Covering your head

06-Apr-2010
Wrap It Up
Good Reasons to Tie One On

The practice of covering one’s head has been around since the beginning of civilization. The reasons range from job identification to distinguishing the elders and authorities. If you look at head covering customs today, what you will find is most revealing. The Jewish Yarmulke or Kippah at first glance would seem to be quite different from most other traditional headgear, but it's roots go back to the turban. Did you know the Hebrew verb "habash" (to wear a hat) actually means "to wrap?" In fact, the Talmud clearly states that one is to pray while wrapping the head. Similarly, the Prophet Muhammad said, "A man shall receive a light for each turn of the turban round his head." In other words, even seemingly disparate traditions share the same ideas about this simple act of reverence.

Yogi Bhajan, Master of Kundalini Yoga, was a Sikh, another spiritual path that endorses this practice. However, Yogi Bhajan presented wearing a head covering as a technology, explaining that, as yoga gets your energy moving, topping your crown with natural fabric helps to contain and uplift you. It also provides a mild cranial adjustment and prevents headaches and that “spaced out” feeling.



Yogamint