In recent years, wearing waist beads have become a major part of women's wellness and the body positivity movement. Before then, it was a thing of culture especially in West Africa.
In Liberia, waist beads was mostly worn by cultural dancers. However, it has become very popular over the last 10 years and women of different shapes and sizes adorn their bodies with them for different reasons. From making a fashion statement, to sensuality or weight management many women seem to love and feel empowered wearing waist beads and therefore we felt the need to discuss how you can get more out of your waist beads.
While waist beads may look like a simple accessory for beatification or sensuality, they can have a transformational effect on the wearer.
Body Awareness
Waist beads can help a lady be more aware of her body and posture. The beads sit differently depending on how a lady sits. If you slouch the beads will feel tight and when you sit upright it will feel lose. Wearing a waist beads can also encourage a lady to think positively about her body because every time she sees her reflection in a mirror, she will see those beautiful shiny stones and remember how beautiful she is.
Intimacy
Many men love the sight of waist beads on a lady's hip. This beautiful piece of jewelry can really enhance love making as it's presence demands all focus towards the hip. A number of women even agree that waist beads helps enhance foreplay and improve lovemaking with their spouse. Also, girls who start wearing waist beads at an early age, end up with an hourglass like shape as the waist beads helps control the waist line as she grows.
Weight management
If you choose a waist bead on chord, wire or thread, it won't stretch. Which means the beads will move higher if you gain weight or fall lower when you lose some weight. This accessory is a must have for ladies who like to be aware of how their bodies change. Some women become bloated right before their cycle and the tightness in the waist bead can signal the woman that either her cycle is about to start or that she's gaining weight.
Intention
Waist beads can also help with intention. The color, pattern, stones and charms added to a waist bead can have any meaning given by the wearer. For instance, when I started my 75 hard challenge, I added a new waist bead to my collection. This one sits above my navel unlike the others that sit on my hip. I intentionally did this so that its a reminder of my weight loss challenge. If I succeed week by week, it'll fall towards my hip. I also used the colors pink, gold and green to attract love, sensuality, and wealth into my life.
Fashion statement
Unlike all the other reasons above, some women wear waist beads just because they're pretty and accentuates their outfit. For instance when wearing a crop top, bikini or cut out dress.
How to choose your waist beads
Like all things, choosing the right type of waist beads depends on your reason for wanting to wear a waist bead in the first place. Below I've added different types of waist beads, color meaning and different types of stones.
Types of waist beads
Strung on wire - some waist beads are strung on a beading wire or using chains. These ones are made to size and may have excess chains to adjust.
Strung on thread - these types of waist beads are permanent because the wearer ties them on. They do not stretch or break easily.
Strung on a chord or fishing line - these are more popular with African waist beads. The chords don't stretch and if strung properly lasts a very long time.
Strung on elastic - these are also popular in Africa however, they stretch very easily and also breaks easily. People mostly wear them as a fashion accessory.
Color meanings
Blue: healing, harmony, insight, truth
Brown: earth, stability
Green: prosperity, fertility, abundance, hope, healing
Purple: spirituality, wisdom, royalty
Red: vitality, passion, bravery, confidence
White: light, truth, purity
Yellow: wisdom, clarity, awareness, energy, joy
Stone and meanings
Tiger eye: protection against negativity
Green aventurine: luck, prosperity, wealth
Hamsa: protection against evil or bad luck
Lapis lazuli: peace, wisdom, truth, insight
Quartz: clarity, amplifies other crystals
Rose quartz: love, compassion, healing
Hope you enjoyed this article and you can click here to view our waist bead collection.
Waist Bead Collection