Content

• Steps
• Tips
• Warnings

In the 60s, during the heyday of the hippie movement, it was very cool: the movement for peace, music, experiences with a change in consciousness and free love. Being a hippie was amazing. But then came the 21st century [the sound of a needle scratching and stopping a record]. "Do you wanna be ... who?" Everything is clear, you do not know anything about who hippies are. But that's okay, because we can tell everything.

Steps

1. 1 Start with music. Hear the music that has shaped an entire generation. Go to your nearest music store or online and buy a recording that tells you about three days of love that culminated in hippie music culture - the festival Woodstock.
   • Listen to Jimi Hendrix and his version of the US anthem ("Star Spangled Banner"), Joe Cocker and his band, and the hit song "Fish Cheer" by Country Joe and the Fish.
   • To recreate the Woodstock vibe, listen to music in the rain. In dirt. Naked, with friends.
   • Although Woodstock has collected nearly all the best artists and most popular songs of the sixties, do not forget about other representatives of this era. Hear the musicians who influenced the music scene in the 60s:
   • Bob Dylan. There are two options here, and you need to decide for yourself which you like best: Dylan's acoustic music or full arrangements. Whichever you choose, Bob Dylan is an essential performer in every hippie's music library.
   • The Beatles. Pay special attention to music from their psychedelic period, when they went from She Loves You (Yeah, Yeah, Yeah) to Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds.
   • Jefferson Airplane. Before the band turned into a glamorous and inexpressive project Jefferson Starship, Jefferson Airplane managed to record such hits as "White Rabbit" and "Somebody to Love".
   • The Grateful Dead. If you do not know this group, you do not know the meaning of the word "hippie". This group laid the foundation for a whole genre called "jam", in which groups such as Phish, String Cheese Incident and Widespread Panic worked (The Allman Brothers Band founded Widespread Panic). Along with the genre, a huge number of jokes about jam bands also appeared, for example: “Why do Deadheads wave their hands in front of their faces when they dance? So that the music does not close their eyes. "
   • Janis Joplin. Janice is the quintessential hippie girl. Of course, she had a memorable hairstyle, beads and an unbridled character, but she also had a voice that could lull, uplift, plead, seduce and amaze with its strength.
   • Although there is huge the number of good bands of the hippie era that cannot be listed within the framework of this article, you necessarily worth getting to know Crosby, Stills and Nash (with and without Neil Young), Joni Mitchell, Judy Collins, Sly and the Family Stone, The Doors, Donovan, The Who, The Rolling Stones, The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield and possibly Frank Zappa.
2. 2 Listen to contemporary music. Music was exactly what the 60s generation needed. Time does not stand still, but even now music appears that corresponds to the philosophy of peace, love and understanding. Enjoy it. Being a hippie means being open to all good things. And listen to music you can dance to.
3. 3 Learn more about the era. Understand what events in the 1960s and 1970s influenced the formation of the hippie subculture. Find out how many people identified themselves as hippies, what was their philosophy and beliefs, where they came from.
   • On the Internet, you can find a lot of information about the hippie subculture (perhaps even more than about any other subculture). Films about Woodstock, as well as Celebration in Big Sur, Monterey Pop will tell you a lot about this subculture. They can be found online and on Netflix.
   • But don't just limit yourself to hippie documentaries. Check out the poets, writers and other cultural figures who have had a defining influence on the formation of this subculture:
   • Tom Wolfe's novel Electrocooling Acid Test about Ken Casey and his Gay Pranksters is a must-read. After reading this novel, you will understand whether you are on the way with the hippies or not.
   • Get to know the poetry of Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac. Although their work predates the hippie subculture, it has influenced the likes of Hunter Thompson and Bob Dylan, as well as many others.
   • Listen to comedians and laugh at their jokes (and at yourself). One of the most famous comedians of the day is the man who gave the world the crazy hippie weather presenter: George Carlin. Unlike many hippies of those times, Karlin has retained his beliefs to this day.
4. 4 Learn more about modern hippies. Remember that being a hippie before and now are two different things. Hippies have new thoughts on a wide variety of topics related to life change. The generation of hippies living now supports most of the original ideas of the hippie philosophy, but the Vietnam War ended, and Martin Luther King still made some progress in the struggle for human rights.
   • Ask your parents what life was like in those days. You may be surprised at what you hear (or what you hear will terrify you).You may be surprised to learn something about the days of your parents' youth, when they were faced with the same things that you are dealing with now, including love, war, division of the country and constant existential threat.
5. 5 Try to live up to the ideals of the hippies. Try to pollute the ground as little as possible. Hippies love the land and they do their best not to harm it. Buy clothes and products that are recyclable and environmentally friendly.
