is ‘resilire’ which means ‘to jump back’ or ‘to recoil’.
To be in a constant state of ‘jumping back’ implies that one is constantly being pushed, prodded and challenged. Any person having to constantly face an onslaught of challenges due to their genetic make-up will soon feel overwhelmed and reach a point of ‘rage’ and ‘frustration’.
We are in an era of significant change and we will no longer accept this type of harmful treatment.
As Bell Hooks once said
“All too often women believe it is a sign of commitment, an expression of love, to endure unkindness or cruelty, to forgive and forget. In actuality, when we love rightly we know that the healthy, loving response to cruelty and abuse is putting ourselves out of harm's way.”
So what is the solution? What does protecting Black women look like?
Start by acknowledging your own unconscious biases towards us.
What are the immediate assumptions that come to mind when you see an image of a Black woman?
Be as honest as you can with yourself because without seeing the ugly truth, you can’t move into a space of love.
Notice the common narratives in your environment that shape your perception : social media, your parents, your circle of friends, TV, film, etc
Write these thoughts down and reflect on each assumption. When was it planted into your subconscious? Who is the narrator? (Your mom, dad, grandparents, etc)
Once you get to a state of clarity you can began the journey of dissolving them.
I also find that the best way to replace narratives is by engaging with communities that I don’t have an intimate relationship with or understanding of.
It doesn’t necessarily need to be immediately with Black women (because that’s sort of like wanting to an Olympic swimmer but not building a holistic plan to get there), you can start with just engaging with narratives that differ from your own.
For example, I tend to listen to writers and thought leaders who’s perspective challenges my own understanding of life and certain topics. I find that concepts that challenge my own deeply imbedded belief systems creates an opening where I am an eager learner of all things rather than being set in my ways and unwilling to expand in ways that make me uncomfortable.
As Bell Hooks would say, the stretching of the mind is ‘love in action’.
“I write provocative social and cultural criticism that causes readers to stretch their minds, to think beyond set paradigms, I think of that work as love in action. While it may challenge, disturb and at times even frighten or enrage readers, love is always the place where I begin and end.”
Know that protecting Black women by stretching your own set paradigms is an act of immense love.
Be well magical soul,
Valerie Weyland
Nurturer of Ayune Hair
Often radical change comes with the inevitable feeling of uncertainty and self-doubt.
As humans we deeply want to belong to something greater than the individual thought, the individual belief system. We are birthed into this interconnected and interdependent realm and to branch off from our deepest sense of home feels like the removal of a body part essential to our breathing life on this earth.
But what if the collective has moved into narratives conflicting with our inner belief systems?
This is where I found myself. In my journey of dissolving narratives that dismissed my connection to others, I leaned into
love
patience
compassion
presence
acceptance
kindness
At the time (and even currently), there was a significant amount of separatism in our society and in my exploration of creating an ethical hair extension brand in the hair and beauty industry, I wasn't necessarily welcomed with open arms.
So naturally, venturing unto unchartered territories, introduced varying levels of doubt. The most vocal forms of doubt being:
‘What if no one cares about ethical hair?’
'I have no idea what I'm doing'
‘What if they would rather purchase a cheaper product and dismiss the reality of the industry?’
‘What if they expect a perfect product which would require compromising my integrity?’
Here are 3 ways that I was able to navigate this immense doubt:
There are many other practices and ideologies I’ve tapped into to dissolve doubt but these were the key practices that helped me get started and sustain this business for the past few years.
Whatever journey you’re on, I hope this gives you two things:
Be well magical souls,
Valerie
Nurturer of Ayune hair
As a spiritually grounded Black woman, I have discovered the beauty of 'boundaries with kindness' as it creates openings to deeper moments of inner wellbeing in my life. There's no malice, discontent or fear, it's just an inner knowing and nurturing of the sacredness of my body, mind and soul.
