Question: For girls it is sometimes a complicated process to wash their hair every day. Is it necessary to do so before coming to the Centre to meditate?

Sri Chinmoy: It is my fervent request to all my women disciples without exception to pay more attention to their hair, both for cleanliness and for neatness. Even if it is long, the hair should be washed often. Hair needs water. Water signifies consciousness in the spiritual world and also, as you know, water purifies outwardly. If you want your entire body to be surcharged with divine consciousness, you must use water on the hair. Water is a life-giving element and even the hair needs life. Some cosmeticians and chemists say that it is not good to use soap and water on the hair every day, because it harms the hair. But water will never, never harm your hair. So I wish all of you to wash your hair each day. If you do not want to wash it thoroughly and properly then at least take a small quantity of water and sprinkle it on your hair every day. Hair must get some life from water.

Oil is also good for the hair. When you use oil on your hair, immediately it will give a subtle wave-like vibration to your entire body. You put the oil on your hair, but the whole body gets the vibration, a living rhythm. If you put oil on your hair every day, you will also feel more inclined to wash it every day. Hair that does not have any oil on it, even if it is clean and neat, gives a vibration which I can only describe as ferocious.