First things first….{{hugs}} to all of you who have welcomed me back into the blogging sphere. It was an unusually long sabbatical…a very necessary one, but still bittersweet after running into a few of life’s inevitable obstacles. Several twitter friends & readers began to voice their concern a while back forcing me to wipe the haze from tired eyes and  just jump back on the horse. Which can often be tough when you’re in the midst of discovering & breathing in a few new experiences….like Yoga!

Earlier this summer a friend & I took the plunge after signing up for a few Groupon deals, and hit up a Yoga Studio here in the city. My first Yoga experience…and it felt…still feels sacred. After receiving a small health scare from the Doctor during my last checkup, incorporating another form of physical activity into the daily routine was a definite priority. Honestly, within as little as two sessions with some incredible instructors, a few dozen dormant muscles were rising up to say their Hellos!

Apart from now greeting the day with sun salutations, I was able to attend my first blogging conference in D.C. along with a few hundred social media lovelies that stole my heart. See…normally I am a very reserved person, nestled in a cafe between a book and coffee is where you’d often find me, so embarking on a trip to D.C. with prospects of networking and forming new relationships was a bit daunting….yet it was very well worth the trip. Blogalicous weekend sought out to celebrate the growing diversity in the blogging/social sphere & to be a part of such an important cause was inspiring and heartening. I left D.C. fully motivated but most importantly grateful for the opportunity. There is just SO much to see & do in D.C., that a short weekend hauled up in a hotel just wouldn’t cut it, so plans to return are definitely in the works.

If you guys are still reading this in a reader, hop on over for a quick bit & wave hello to the new design! Finally, the majority of the kinks have been worked out thanks to the design hand of Yellow & Savvy Design. It’s exciting to be starting semi-fresh, especially with the new year/b-day fast approaching. There are a few new elements I’d love to incorporate to B2C going forward, all of which will be slowly added in the upcoming weeks:).

In the meantime…thank you ALL for the continued support & while you’re out enjoying the Fall weekend (don’t forget to set your clocks back one hour! more Zzzzzzz….) head on over to iTunes for a quick listen of Lianne La Havas’s new EP “Lost & Found.” I was first introduced to her sound earlier in the Summer & even mentioned her briefly on the blog, so happy to see her dropping an album.

Have a great weekend!

A few weeks ago I stood in front of my mother’s mirror while visiting her home in Florida, prepping my twists into a pinned up style when she quietly stood next to her sink. She waited as I pushed the last pin into place before asking if I would untwist her strands and fix her fro. Her vanity mirror is quite large, yet my place has always been by the crux of her hip, ready to nudge with an elbow if the urge hit, and because we were talking hair, I inched in a bit closer.

My mother and I have shared numerous rituals over the years that span from heated moments in the kitchen, to hours on the phone gabbing about The Bachelorette. Yet this moment felt different, because she was different. We both stood side by side, still gabbing as I helped fluff her fro, deciding on which new moisturizer to sample, as compared to the last visit where both my father & I counted the minutes on the clock as she pressed her thinning strands with an electric hot comb. On this trip I noticed her desire to want to push past old insecurities which often forced her to mask her kinks with hats & heat.

I understood that after six years of being natural, from the flat ironing, to the redundant texturizers and hot comb sessions, that she was finally able to see her hair through new eyes. She smiled more, slowly became enamored as I paid special care to each coil, and was able to share her joy with me. Aside from accepting her happiness for what it was & encouraging her to further experiment and practice…and, well all the things a ‘good natural’ ought do, I felt proud.

Of course, there are times where I would happily argue about the importance of regarding hair as ‘just hair,’ yet when it comes to my Mum, her happiness and her newfound courage to rock her natural, there is greater power in the actual choice we make to be & stay natural. This is what I’ve come to admire.  Many of us do experience personal growth in ways we were never able to realize. There is strength to be found in making a choice that resonates at the core of who we strive to become.