Boundaries with kindness as a Black woman looks like
inner peace
inner bliss
inner expansion
inner joy
inner contentment
There is so much turmoil in the external world, whether it be pertaining to my Blackness, my womanhood or the societal expectations of others, that this simple practice helps to create balance and harmony in my now.
I wanted to create a visual embodiment of this inner journey as we lean into the sacredness of our being as Black women, so I invited my fellow soul sister, Vuma, to create art together and this was the magical unfolding of it.
Chapter 1: Creating Boundaries as a Black woman
Chapter 2: Bringing voice to my inner nurturing (Vuma shares her story, stay tuned)
Soul Sister: @brownbodied
Ethical hair extensions: Body wave extensions 18" and 20" (Purchase here)
Photographer: Valerie Weyland
1. There is a collective shift in truly seeing one another
2. It is one of the greatest forms of love
3. We are all interconnected beyond our belief systems and ideologies
Our ancestor, Maya Angelou, understood this intimately
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Lebanese-American poet, Kahlil Gibran once said
"For even as love crowns you so shall he crucify you.
Even as he is for your growth so is he for your pruning.
Even as he ascends to your height and caresses your tenderest branches that quiver in the sun,
so shall he descend to your roots and shake them in their clinging to the earth"
in my experience, love is a balance of
brokenness and aliveness
neither is greater than the other
and to truly experience love
is to hold both in the crevice of your heart
Creative Director: Valerie Weyland
Photographer: Valerie Weyland
Model : Mandera Sana
Ethical hair extensions: Water Wave
2020 was a year of pain, anger, fear and complete uncertainty.
We spent our time trying to protect our loved ones, feeling disconnected from our communities, grieving loss, mourning what once was and collectively standing up for the basic human rights of all that breathe life on this earth.
I believe 2021 must be a year of transformation and liberation.
It must be a time where Black women, in particular, tend to their inner wounds and practice radical self-care.
Okuku (an Igbo word - my Nigerian tribe) is symbolic for creating new soil and planting seeds of love and compassion for one’s self. This story ventures into the path of nurturing the narratives of Black women choosing self-care and wellbeing in a time of global turbulence and chaos.
Be well,
Valerie
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Obim means soul or heart in Igbo, my Nigerian tribe, and it captures the purpose of this conversation.
I am you
You are me
We are one
The inner essence of Ayune Hair is truly seeing our innate interconnection to one another
our souls are intertwined as one
we naturally emanate love
and somewhere along this journey of life, we fell into this deep slumber, forgetting our oneness
if we choose to listen with our hearts, we will see ourselves in each other and come home to our universal oneness.
come connect with our soul sister, Aja (pronounced Asia). Join us in unravelling the inner beauty of our soul sister as she shares a dive into her world:
What does it mean to be a black woman in modern society?
Being a black woman in modern society means advocating for the rights of yourselves and other marginalized groups. Black women have a long history of being discriminated against and marginalized. It is not just enough for us to stand up for other black women, but we must also stand up for other marginalized groups.
Describe your inner truth, who are you beyond the assumptions of society?
Beyond the assumptions of society, I am a spiritual being. I am a unique idea made by the universe that is here to be a vessel in which to serve others.
What makes you feel whole?
My spirituality, love, expressing gratitude
What is meaningful in your life?
My connection to the universe, my loved ones, and knowing that I am evolving everyday.
How do you curate or sustain a loving connection to humanity?
I vote with my dollars. I try to make a conscious effort not to support the exploitation of other beings. I give when I can, and when I can’t give I listen and give advice if I am able.
What is a piece of wisdom you would like to share with others?
We are one. Putting down others will not help you rise higher, but it is damaging to your soul. When you learn to show genuine love toward others, your consciousness will expand.
Aja is a blogger from Detroit currently residing in Atlanta. She loves to write as a way of expression, and to unify by uplifting women. You can check out any of her blogs at www.heyyfriend.com
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Recently, one of our soul sisters asked about our 'free part closures' and what that actually means, so we felt inspired to share some insight for all of our soul sisters that may be new to wearing ethical human extensions or wigs.
