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DESIGN
Modern Fashion is a Control System
  • Posted By Jamila Starwater
  • on June 4,2014
He’s caught, She’s caught.

I grew up wanting to be a fashion designer. I love clothes. I love expressing myself with what I wear and I love seeing how others choose to show themselves to the world. What I don’t love is the group think that happens when certain styles are proclaimed to be “in fashion”.  The mindless following of fashion trends is outdated. It’s time to think for ourselves.

When clothing is done right, it is one of the highest forms of self expression. People get a hit of who you are in a split second of seeing you and what you are wearing. Wearing certain cuts, colors and fabrics make us feel things. It’s a kind of art that everyone is invited to do, every day.

However, the fashion industry doesn’t want you to think for yourself. You are the best customer when you are following trends and feel the need to be “in style”. I used to read a lot of fashion magazines before I realized that instead of feeling inspired they made me feel inadequate. I will never have the body or face of a fashion model and that is fine, but it’s the clothes themselves which are often times so out of reach!  Thousands of dollars on an outfit that is not a wedding dress or covered in gems?! For most people this is not a realistic budget. It’s boring and depressing to constantly lust after things that are not and will not ever be on your actual shopping list. No thank you. I prefer reality over fantasy, personally.

The fashion business is about making money and lots of it, and the old Piscean culture (still) at large is about control through conformity and caste systems (yes, caste systems in America too) . They work beautifully together. The fashion people tell you what you should be wearing, and our cultural program teaches us to judge each other based on what we are wearing. We keep ourselves in line this way, it’s like a self policing system embedded into the fabric of every day life.  And by the way, I’m not saying it is wrong to judge based on clothes, it is actually helpful to do most of the time. It’s just interesting to step back and see how it all fits in to the big picture.

Imagine if clothing was only about keeping warm and individual self expression.  No more ‘keeping up with the Joneses’ boring crap. Imagine a world where a human is taught from day one to think for themselves and honor their own creativity! I think it would make for much more interesting outfits, just for starters !

To go deeper into the subject,  read about how clothing shapes our energy and about dressing the chakras. I look forward to writing a lot more on this subject – ‘the energetics of hair styles’ and ‘shoes as control devices, coming soon !

vintage fashion


YOGA
How Clothing Effects Your Auric Body
  • Posted By Jamila Starwater
  • on October 21,2013

Leighton_Invocation

Invocation, by Frederic Leighton . I’m loving the white flow-y outfit!

What you wear absolutely effects your electromagnetic field, whether you know what the heck that means or not. Your auric body is another name for your electromagnetic field, it is the container of energy for your life force. When your auric body is strong, you can hold a lot of energy. Your aura is constantly changing as you move through your day and your life. You can make your auric field stronger with yoga and meditation. You can also make it stronger just by what you wear.

jaigopal-jamila-whites-sm

My husband and I at White Tantric Yoga where everyone – you guessed it- wears white

It is known by the yogis that when you wear white it increases the size of your aura automatically. That is why you see a lot of yogis wearing white and especially Kundalini yoga teachers wearing white. It is important that the clothes be made from natural fibers because cotton, wools and silk are the best conductors of energy. Plastic based fibers just don’t work the same way when you are working with subtle energy fields.

jamila-hike

Your author in a typical weirdo outfit chosen for comfort . Note the choice of footwear. I am “hiking” here.  Ha

Loose fitting clothes also help the situation. Being comfortable on the physical level helps open the energy around you on the energetic level. It’s pretty common sense when you think about it, but unless we are taught to look at in a practical way we can stay seduced in a fashion / trend type mental program. The Indian culture has a whole philosophy about each type of traditional clothing and why each type of clothing is worn. Actually I am sure all native forms of dress have intentional energetic components to them in addition to practical and aesthetic considerations.  I am going to learn more about that and report back.

getimageexe

A Cheyenne woman in a traditional three hide dress

Along the same vein, I have heard the Native American culture has a teaching about the reason women wear skirts. Long skirts open the energy field towards the earth, which help to strengthen the connection. When you look around at many different ancient cultural forms of dress you can start to see the energetic reasons for the outward forms. It’s an interesting viewpoint to develop, it gives a nice peek behind the curtain.