   • Become a volunteer, learn more about bartering. The hippies of the 60s preferred exchange and barter over money.
6. 6 Get to know hippie slang. In the 60s and 70s, hippies developed their own vocabulary, as it happens with every generation. Below are some examples of hippie slang:
   • ask - begging for money from passers-by on the street;
   • bazaar - conversation or conversation;
   • battle - bottle;
   • gerla - addressing a girl;
   • drinchat - to drink alcoholic beverages;
   • spruce - yellow;
   • to be hammered - to make an appointment;
   • washed down - long guitar solo;
   • to labate - to play music;
   • lav - love;
   • the left one is unpleasant; not your own; secondary;
   • shedding - quickly leave, run away;
   • maza is a good opportunity;
   • mustang - louse;
   • meng is a man;
   • the pioneer is a young hippie;
   • people - people;
   • price - price;
   • punker - punk;
   • hand over - sell;
   • skip - leave, disappear;
   • stop - hitchhiking;
   • session - a musical concert;
   • stripe - danger;
   • umat - admiration, delight;
   • flat - apartment;
   • hair — hair;
   • civil is a person who leads a normal life.
7. 7 Obtain suitable clothing. Or don't do it. Clothing is an optional element of hippie culture. Hippies don't worry about material things. The hippie philosophy should be manifested in relation to the world, and not in clothes. Therefore, you do not need to go to all second-hand shops in search of the "right" round glasses with pink lenses, flared trousers or dummy T-shirts. Look for any inexpensive clothing at a local store. If the clothes are bright and you are comfortable, these things will do.
   • Wear items made from natural materials, especially hemp fiber. Hemp produces a lot of oxygen. Bright ponchos and Mexican-style clothing made from hemp fabrics also match the hippie look.
   • Go to second-hand stores, look for sales and charity events, try sewing clothes and making jewelry yourself.
   • Hippies are known for hand-painted clothing, ethnic jewelry, country skirts, and flared trousers. Men wear long hair and beards with mustaches.
   • Women generally don't wear bras or makeup. The barefoot hippie image is true, but hippies also love sandals, soft boots or loafers, and even athletic shoes. Hippies also need to protect their feet from the elements.
8. 8 Try to make the world a better place. Protest against life-threatening things (such as wars) and strive to create a more liberal society: advocate for the rights of homosexuals and for the legalization of certain drugs.
   • Many hippies believe that banning drugs is more harmful than using these substances. Learn about the history of drug prohibition in your country.
9. 9 Don't be afraid to be a strange person. Grow your hair and go to the hairdresser as little as possible. Maintain good personal hygiene, but try to use natural soaps, deodorants, and herbal products. Many hippies prefer Dr. Bronner's. Prepare your own products if possible. Many hippies wear dreadlocks.
10. 10 Study the information about the effect of drugs on consciousness. Some hippies smoke marijuana, others use psychedelic substances (mushrooms, LSD). Recently, ecstasy has become popular. Is it legal? Of course not. Is it dangerous? Opinions differ. This is a personal choice of a person, and there is a lot of information on the consequences on the Internet.However, it was all part of the hippie culture in the 60s. One can only guess what The Beatles or The Grateful Dead would have done without their experiments with hallucinogenic substances.
    • However, it's important to remember that you don't have to do drugs to be a hippie. Remember that many hippies, including Frank Zappa, deliberately avoided drugs and preferred to enjoy other sources available to all: meditation, music, colored lights, dancing, hiking, and other health-promoting activities. In addition, recreational drug use other than alcohol is prohibited in many countries, so be careful.
11. 11 Become a vegetarian. Some hippies only eat organic vegan and vegan foods, but remember that in the 60's there was no organic concept and veganism was virtually nonexistent. Many hippies simply did not have the money to be selective in their food.
    • In today's world, there are many organic products sold in specialty stores, and many hippies take advantage of these opportunities. You might even meet hippies at a store near you.
12. 12 Avoid genetically modified foods. Do not eat foods containing more than 10 substances. If you do not understand the composition of the product, it is unlikely to be beneficial to your health.
13. 13 Try shopping at markets and farm shops. Support local producers and buy food from them.
14. 14 Try to go vegan. This is another nutritional option for those who believe that the lives of animals must be reckoned with. Veganism involves avoiding cow's milk (it is suitable for feeding calves), honey from bees (bees produce honey, so honey is considered a product of animal origin) and eggs (an egg is a hen's egg; an unfertilized egg does not turn into anything, but when fertilized the cock turns out to be a chicken).
15. 15 Pay attention to the spiritual side. This is extremely important for the neo-hippie. Study information about the chakras and learn to meditate.
16. 16 Watch hippie movies. Check out Woodstock (1970), Festival Express (2003), Revolution (1968), Magic Mystery Journey (1967), Alice's Restaurant (1969), Magic Glitch (2011). All of these films portray the hippie subculture well.