What are closures?
It may be helpful to start off with learning about what a 'closure' actually is. In our case, a closure is a piece of lace fabric (although some hair businesses use silk) with single hair strands individually knotted into the lace. The closure is designed to emulate your scalp.
Closures come in various sizes but we sell the traditional 4x4 lace closure that is normally placed in the centre front section of your scalp in alignment with your natural hairline.
Closures can be applied through sewing onto corn rolled (braided) hair, gluing or taping.
Why do women wear lace closures?
Many women opt for closures to protect their natural hair or to have a more succinct alignment with the rest of their ethical hair extensions. This allows for more creativity in styling and/or colouring, as it alleviates potential damage to a woman's natural hair.
What are 'free part closures'?
'Free part closures' mean that there is no specific part pre-built into the closure. This gives you freedom to style your ethical hair extensions with any part that suits your personal preference (such as a middle part or side part).
'Free part closures' also gives you the to ability to decide the size of your part. Some of our soul sisters like larger parts and may decide to pluck the hair to create a part more to their liking, where as others simply leave the original part size as is.
This is the beauty of 'free part closures' it gives you the freedom to craft and design your style to align with you.
How do you install 'free part closures'?
There are several ways to apply 'free part closures' but we will focus on the common way that most of our soul sisters use to apply the closure which is through the sewing method.
1. Start with gently detangling your hair with a wide-tooth comb and/or Denman brush. Always start at the end of your hair and comb up to the root.
2. Once your hair is detangled (and properly moisturised), proceed to braid your hair into corn rolls, ensuring that the corn rolls are as flat as possible. Remember that you want your closure to emulate your scalp.
3. Place the middle part of your closure in alignment with the middle part of your scalp and pin down the closure
4. Using a curved needle, proceed to sow down the closure but do not sow down the front section next to your hairline (that will require hair glue or Got2b spray, but this is also optional)
5. Proceed to sew in your ethical human hair bundles to your hair (we always suggest using at 3-4 bundles to ensure enough coverage and fullness)
6. Once you're done, you can cut the lace in alignment with your hairline and leave as is or pluck to align with your hairline.
It's always important to remember that lace material is quite fragile and can be ripped if not handled gently. Always take your time when sewing and/or plucking to ensure the quality of the lace stays in tact.
Steps 3-5 would be skipped if you've had a wig made for you. Simply place the ethical human hair wig on, align the closure with you hairline and cut the lace (if the hairstylist did not cut it for you). You can secure the wig with pins or you may opt to sew it down around the perimeter of your hair. You can leave the wig as is or you can lay your 'free part closure' down with hair glue or Got2b spray.
What's next?
Simply put, you're ready to purchase your 'free part closure' with Ayune Hair and enjoy exploring the different layers of your beauty. We're always happy to support where ever we can, so if you have any other arising questions, please feel free to send a message here or click on the Facebook Messenger chat bubble located on the right hand bottom corner of our website.
Sending you lots of love and light.
Recently we were featured in an article called 'The Economics of the Human Hair trade' where we had the pleasure of conversing with The Hustle and shared our experience with providing ethical hair extensions within the human hair trade.
The focus of our conversation was around the fact that "beauty trends have fuelled growth in the global human hair industry and now concerns about ethics and quality are generating new business models. It is estimated that the international wig, weave, and hair extensions market is worth $7 billion and it projected to grow to $10 billion by 2024.
As a Black woman that has worn hair extensions for a considerable amount of time, even after cutting off my relaxed hair and going natural in 2008, I always felt unsettled by the fact that I never saw any Black owned businesses that sold hair extensions specifically for African-American women, it was always run by Korean and Chinese Americans.
The Hustle notes:
"With $130m+ in 2020 imports, the United States is the largest market for these human hair products. Consumers fall into several subsets:
It is important for me to note this because prior to coming the realisation that I wanted to recreate a new narrative within the human hair industry by selling ethical hair extensions, I initially felt unsettled by the lack of representation in an industry dominated (in terms of consumption) by African-American women.
