henna: rituals & body art

The simple gesture of washing the feet has a deep meaning for many people. It is washing away the past in a symbolic way. Opening the mind for change: or acknowledging the conscious choices that lead us down the current path.

By hennaing the feet after the bathing ritual, we give ourselves the gift of a beautiful, gentle reminder of the journey we have made; and the one we are taking.

By mindfully connecting the feet to the earth; we are more rooted, stable and centered. 

Adding the yoga pose Tadasana to your ritual will engage the body & the neural pathways and enhance the experience. Maybe commit to doing Mountain Pose each of the days your henna is on your feet; observing how this small form of meditation helps calm the mind and improve your balance.

Mountain Pose - Tadasana

Stand with feet hip width apart. Rock gently back and forth, side to side; firmly planting all four corners of the feet on the ground.

"Firm your thigh muscles and lift the knee caps, without hardening your lower belly. Lift the inner ankles to strengthen the inner arches, then imagine a line of energy all the way up along your inner thighs to your groins, and from there through the core of your torso, neck, and head, and out through the crown of your head. Turn the upper thighs slightly inward. Lengthen your tailbone toward the floor and lift the pubis toward the navel" - Yoga Journal