Tips

• Just be yourself! Choose any religion and belief system. There are no rules that govern the life of a hippie.
• Try to resolve any conflicts. Be the kind of person who knows how to reconcile the parties. Help people by listening to them and giving advice.
• Don't pollute the environment.
• Wear colorful clothing.
• Grow your hair and appreciate natural beauty.
• Being a hippie does not mean strictly following everything that was discussed above. The above is a general idea of ​​hippies in previous generations. You can experiment with your style, wear earrings, use lip gloss, and stick to your own nutritional system.
• Be open-minded and think progressively.
• Just because previous generations of hippies smoked marijuana doesn't mean you should. Marijuana can cause short-term memory loss, and it is a prohibited substance in many countries with administrative and criminal liability for use and possession.
• Master a martial art (such as Tai Chi), but remember that you should do it because of the Eastern philosophy on which this art is based, and not because of the desire to harm others.
• Participate in protests against government, war and discrimination.
• Listen to psychedelic rock.
• Feel connected to the earth and planet. Know how the aura works and learn to see yours.

Warnings

• You can be a hippie only on the basis of your beliefs. Nobody can teach you to be a hippie and nobody can tell if you are a hippie or not.As a rule, people do what they think is right, and if you think that hippies are doing everything right, chances are you will be able to become a hippie yourself.
• Many people don't like hippies. You are unlikely to be liked by passers-by on the street, but you should not change just because others want it.
• If you decide to go to the Rainbow Tribes Meeting either in San Francisco or Portland, take people you trust and respect with you. There is nothing worse than being stuck in an unfamiliar city with no money or help.
• Don't tell people that they are wrong for not following the hippie philosophy. All people are different. What you perceive as help and enlightenment may be perceived by others as pressure and imposition of their ideas.
• Participation in protests can put you in jail. Assess the situation soberly by participating in such actions, and try to avoid conflicts with the police.
• Hippies are known for their addiction to psychedelic drugs (that is, substances that alter perception and affect different areas of the brain; for example, marijuana and LSD). Experiment with these substances with caution as they are banned in many countries. In addition, they cannot be abused, and they have side effects ("bad trip"). There is also such a thing as psychosis caused by exposure to marijuana. The consequences can be long-term (several years) and extremely negative (up to phobias and paranoia). For some, this ends up living in a state of phobia and / or paranoia.