Ayune hair acknowledges the inherent need for change.
Ayune hair acknowledges the importance of Black-owned businesses.
Ayune hair acknowledges the importance for ethical hair extensions.
Ayune hair acknowledges the importance of empowering women around the world.
Ayune hair acknowledges the importance of empowering Black women around the world.
We are becoming the catalyst for change by creating what we want to see.
I hope this inspires you to do the same, wherever you are in your life. Be the change, create the change.
Live from that space within each waking moment of your life.
My passion for what Ayune hair serves is my driving source. As our tribe of soul sisters continues to grow and bloom, I find gratitude in creating a purposeful business that empowers people across the world.
Be well,
Valerie
Last year, Gal-Dem wrote a beautiful article titled "Why we need ethical black-owned brands in the hair extensions industry".
This article highlighted the inherent need for more seed investment funding towards black owned brands, in particular Black owned ethical brands. Considering that in the United States alone, African-Americans buying power has increased from $961 billion in 2010 to an estimated $1.3 trillion in 2018, it seems reasonable to expect more start-up investment funding to support Black owned ethical brands in launching their businesses or expanding their brands.
Like many small business, unfortunately, I didn't have angel investors to support my desire to launch an ethical hair extension business. It was thanks to the love and support of my family that I was able to invest in launching an ethical hair extension brand that supports a new narrative within the hair extension industry.
My focus has always been to provide an ethically-sourced product for Black women like myself. Black women that have become socially-aware of the unethical practices within the hair extensions industry, Black women whom are blooming and evolving into magical beings and Black women that are searching to support ethical brands that celebrate Black people.
Representation matters in an industry where Black women purchase 90% of ethnic hair and beauty products (amounting to $2.5 billion, which doesn't include wigs or hair accessories), but only owns a small percentage of the market.
Last week, Heyy Friend wrote a beautiful article reviewing our hair extensions after trialling our product titled "Finally! A Black Owned Ethical Hair Company!", stating
"If you have been with me for a while, then you know that I vowed to give up weave. I had many reasons why. If you would like to see all of my various reasons please read my previous blog “Why I Won’t Be Wearing Weaves For A While.”
Long story short, it all started when I found out that women across the world were being exploited, physically harmed, and not compensated for the collection of their that is being sold. I thought to myself that can’t be good for a person’s spirit. You pray, meditate and overall try to have the most positive energy around you…yet on the very top your head is exploitation. It didn’t make sense to me.
After much searching I found Ayune Hair by Valerie Ogoke. I loved everything about it. When I say everything I mean everything. I loved her intentionality and purposeful spirit. I loved that she cared about and spoke on behalf of women who didn’t have the platform to do it for themselves. I loved that she wore and modelled her own product."
Connecting with my soul sister and reading her article truly warmed my heart. In an industry saturated with fast money, fast consumption, and a complete lack of regard towards the wellbeing of others, I've stood true to my belief that ethical hair extensions must be a 'new normal'. I also wanted to show Black women that there is a space for them, where they can feel seen and celebrated.
I may not have a $2 billion seed investment, a Forbes magazine feature or celebrities choosing to wear ethical Ayune hair extensions (just yet, but I'm affirming it will happen), but what I do have is a sisterhood of magical Black women that have supported my brand since we created this space.
For that I am eternally grateful.
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We're always thankful for the opportunities to share the journey of Ayune Hair + encourage a different perspective around wearing human hair extensions.
Can weaves be worn in an ethical way?
Our answer is YES
Check out our interview with For Harriet
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Thanks to the internet, information continues to be more and more readily accessible on an international scale. Celebrities, politicians, businesses and even good ole Trump, can't avoid the apparent transparency that the internet creates. The surge of information has immensely affected how everyday people view just about everything, from what makeup to purchase to which countries to travel to.
