Traditional Reasoning
Waist beads are traditionally worn by women as a symbol of beauty, sexuality, femininity, fertility, well-being, confidence, adornment, and maturity.
In certain tribes, they are used to track the weight and growth of newborn babies (both boys and girls). It is called “Ileke” in Yoruba. At a certain age, the boys stop wearing them while the girls continue as they grow in order to shape their waists.
When adding certain stones, waist beads can take healing, spiritual and fertility qualities.
(Aventurine, Citrine, Fluorite, Moonstone, Carnelian, Jade)
Can I wear waist beads if I am not spiritual?
Yes, you can wear waist beads even if you’re an atheist. A lot of people who wear waist beads don’t wear them for religious or spiritual reasons anymore.
20 reasons why people wear waist beads
- To boost self-confidence and self-esteem
- To attract positive energy and ward off negative energy
- To celebrate a special occasion or mark a milestone
- To enhance beauty and femininity
- To honour ancestral traditions and cultural heritage
- To accessorize an outfit
- To symbolize fertility, sexuality and sensuality
- To heal and protect from physical and emotional trauma
- To celebrate womanhood and the divine feminine
- To help with menstrual cramps
- To attract a mate
- To balance hormones
- To express creativity and individual style
- To keep track of waist size
- To encourage self-care and spiritual growth
- To express grief and loss
- To create a sense of belonging to a tribe or group
- To help with bladder control
- To use as a form of protection against evil spirits
- To help with weight loss and/or weight gain
Waist Beads for weight tracking
Keep wearers informed of even the slightest change in their weight gain, or loss. While they don’t stretch, they either roll up, get tight or break as the wearer gains weight.
They will also give you the signal to not overeat. They can be a beautiful, gentle reminder to pay attention to our habits.
Now when you are losing weight, you will notice the beads begin to loosen up and roll down your body.
Conclusion
From the very beginning, waist beads were only meant to be used as something beautiful and positive. However, over time the items were repurposed and certain misconceptions came to be. As the years go on and different cultures begin to adapt, they will surely gain new purposes.
Thank you for reading! I hope to have cleared up some things for you. If you have any questions feel free to DM us on Instagram @waistbeauty or email us at Connect@waistbeauty.ca