In the next post on this subject, we will explore how fashion is also a tool of the control system. Everything in life has a polarity. Keeps things interesting. Until then.. happy dressing!

kinnaur-traditional-dress

Someday I will dress this fabulous. until then these ladies are holding it down


YOGA
Dressing the Chakras
  • Posted By Jamila Starwater
  • on September 16,2013

alex grey chakra

When you get dressed, you are expressing your self. It is a creative act, even if it’s a mandatory uniform. You are still choosing it on some level. The materials , cut and color of your clothing are interacting with and expressing the energy that is spinning inside and around you. That spinning energy is also known as your chakra system. The fact that so many of us either don’t know what chakras are, or think of chakras as another new age woo woo theory, is kind of sad. Chakras are basic human anatomy. It’s foundational knowledge that is rarely if ever taught. In many circles it’s either not discussed, ridiculed, or both. I have a theory of why that is but we’ll leave that for another day. For an excellent primer on the chakra system check this out.  I look forward to getting more into the topic here as well.

Anyhow, your clothes are totally effecting your energy, and vice versa! The cool thing is that once you realize this you can start to play with it. When you start experimenting with color, fabrics and shapes of clothes and have experiences that correspond with what you are learning, it begins to open up the programming so brand new experiences can flood your sensory system.. and we just feel more alive!

We know that colors are created by specific energy wavelengths. Each energy wheel of the body (chakra) vibrates at a certain speed, and that speed corresponds with a particular color. We can play with activating the chakras by emphasizing certain colors in our outfits. It’s really that simple. Your intention accelerates the effect even more. Check it out and try it for yourself!

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1st Chakra

the root – earth –  center of security and survival – the color is RED

The basement of the house is just as important (or more!) as the rest of the home, right ? We want the foundation of our energy system (our roots) to be strong and stable so that our energy and life can grow high and wide. The first chakra is the realm of habits, survival, cultural identity, and practical every day matters. Red is the color of our blood.. our DNA.. our identity. It is also the chakra associated with the anus – and a healthy root chakra allows us to let go of shit in more ways than one! This chakra often gets overlooked by people just starting on a “spiritual” path but I think its one of the most important areas to heal and balance– and asap! It’s so good to be able to get rid of what you don’t need anymore..

As far as wearing red.. wearing red is often associated with fiery vixen who knows what she wants. Try wearing red now with the intention of strengthening your power base. See what happens.

red dress vogue

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2nd Chakra 

water – center of creativity and sexuality- the color is ORANGE

This chakra gets manipulated a lot. We are sold a lot of things we don’t need because we have been vulnerable here. The second chakra is the creative energy of which sexual energy is a part, not the other way around. We are all creative beings – the question is do we KNOW this and are we living it?  The health of the second chakra determines how these energies are expressed (or distorted)  in our life.  The fact is that this energy can’t be suppressed forever without eventual very real consequences. You can see evidence of this every single day on the news. Good thing there are many ways to heal. There are also many ways to ecstatically celebrate and express this energy. Clothing is one way!!!!!

As far as wearing orange… I find when I wear orange I feel really creative and happy! I love wearing bright orange. I was obsessed with insanely bright hunters orange for a while.  Different shades of orange really express different feelings. Deep fiery oranges are pretty sexy. Experiment! See what works for you and what you want to create more of.

orange dress

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3rd Chakra 

fire – center of action and balance – the color is YELLOW

The third chakra is about power and control. It is really important to have a strong navel (3rd) chakra. It helps you direct your focus and get things done. Collectively as a species we have been living primarily through this energy center. Thats why we have seen so much struggle for control over the past few thousand years. The 3rd chakra is really important because we gather a lot of our energy through this chakra. When we are in the womb, we are literally fed through the navel point via the umbilical cord. After arriving on the planet we continue to be fed through our navel on an energetic level. There is also a deep intelligence in the gut. Science is starting to catch up to this by mapping the gut microbiome and realizing the connections between gut health and mental health. They are actually saying we have a second brain in our gut! I would say our brain exists within the whole body. The body is the landscape of the brain. I read that somewhere and it rang true. Anyways..

As far as wearing yellow… You know those guys that get bright yellow sports cars… they just want to be noticed! Thats kind of how wearing yellow is. Depending on the shade of yellow  and your skin tone that’s a good or not-so-good thing! I personally LOVE wearing yellow because it’s close to the color GOLD which is my fav color ever… for so many reasons ( I’ll have to write a whole book on that subject alone, honestly). but yellow.. Yellow is a color to wear if you are confident or want to gather and project confidence! It’s a fun one. Go for it!!!

yellow dress

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4th Chakra 

air – center of love and compassion – the color is GREEN

We are now collectively moving towards the reality of living through the heart chakra – as individuals and as a culture. The yogi’s call it moving from “me” to “we” . Imagine just for a moment what this looks like. It’s really nice.. The heart is the realm of compassion, kindness, forgiveness, service and true love. The heart is the balance point between the lower 3 chakras and the upper 3 . It is also the balance point between heaven and earth. All true power comes through the heart center. The yogi’s also say the heart has the power of 108 suns. Sounds poetic but I think they meant it more literally. Tremendous strength and courage (cor is heart in Latin) can be accessed through the heart.