In this evolution of change, social consciousness is beginning to take centre stage. Many have the desire to put their consciousness into action, but simply unaware of where to start. Here are 5 simply ways to be a more socially-conscious person.
1. CHOOSE YOUR CIRCLE WISELY
"Your energy can become stagnant by hanging around people who don't want to grow" - lalah delia // start becoming more aware of whom you allow into your space - if someone doesn't align with you energetically, then they aren't meant to be in your space. This isn't to imply that one person is better than the next, but rather that we are all on different frequencies and we have to be aware of this when choosing who we spend time with.
2. MEDITATE
I know, I know, you've probably had this recommendation a million times, but the truth is that even simply sitting for 15 minutes in silence, gives time for your brain to rejuvenate. It creates the clarity needed for awareness and movement in the right direction.
3. GET INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY
Don't simply sit behind a computer ranting about the unfair things happening in the world - get up + lend a hand. Support not-for-profit events, maybe a fellow female small business owner, support your local sporting clubs that help keep kids active, etc, etc. Every single action makes a difference.
4. TAKE TIME FOR SELF-CARE
I'm always thinking "DON'T FORGET ABOUT YOURSELF" (I know I just said get involved in the community, but it's all about balance). There is so much going on in the world, that we can become overwhelmed and drained by it all. Remember to take at least one day out the week, to relax, light some incense and love yourself. Use one day to recharge and make sure you're in a place of happiness.
5. PRACTICE CONSCIOUS CONSUMERISM
Last, but definitely not least, start becoming more conscious of the products you buy and consume. Start supporting businesses that focus on social responsibility, sustainability, environmental-friendliness, clean beauty etc, like Ayune Hair. Your decisions not only impact you, but many others on a global scale.
Ayune Hair focuses on being a socially responsible + ethical business. Check out our journey HERE
If you just randomly stumbled upon our blog, welcome + if you've been loyally following us on Instagram/Facebook, thank you for continuing to journey with us!
Many people ask us how to pronounce "Ayune Hair", the correct pronunciation of our brand is AYU-NE (ah - you - nay). It's a Javanese (Indonesia) word which means "very beautiful".
Beauty is at the forefront of many women's minds whether its wanting to appear slimmer for the summer months or finding the right make-up to help enhance their unique features. We've decided to flip this perspective around and celebrate the depths of beauty, while still enjoying the physical aspect of it.
Maya Angelou once said
"we delight in the beauty of a butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty"
We focus on holistic beauty, culture and story-telling without neglecting physical beauty because beauty has more than one singular meaning and each aspect should be celebrated. It's time that we start digging deeper and celebrating each fiber of beauty within us and within every woman in our lives.
Ayune Hair was created from a desire to embody:
Empowerment
Kindness
Care-free vibes
Enlightenment
Self-love
Join our "care-free" tribe and let's share this journey as one.
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I'm sure you're wondering at this point - why would a hair extension business talk about social consciousness, women empowerment, meditating, etc?
We celebrate a holistic lifestyle. Yes, we sell ethically-sourced + sustainable hair extensions, but we also encourage women to elevate every part of their life - spiritually, mentally, energetically and physically.
How can one truly thrive without addressing each part of their being? It's like giving a plant light but not watering the roots.
It's 2018 and gone are the days that we can pretend that we can ignore different aspects of our life and continue to evolve. Growth comes in healing, self-care, reflection, silence, bonding + so much more.
Our goal is connect with the modern woman that understands this + provide a space that connects with her truth.
Ayune Hair encourages women to
bloom
love
be vulnerable
find their tribe
explore
+ embrace their journey
Close your eyes and imagine a life where we no longer feel compelled to appease society's expectations but rather embraced our truth.
Life is beautiful + filled with light.
It's time to celebrate holistic living __
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The other day, I watched the interview on OWN, Oprah Winfrey Network, with Lupita Nyong'o and her words resonated so deeply to my own relationship with beauty.