Protect your beliefs, your ideals and your reasons for going natural by reinforcing them. If you are afraid to take that leap and let the world see you, the real you….do it anyway.  The understanding of course is that it will be difficult. You have emotional hurdles to measure up to and ideals to overcome. But remember to do it anyway. If time is what you need, take it before it runs out. If it’s fear that is holding you back, walk through it…if not once, twice…three times, but it’s important to keep walking with a goal in mind, and that is to visibly see yourself through your eyes, no one else’s.

Just got back from a short trip to Florida visiting the Fam & currently sorting through a ton of pics and topics to post on the blog. It’s been a while since I had the chance to mentally detox from the hustle & bustle everyday-ness of NYC, so while the visit was short with the folks, I thoroughly enjoyed basking in the sun, walking along the sandy beach….and just breathing a ton easier.

Summer is indeed here!! I’m much excited to plan out a few outdoor picnics, attend more than a few FREE outdoor concerts & simply enjoy these short weeks of beautiful weather. Posting might be slightly spotty in these parts for a while (no worries…). I’ve been considering a slight sprucing up of the blog recently & feel Summer is the ideal time to take on that task. I’m still very much in love with the current layout, but deep down am a creature that thrives on change & seeing things through newer eyes.

& with that said, I would love your input on what you would like to see here on Back To Curly! I’ve already got a few things lined up as far as introducing you guys to a few new brands, but think it’s time to hear from YOU! If you’d like to see interviews, more product reviews, beauty pieces (short/long), tutorials, hair stories, inspirational pieces…let me know! Drop a comment down below and fill me in on what inspires you, what you’d love to see more of. You can also send me a note & we chat it up (chai@backtocurly.com).

:Happy Summer Solstice:

Alright, so this might be a bit misleading. There is no fast way to achieve the hair you want, in fact if you hear someone mention this in hearsay somewhere along your natural journey, politely nod and move on. Instead, what you should uncover are the tools you need along your journey to help ease the frustrations, platitudes and welcome the inevitable successes.

I was natural for a little over 7 years before finally deciding to stand up straight, take accountability for how I was treating my hair, as opposed to just ‘dealing’ with it. What’s the difference? Well, before you give me the *side eye* and tell me there isn’t…hear me out.

Dealing vs. Caring

I’m a stickler for language and using words to encourage and uplift those in the natural journey, which is why I often abhor the use of the word ‘deal’. To just deal with your natural hair means you’re inevitably missing out on the many perks other naturals are experiencing with their Fro’s. Trust me, many aren’t just ‘dealing.’ Granted it takes time, but eventually many do get over the hurdles and begin to value their hair in a way that doesn’t feel overly bothersome or much like a burden.

The art of caring for your natural hair often requires a few trustworthy glances in the mirror, and the ability to be open & honest. Are you doing this for yourself? If so, silence the critics, all the doubts & fears and start an inner dialog. Changing your mindset and approach to how you treat your hair should be a pretty high priority before inspecting the aisles of the local beauty store. Don’t just ‘DO’ your hair, learn to understand why it behaves the way it does, why it might need a bit more TLC than the next natural, and realize there’s nothing more rewarding than when you put in the work  & care for something of value.

Be Your Hair’s #1 Fan

One of the many advantages of wearing natural hair today is the ability to stand out. Even with more and more women picking up the sheers and doing the BIG CHOP, no matter the party or event a woman who proudly rocks her natural hair is able to light up a room. The easiest way to grab a hold of that light, is to be your hair’s #1 Fan. Above all the compliments, encouraging nods & even sideway glances, you must value your ‘different’ more than the next person. To be validated by loved ones & friends is a wonderful blessing, but to love your inner beauty,  to know for certain “I steer this ship,” and no one else…is when you’re in full control of your journey. To own it, you have to love it.

So to get on the fast track to the hair you want, you have to KNOW what you want. Set things in motion, do the work & commit to a game plan. The end rewards far outweigh any current struggles you may be facing or many of the emotional hurdles you might have to overcome. The fast track to any success story is to remain mindful, open and willing to learn.

Over the past few years I’m sure many of us in our respective cities and neighborhoods have noticed a slight influx in women proudly wearing their newly natural coifs. In my own personal life, I’ve seen what can only be described as a growing coalition of Fro-Action in and around my city….and I live in Brooklyn! Even a few close friends have chosen the natural route, BIG CHOPPED and are now finding their own way along this journey.

