Benefits Of Waist Beads; What Are They Used For?
Are you so curious about knowing the benefits of waist beads? Waist beads generally all over the world are used for beautification and as a form of fashion adornment although their usefulness is beyond this which is the reason why we have this article published.
Would you believe waist beads can also be used medically? Its benefits go on and on and this is enough reason for everyone to know about it, it may come in handy for other things you need.
Before we dive into the benefits of waist beads we will like to give you a brief piece of information on waist beads, so, let us take a look at the history of waist beads.
History of Waist Beads
Africa is known to be the home of civilization, Africa has a lot in common which means the usage of waist beads can be traced to the Africans, it is a traditional adornment used for decoration. Dating back to the ancient Egyptians, we have seen a lot of carved images of ancient Egyptian dancers, queens and women in general.
The use of waist beads has traveled from Africa to other parts of the world over centuries ago, the Arab and Portuguese traders also took interest in beads during the 16th and 18th centuries while still participating in the slave trade in East Africa.
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In East Africa and sub-Saharan Africa countries, people use waist beads for adornment, healing and for fertility and also for birth control. Sounds strange? It actually works. Nowadays the most common waist bead is known to be the “girdle.” Before we reveal the full benefits of waist beads lets take a quick look at what waist beads are used for.
What Are Waist Beads and What Are They Used For?
The collection of beads stranded on a thread or rope is what makes up waist beads, you can find them in single or multiple, they are worn mostly on the waist which is why it is called waist beads, we also have some forms worn on the arm and neck and the beads are in form of stones, wood, plastics, gemstones and even glass.
In Nigeria, you will find out that the Yoruba Tribe uses waist beads a lot and this has also been well accepted by other regions like the Northerners and down South.
The main reasons why these beads are being used by the Yorubas are for protection, ritual purposes, religious purposes, beautification, ceremonials and also used by royal families.
Aside from the mentioned uses waist beads are also used to differentiate female child who is in puberty from others, as a form of womanhood celebration, wealth charm and many more.
If you are well educated about the Yoruba tribe you certainly should be aware that the Yoruba women back in the days do use waist beads to attract their men, when worn it makes them irresistible and much more attractive, unfortunately, all these are disappearing due to civilization and newly found religion.
African Countries That Use Waist Beads
Ghanaians:
Ghanaians found the use of waist beads so much interesting most especially their women, hardly will you find a Ghanaian woman without a waist bead, it is mostly used to show feminism, traditional adornment and also for wealth attraction.
Aside from the listed, they are also used to boost women’s confidence and make them look elegant and attractive to their men, if you intend to take a Ghanian woman as your wife it is part of the tradition for you to present a chunk of waist beads as the requirements for your bride.
We mentioned earlier that the beads do come in various forms, you also need to present them in their various forms like the hand beads, cuffs, anklets, bracelets, necklaces e.t.c. this is why you as the husband will be the only one that has permission to remove it from your wife.
Ghanaians and other Africans put on waist beads irrespective of their beauty, height, shape, ethnic group or even skin colour, in short on naming ceremonies a newborn child is mostly seen with waist beads, this is African culture and it still exists.
Southern African Countries:
The Southern African countries like South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, Mozambique, Swaziland, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Angola, e.t.c. also use waist beads and are mostly used for beauty by the women.
You will also see waist beads on young adults, from Southern African countries the use of waist beads has spread down to the Caribbean and even down to Malawi as the Malawi women use this during pregnancy and also used to seduce their husbands when they are ready for intercourse.
West African Countries:
Although not much used in West African countries but Ghana, Nigeria, and Togo use waist beads a lot, you can also see the use of beads in other West African countries like the Republic of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Guinea, e.t.c.
The Major Significance Of Waist Beads
Aside from all the mentioned reasons waist beads serves a very important significance when it comes to Weight Loss, it is used in larger quantity on the waist and monitored over time to know when one is gaining more fats or weight, this will make you know that you are getting out of shape may be due to the consumption of junks.
The beads get so tight and one knows it is time to take caution with food intake and also exercise. Waist beads aren’t just cool for monitoring weight gain alone, it also helps to know when you lose too much weight, you might not know if you are sick but this will let you know so you can quickly take the necessary steps to check if it is sickness or you ain’t getting enough food.
Benefits Of Waist Beads
Below are the benefits of waist beads, see why they are being used:
- It Helps With Weight Gain and Loss
As mentioned earlier the waist beads helps you to know when you are adding more weight or when you are losing more, with this you do not need to jump on scale every day. The waist bead doesn’t stretch so it is easier to tell when you are out of shape.
- Used For Seduction (Boost Sexual Attraction)
Ladies use this for their lover as the sight of the beautiful beads can arouse a man, it is used to entice men and show to them that the lady is ready, this also makes the event enjoyable and more satisfactory to both gender.
- Boost Confidence, Pride and also used as Heritage
It isn’t a new thing to see Africans boasting about their roots, if you are an African you can easily tell where a certain person came from just by looking at the bead design. Aside this, it is also used by royal families which makes it an important item used by people of royal blood or status.
- Maturity
Africans also use this to tell you of their maturity level, this is mostly used by ladies crossing through puberty as a form of womanhood through their first menstruation, in Ghana it is used on newborn babies and the more the child grows you know he or she has passed certain stages of growth.
Africans also believe that when you use the waist beads it helps to achieve a flat tummy, slim waist and helps maintain a curvy shape.
- Healing
Aside from beautification, revealing your royal status, seduction, e.t.c. waist beads are also used for healing, some heading oils are applied on the beads by most East African countries to help heal people, this is one of the most sacred benefits of waist beads.
- Beautification & Attraction Purposes
Women mostly use beads to attract the opposite gender, the man automatically knows what the lady is trying to inform him of without uttering a word, this is very rampant in Zambia.
- Psychological Effects
The use of waist beads makes you aware of your state of mind, this helps to boost confidence and makes a lady feel elegant and complete.
- Rituals
This is one of the most common among the benefits of waist beads and being done almost everywhere is Africa, you see ladies use this type of waist bead to keep their men to themselves alone, the beads must have gone through a lot of traditional rituals which makes it effective and not just an ordinary beads.
- Ceremonial Purposes
Waist beads are used for various events, if you are conversant about Nigerian weddings you see that waist beads are used in almost all the tribes in Nigeria likewise some other African countries, it is also used on new born babies for child dedication.
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