She said
“There’s beauty in all forms, not just the aesthetic but the spiritual. To glimpse beauty is to experience the divine and there is that potential in all of us. Beauty is very much a part of our nature, if we allow it.”
Beauty is defined as :: a combination of qualities, such as shape, colour, or form, that pleases the aesthetic senses, especially sight
In my early childhood years, I viewed beauty based on this exact definition. I often turned on the television and would stare in amazement at the women that the media exemplified as the "standard" of beauty. Most of the women often had skin as white as snow or fair, caramel skin.
Upon commencing my first year of high school, in a predominately African-American space, I found that the emphasis of colorism grew even more. This was the transition from TV to a first hand experience in being indirectly told that I was less than simply based on the colour of my skin. As with all things that we continuously hear or experience in our daily lives, the ongoing narrative of "not being enough" because of my physical features, soon turned into egocentrism. There was a complete lack of ability to differentiate between my truth and the narrative of another and so the two became one. I began to feel that I lacked the physical beauty and it left a deep sense of emptiness within.
Eventually, we become so accustomed to this negative narrative that it seeps into our subconscious and we aren't conscious of its existence. I walked around with this narrative for years and years and unfortunately it was often validated by my peers and the media.
My journey to self-awareness emerged in a space of complete stillness. I was living in Bali, Indonesia and I felt more alone than ever before. For the first time, I began meditating through journaling, I began to pour out the pain that sat deep within my soul. I would jump on my moped and drive to rices fields and felt my inner being rise before me. I realised that beauty isn't some linear narrative but rather an ever-expanding narrative incorporating the seen and unseen. The farmers covered in sweat while meticulously farming their crops, the dragonflies visiting my home almost daily, the smiles and welcoming nature of the locals, the laughter over warm ginger tea :: beauty is a part of our nature, it is from nature itself.
In this interconnected world the most beautiful moments aren't when we open a magazine to look at an airbrushed image but rather the simplest moments of life :: hugs from your loved one, warm coffee next to the beach, light-hearted conversations with your friends, etc
That pain of "not feeling enough" was completely necessary in my journey and in your journey as well (if this resonates with you).
In the interview Lupita also said
“There’s a part of me that will always identify with being unattractive because I spent the first few years, my formative years, not feeling beautiful, but I don’t think of it as being a burden. I think there’s a duality in all of us and we find balance when we’re able to identify with both sides of ourselves.
I’ve spent more time on this earth being considered beautiful than I have being considered not and I love it. I wouldn’t trade it for the world. But I also feel that having a time when I didn’t find myself beautiful or the world didn’t see me as beautiful, allowed me to develop other parts of myself, that I think are way more meaningful and that’s the beauty that we cultivate. So I hold that part close to me because it gives me the balance."
Darkness can create the balance we all need to thrive. In my life, darkness gave me space to turn my focus away from physical beauty, which I now know that I possess, towards kindness, humility and compassion. I focused on creating a foundation of spreading love + I'm beyond grateful for that gift. Darkness gave me space to see the beauty beyond the physical attributes of humans but rather in the energy they evoke. It's the reason for my immense love for nature, for my immense love of standing in my authentic power, and for my immense love for simply experiencing life itself.
understand this :
beauty is not linear + within you sits layers and layers of beauty that is aligned with your truest self (your purpose)
This is the foundational basis of Ayune Hair :: celebrating the layers of beauty :: it is solely based on the cultivation of my experiences of experiencing true innate beauty and understanding that this business doesn't have to fit a narrative that doesn't align with my truth.
Check out the full interview below:
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Maya Angelous once said
"You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them. Try to be a rainbow in someone's cloud. Do not complain. Make every effort to change things you do not like. If you cannot make a change, change the way you have been thinking. You might find a new solution."
I've been reflecting on the power of choice.
Choice is just like breathing, most of us can't remember the last time (if ever) that choice was removed from our table. It's literally part of our everyday life.