For many years I felt as if I was the only young Fro-in rockin & styling her own hair, figuring out this natural hair ish, not a single relative, BFF or co-worker to share & discuss product info, hair styles etc. Ironically, this imposed isolation I was in really did help to instill within me a strong sense of confidence, especially when it came to the reaction of those who simply could not understand my choice.

But I did not run out of the gates knowing much…if anything about dealing with my hair, and I understand firsthand that this is the most defining common factor facing many newly naturals. Where do I start? What products do I use? How much time do I have to spend on my hair?!

Here’s the deal. You have to TRY.

I’m not talking about seeking advice from you natural hair peers, stalking your favorite Youtube gurus and asking a bevy of questions on the Twitter #naturalhair hashtag (…these certainly do have their place). Nope. I’m saying that you must put forth the effort to  manage your own hair the best way you now how. Get your hands dirty,  attempt to know something about the strands that run through your own fingers as opposed to someone else.

Sounds simple, yah? But what I’ve continued to notice is this need for immediacy when it comes to caring for our hair. This instant need to figure it all out within one single breath or one hyperactive episode of Glee.

“How long do you spend on your hair?! 3 hours…WTH!”

I’ve been natural for well over ten years, and continue to receive off handed comments about how long I dote on my Fro. Truthfully, it’s of no consequence. But if you’are seeking advice from me or any other natural haired gal who cares for her strands with a dedicated approach, yet refuse to transfer it into action…it’s a disservice to how much you could in fact learn.

Time really shouldn’t be the issue here, nor the type of product or styling tool you use, because with practice, patience and a better understanding of what it means to nurture textured hair…that is when you’ll see results that you are most proud of.  What was often a 4 hour ‘ordeal’ mixed with detangling & shingling, can realistically be cut in half with the right apporach. And practice, no matter the intended style!

In reality many of us live busy, structured lives with families and friends to hold our attention from day to day, and for the most part cannot fathom spending anywhere from 2-4 hours on our tresses. But all of us need to start somewhere. Whether you’re natural for 10 years or 6 months, it’s often about the approach heading in. If you’re on this journey, you have to abstain from standing still. Give it a go!

One of the more obvious moments during anyone’s natural hair journey is the ability to become inspired by the numerous pictures, blogs and photo logs we stumble upon daily. As the days and years let on, there continues to be ample amounts of visual inspiration across the web. And just as easy it is to ingest all of these gorgeous images…eventually we do find ourselves on the receiving end, becoming our own source of inspiration not only for ourselves but for those around us.

The best way to celebrate beauty is to acknowledge it.

This is something that’s not relative to hair length, curl pattern, texture, but more so to do with the best qualities of ourselves we often hide away until someone else plucks it out from obscurity. But what happens when we are away from our keyboards & favorite Tumblr sites, out in the real world encountering fellow naturals? How many of us reserve our best compliments for the face staring in front of the mirror rather than the floods of women we greet on a day to day?

What I’ve found truly remarkable in celebrating another woman’s developing sense of self, is the natural beauty that is also reflected within each of us. In the circle of the natural hair community, we often call this Sisterhood, a camaraderie that can only be nurtured if it is practiced and passed on. While I don’t feel that we are in any danger of losing out on all the perks of belonging to such a valuable circle, it’s great…if not absolutely essential, to have markers along the way reminding us just how valuable our contribution truly is.

There’s a hidden prowess in daring ourselves to speak up & acknowledge the woman standing next to us. For some it might take courage, & with this I say try. Still give a little go when uncertainty still feels a little too familiar, & fear of rejection or *side eyes*silences our ability to speak. There is a great campaign brewing over at Love Brown Sugar where CeCe has tapped into something similar. The challenge is to #UPLIFT those, particularly women, by offering up a smile, a word of encouragement in hopes of squashing this invisible wall some of us build up to ward off negativity or uncertainty.

I encourage you all to stop over, read some of the comments…but also step out into the real world to celebrate, practice and become inspired.