As far as wearing green… This is the color of growth and photosynthesis..the leaves, grass, trees, bushes, moss ..Green is the heart of mother earth! Green is the immense power of the sun transformed by the intelligent design of the earth.  Wear lots of green- it’s powerful stuff! Personally green is second only to gold and maybe pink in my wardrobe. LOVE it. oh but pink! Pink is also associated with the heart chakra, naturally.. Wear pink when you want to express the softer side of your self. It really has an effect. Some times I think pink is overused for girls,  but I think pink can be re claimed as a power color for women and men! The time is now people! Conscious fashion! Hurrah!

green dress

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5th Chakra 

ether – center of communication- the color is LIGHT BLUE

Located at the throat, the 5th chakra is about being about being able to communicate effectively. It is the power of our authenticity. It is our word. You can develop great power by always keeping your word. Having a strong 5th chakra helps us speak our truth and project it into everything we do. I think it is interesting that the color associated with this center is light blue, as this is the color we most often imagine when we think of the “ethers” …

As far as wearing light blue…  I think this color is one of the easiest colors to wear. It’s gentle, calm and super classy (and not just on Grace Kelly!). Light blue is the color of the sky- literally the etheric realms . Now that you are familiar with the energetics of the 5th chakra try wearing it with that awareness and see what happens! Make wearing the color blue a statement of your divine creative ability to command the ethers into form.

blue dress

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6th Chakra 

third eye – center of intuition and wisdom – the color is INDIGO

Close your eyes for a moment. The space behind your eyelids as well as your whole frontal lobe is an internal movie screen. We can see colors , patterns and visions in this space.  Think of your pituitary gland, the master gland, located behind the brow point as the projector of this movie. Your projections ripple out from your brain into infinity, co creating your “waking life”reality in every moment.  When you activate your 6th Chakra power,  you can project whatever you want through the pulsation and secretions of the pituitary gland. The 6th chakra is also like a radio in that it receives broadcasts as well. Our intuitive knowing is received here as a beam from our soul . We also can read the vibrations from every other living thing. What’s really cool is that we can develop our ability to command the 6th chakra space through meditation. And wearing more deep blue is also a nice start…

As far as wearing Indigo… Indigo is kind of like a supercharged royal navy blue. It’s POWERFUL. It’s a very saturated, rich color. If you start wearing indigo consciously, let me know how it feels! After all  that talk about the 6th Chakra powers, I’m curious..

dark blue dress

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7th Chakra 

the crown – center of humility and vastness – the color is VIOLET

The 7th Chakra relates to the pine cone shaped pineal gland at the center of the brain and the space at the top of your head. The pulsation of the pineal gland determines the quality of the thought stream we are connecting to. When you raise the Kundalini, you in turn raise the frequency of the pineal gland, which then automatically connects you to higher, more enjoyable thought streams.

It’s no surprise that purple is considered the color of blood line royals. I like to think of Violet as the higher octave of plain purple. The activated 7th chakra is your energetic crown. You can literally connect with all the light and power of the universe through your crown. Picture that for a moment. It’s so bright and beautiful.. A shimmering golden light that’s way more magnificent than any earthly crown!  You can activate your innate royalty through the 7th Chakra. With dedicated practice, the Kundalini energy that normally sits coiled near the base of the spine can be activated and moved up through all the chakras. When it arrives at the crown chakra, it can beam out the top, connect with infinity, and then spiral down , re energized, back through all the energy wheels. Words can only go so far when talking about the higher chakras, it really has to be experienced to be believed.

As far as wearing Violet… This color is ALIVE. It is larger than life!  I don’t even know what else to say about it. Wear this color when you want to make something grand happen. You are the Violet flame! Own it.

indigo dress

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8th Chakra 

the electromagnetic field – center of radiance – the color is WHITE

The aura is your 8th Chakra. The entire aura is a spinning ball of energy that contains all of you. Within a white beam of light, all the colors of the rainbow exist. Your healthy auric field can extend 9 feet in all directions. Your aura is both a container of your energy and a shield. Your strong aura can allow in what you want / need for your highest good, as well as protect you from things can harm you. The aura, like all of the other chakras, can be developed through yoga and meditation.

As far as wearing white… You can actually extend the reach of your auric field a few feet just by wearing white. If you feel bad, try taking a shower and then putting on all white clothes. You will feel different. A lot of yogis and teachers wear white to take advantage of the aura expansion it gives. Wearing white also automatically makes you more conscious. You have to be or else you will get stains on your clothes pretty fast! If you want to feel your energy expand without doing a whole lot of work , try just putting on white clothes! Bonus points if you really love the cut and fabrics, although I think even a clean white cotton t and sweats can do the job! Of all the colors, wearing white offers the most dramatic boost. Have fun experimenting.

white dress

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Chakras are a way to understand your ability to create the experience you want. Inside and around the body you were given , there is an intelligent system that should and will be fundamental knowledge for all humans. Color and fashion can be a powerful and fun way to explore your self… Play with it.

