Spring Haircut with Head Games

The arrival of spring marks a time of awakening and rebirth. The warm, fresh energy that gives strength to a young seedling to break through the weight and inertia of the solid earth — this same power resides in all of us spiritually and physically. Just as nature goes through life cycles, we as humans are equally capable of restarting, even after the toughest of winters. There are many rituals we can tap into to invite more rich, powerful, expansive energy into our daily lives.

As an ode to new beginnings, I recently visited Head Games salon for a fresh haircut and am eager to not only share more about the experience but also to be able to share some of the larger life work I’ve been doing to fully blossom. Starting from the inside out, these life changes have been transformative for me, and I hope that you too can harness the incredible magic of the spring season.

For many, this is a time to do a thorough cleaning and refresh, whether that be starting with our closets or the kitchen pantry, but in reality, there are many facets of our lives we should release and let go of. Of course, as an image consultant, I’ll always suggest spring cleaning your closet – go through every piece of clothing you own and give away anything you haven’t worn in a year. Then, commit to giving something away every time you receive something new for the rest of the year. I’ve found that this commitment helps us to feel lighter and opens up new space for the universe to fill. Cathartic cleansing can begin in your closet and extend to your metaphysical experience. Assess which areas of your life that are no longer serving you. This could be the maladaptive behaviors you recognize in yourself that are you keeping you vibrating on a lower frequency. Use this time and release yourself from toxic relationships that are no longer bringing you joy anymore. You are deserving of aligning with only unconditional love and feeling happiness and growth at this time.

Having gone through such a metamorphosis I’ve been itching to continue mindful practices that lead me forward and help me to continue to grow. I was thrilled to partner with Head Games on this post because there are so many wonderful self-care activities we can do to support our wellness journey and therefore practice more self-love. Located in downtown Portland in a three-story state of the art facility, Head Games is so much more than a hair salon. They focus on providing services to help empower clients on all levels – body, mind, and spirit. Within their 6,000 feet building, they offer not only hair and makeup services, but also massage and bodywork, as well as partner and share a space with Om Land Yoga, Portland Pulp, and Llull (an apothecary dedicated to personal growth and spiritual development through astrological readings, tarot readings, aura readings, and the healing arts). They are my new go-to for not only beauty needs, but also a place to support a wholesome, holistic lifestyle.

In alignment with the practice of releasing and letting go, I decided it was time for a physical change to match the inner work I’ve been doing. I had been feeling uninspired by my haircut for some time now and wanted to bring new life to my hair and face. As an image consultant, I’ve found that there is a lot of power in shifting our appearance externally if we are feeling stagnant internally. This applies to not only the clothes we wear but how we style our hair. Changing your hairstyle can have a profound effect on not only your appearance but how you carry yourself.

Hair has long been a symbol of strength and vitality by various cultures. In many countries around the world, Holy men and Holy women are recognized by the length and glory of their hair. For instance, Native Americans would only cut their own hair during times of mourning, to symbolize the deep wound of losing a loved one and going through a major life change. There is something about this that I deeply resonate with and I connect to. That is why I chose to set an intention this past weekend and cut my hair to reflect my own recent major life changes.

I met with hairstylist Brianna Bower at Head Games and explained that I’ve been going through a lot and wanted a short haircut to shake things up. I showed her a photo of a fashion mogul that I was inspired by who was rocking a cute bob and said she had full reign to make my hair look as fabulous and edgy as my inspiration. The fashion mogul inspiring me was Sophia Amoruso and it couldn’t be more fitting since she herself has undergone major life changes and has come out the other side.

Having not met Brianna in person before my cut, I was impressed by how instantaneously she made me feel comfortable and empowered throughout the cut. Before she began washing my hair she offered me fresh-squeezed orange juice from Portland Pulp. At Head Games, they offer complimentary coffee, wine, beer, or water, and on Saturday’s fresh orange juice (with the option of a splash of champagne if you prefer a morning mimosa).

Sitting in the chair sipping orange juice I felt energized and uplifted by the scent of fresh citrus. In between Brianna snipping chunks of wet hair and chatting about life and work, I’d catch a glimpse of my own reflection and felt in awe of the woman sitting before me. Here was a woman owning her journey and taking actual steps to be the best version of herself. At the end of the day that’s all we can do – we can acknowledge our struggles and pain and shift our focus to what we do with that story. I’m personally learning that at any point we can rewrite the next chapter.

Let alone the process of getting my hair cut, but actually just being in the Head Games facility was an extremely grounding experience for me. The setting is made up of a minimalist design with earthy elements such as live plants everywhere and excellent natural light. You can’t help but feel the process of photosynthesis before you. Speaking of plants, a powerful ritual for symbolically welcoming growth into your life is to plant physical greenery. There’s no better time than spring to plant your new intentions. A helpful exercise is to sit quietly, holding a container full of seeds and visualize how each seed between your hands holds the potential for your future and imbue each one with a desired outcome. Imagine them growing and blooming. When you are finished, plant them in your home, garden, or local park.

If you are looking for an empowering transformative experience like the one I’ve just described at Head Games be sure to mention The Fashion Cookbook for $10 OFF your next appointment. Plus, I want to give one lucky reader a chance to work with both me and Brianna this spring.