I think about the highs and lows that I've experienced in this lifetime and I realised that the underlying message in all of these experiences was that no matter how negative or positive I've perceived the experience to be, I knew that I always had control over how I chose to perceive and respond to each experience. Even in moments of deep darkness, where my life seemed to be surrounded by depression, I decided to see light, to see the opportunity hidden amongst the bushes and mist.
If you feel like there are blocks and limitations standing in your light, just understand that you can simply choose to take your power back. Take back your power to choose how you perceive or respond to an experience or your current circumstances. Understanding this power gave me the courage to choose that I can align beauty with kindness even when many questioned why I won't just take an easier route, a quicker route. I've had people ask and say:
"Why should I care about how women are treated in another part of the world?"
"It's their problem, not mine"
"Girl, I'll stick to buying cheaper hair extensions" and so on.
My WHY stands in my desire to choose to be part of an endeavour that leaves a positive social impact in this world. To choose to put my integrity over the pressure to make quick money. To choose to celebrate kindness + empowerment in ALL spaces. To choose to continue to follow my passion even if it involves struggle.
I choose to embrace this journey that will inevitably present opportunities (what many of us call "challenges") to evolve + grow because that is a part of my truth and it is also a part of yours.
Celebrate the power of choice + live the abundant life that you deserve.
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Lately, I find myself spending more time asking
Do you know how your hair extensions are sourced?
The truth is most of us have never questioned where our hair extensions come from or how they are sourced. We usually just assume that it's done the correct way and after all, "it's just hair" or so we think.
It took moving abroad to Australia in 2012 and a life-changing spiritual journey in Indonesia to spark my desire to truly understand how the hair extension process really works. When people say that travel can change your entire perceptive on life itself, they weren't lying. Travelling taught me that we're truly ALL INTERCONNECTED and my choice alone can impact more than just myself.
Refinery 29 recently showcased an episode on the show, Shady, that took them into the underground world of human hair trafficking. Stating "Wigs and extensions are often made of real human hair, but have you ever questions how that hair is sourced?"
I've said this several times, I'm EXCITED ABOUT THE AWARENESS THAT IS OCCURRING AROUND THE WORLD! We are ALL desiring to know how things work and whether people are being mistreated. I asked this same question in March 2016, but I decided to dig even deeper.
I asked "Do we really need to compromise our morals and another person's well-being all in the name of beauty?"
My answer in 2017 and to this day is no. What's wrong with choosing an option that is kinder and more empowering? This is where AYUNE HAIR was born. Women in rural areas meticulously collect their fallen hair strands (which is natural process - we all lose at least 50-100 hair stands a day, sometimes even up to 150) from their brush and sell them, which creates three things:
1. An additional source of income
2. A sense of empowerment in knowing that they will never feel pressured to cut their long hair
3. A sustainable and consistent supply of hair
Hair grows about a 1/2 inch per month, which means that it would literally take 2 years for most women to grow only 12 inches of hair. With the demand for hair extensions consistently rising around the world, it isn't sustainable to continue cutting women's hair. The consequence of this shortage is that women's lives are put in danger (as you can see from the clip below, women are literally being robbed by knife point for their hair) and deceptive marketing spikes (i.e. mixing human hair with synthetic hair which takes 500 years to decompose).
In most cultures, hair gives women a sense of pride and femininity, imagine for second how a woman would feel when this is stolen from her or she is pressured into giving that away.
Another question one might ask themselves, is "Do I feel comfortable wearing a woman's hair that was sacrificed for spiritual reasons?" To each, it's own because our brand isn't about placing judgement on anyone but simply to encourage women to expand their awareness.
This isn't about being perfect, we all know perfection is unattainable (because we are all authentically unique) but simply about becoming more mindful.
We believe sustainable and ethical hair extensions are the future and we will continue to encourage and support a more conscious society.
Take some time to check out this Refinery 29 episode below and think about how you can help change the hair extensions industry.
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