If you want more on the topic, please read my article about the energy of clothing here.

image credits: alex grey, this,orange dress, yellow dress, violet dress, white dress


YOGA
What is Bana : Dressing for Energy
  • Posted By Jamila Starwater
  • on September 15,2013

historical fashion

Bana is a form of dress. Any kind of outfit is technically a bana. Your clothing is a reflection of your consciousness and what you wear is amplifying your energy.

These were my notes from the last Kundalini yoga teacher training I did earlier this year. I loved that my teachers went over this in some detail. I have always loved clothes and even spent my freshman year as a fashion major.. and I almost dropped out because I realized pretty fast that the fashion business is full of shit not for me. Don’t get me wrong – I know some wonderful people who are in the business but overall I feel like it’s really.. misguided. And I think a part of that is because clothing is actually a very powerful container for our energy and so there are systems in place to manipulate this basic human need. But more on that later.. What I am really excited to talk about is how we can shift our understanding of clothing now.

Clothes are a basic human need. What you wear tells the world about who you are long before you even say a word. The color, shape, and materials that make up your clothes all effect you on a conscious and subconscious level. When you dress in a way that expresses who you are inside – and who you want to be- then you are working with your own power in a very productive, practical way. There is a saying in the corporate world ,”dress for the job you want, not the one you have” . They got that right and it is true on many levels.

If you hang around kundalini yogi’s and / or Sikh people long enough you will hear the term bana being thrown around. I believe the word and the concept of bana was invented by the 10th Sikh guru – Guru Gobind Singh. He gave the Sikh people a specific way to dress that helped shape their energy to give them access to a specific, very high frequency. Sikh bana involves a system called the 5 K’s , which basically outline the way baptized Sikhs (Khalsa’s) are to dress. When you look at someone dressed in what they call “full bana”,  it is really easy to be fooled into thinking that this is a dogmatic religious ritual kind of situation. The reality is that each of the “rules” of Khalsa dressing are actually creating specific energetic outcomes. It’s actually a very advanced way of dressing and it’s perfect because it has a built in bullshit shield – close minded bigot types naturally stay away! My husband is a Khalsa Sikh and dresses in full bana a lot so I have gotten a chance to observe the effectiveness of this first hand.

My teachers made it a point to say that the most important thing about choosing your bana is this – BE YOU! Dress however is appropriate for YOU. We don’t have to follow trends anymore. The flock mentality is so over and so boring. Wear what makes you feel good. I look forward to going into much more depth about this topic in future posts. In the mean time watch this excellent 9 min video on this subject.

mens fashion


DESIGN
Vibrational Dressing : An Introduction
  • Posted By Jamila Starwater
  • on June 8,2013

vintage gypsy

There is a way to dress that expresses who you really are and can bring you more of the kind of energy you are looking for. I call this Vibrational Dressing, but it could also be called bana. Bana is a term that comes to us from the Sikh religion, it’s a form of dressing which has specific energetic effects. Bana can be all white clothes with a turban on top and bana can be all the colors of the rainbow with gold shoes and a flower in your hair. Bana can be a sweatshirt and jeans. Bana is an expression of YOU. My teacher Harijiwan explains bana very well –and I’m paraphrasing here – ” your clothing is an expression of your consciousness” .  This seems like the most obvious yet profound thought to me. We grow up being taught to follow trends and fit into “uniforms” . We aren’t usually taught to view getting dressed as a conscious act of self expression that has very specific effect on our energy field and our reality.

We’ll explore these concepts in a forthcoming series of posts on this subject. Until then I encourage you to begin to really pay attention to the often routine act of getting dressed. Why are you picking that shirt, those pants, that jacket? Are they expressing how you feel or are you following a subconscious program? How do you feel when you wear them? Do you notice feeling different when you wear bright colors as opposed to all black? How do you feel when you wear your favorite outfit? You can learn how to dress to feel that way all the time and I am going to teach you how.

Some subjects we will explore in future posts related to this topic are:

Vibrational Dressing for Energy : the Technique, Dressing the chakras, Color therapy , How clothing shapes your auric field , Traditional dress through the ages, Modern fashion as control system, Sikh clothing technology , All about wearing white , Why people wear turbans , Fabrics are energy conductors : natural fibers vs synthetic .. and much much more!

Stay tuned.


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