Henna: Off The Beaten Path of Self Care

Guest Blog Post by:

Client- Nicole Bills

I am a Healer and Life Guidance coach who was approaching a new chapter in life where both my children were becoming adults. “Who was I in this new chapter?” was a difficult question to sit with. As I had more time to myself, I became aware that I did feel worn out and bedraggled. 

Realizing that I had started to become lost in the hustle and bustle of rearing a family, maintaining a marriage, and running a business - it happens even to the well-trained of us! 

Taking time to reflect within, I decided to try and implement novel self-care with henna tattoos. 

I chose henna because it encompasses self-nurturing through physical touch and adornment. The ”me” at any stage deserves to feel beautiful and worthy. 

It’s become one of my go to rituals when getting ready for an upcoming girls trip. After all the weeks of stress from group planning, coordinating, & packing I get to pause, clear my ruminating thoughts, and receive restorative pampering -  especially important when I’m headed out on a camping trip!

Finding Christine, a henna artist in Austin, Texas, was providential. I am grateful that she took time to explain the cultural ties and historical importance of Henna. It’s knowledge that’s given me confidence when people stop and compliment the art, it’s an appreciation of culture that I can pass onward. 

I feel cared for in each session, from Christine greeting me with a warm cup of chai, to holding a sacred energetic space that allowed me to open up, reset my intentions, and love on myself. 

If you'd never considered this type of self nurturing, I'd definitely try it to help you venture out. and offer yourself something a little different.

Henna's The Ultimate Beauty "Pick Me Up"- 8 Reasons Why You Need To Try It.

You definitely don’t need yet another beauty service on your calendar that you have to keep up with. I know this to be true because I also live it. Sometimes we are looking for something more simplified for a quick feel-good experience that doesn’t need an upkeep.

Many people are finding this exact feel in a private henna session.

Gone are the days where you need to be at a festival or at the beach just to get henna designs. Henna is a “go to” for so many reasons without any occasion necessary.

Here’s the top 8 reasons why henna is considered the new beauty “pick me up”.

1. Henna makes you feel confident and energized. If you’ve never had it before, you’ll feel the coolness of the paste on your skin and this physical feeling along with the beauty of it energizes you for the rest of the day. 

2. You’ll look gorgeous! That’s an obvious one but one to not be overlooked.

Henna supplements you as a natural accessory to your unique look and style. From photoshoots, to vacations, to special occasions, or a girl’s night in or out, henna radiates and adds to the natural you.

3. You don’t have to keep it up. Unlike our hair appointments or nails, henna is temporary and fades as your skin naturally exfoliates over 1-2 weeks. It’s not meant to last forever.

4. Variety! Yes, ma’am. You can always get something different. You can also choose where on the body that you’d like your design. Larger designs on the legs, back, arms and chest are becoming more common. Hand or feet designs are always there too. There’s different regional styles of henna too such as South Asian, Khaleeji, Moroccan, fusion, and more.

5. It won’t hurt your skin. Not only that but henna actually feels good when applied to the skin. It has a relaxing effect on the person wearing it. No needles, no burning, no poking- nothing. In addition to this, henna is safe on the skin because I personally make it with all plant-based organic ingredients.

6. It’s an experience. That’s right. An experience can never be lost, broken or stolen like the last thing that you bought on Amazon. No need to collect it, store it, or clean it. Who wouldn’t want that?

7. It’s novel, of course. You can’t get henna services on any corner of town. While there are highly experienced henna artists all over the world and in the US, there aren’t many of us in each city as compared to other types of artists. This makes you stand out from the crowd because it’s different in the best sense of the way.

8. If you love attention, not gonna lie, you’ll get plenty. I learned this the hard way when I started wearing henna. Henna brings people together and it brings people to you. Complete strangers will strike up a conversation with you about your henna and ask you questions about it. Henna is still quite novel outside of larger cities in the US so it’s a big conversation starter.  But if you’re a person that doesn’t like attention from strangers, don’t worry. We can always map out a design on an area of the body that can be covered up (back, legs, shoulders, etc).

There’s so many more reasons that I can come up with but out of respect for your time, these are the top favorites as polled from my past clients. I’d love to see you at one of my locations here in Austin, TX to create something that you’ll love. Locations are in NW Austin and in Central Austin for you’re convenience. Have you ever had henna before? If not, what’s holding you back? If you have questions? Email me: christine@mindbodyhenna.com. Let’s get you decorated beyond something you’ve gotten years ago at a festival.

You can book sessions here by time (15, 30 and 60 minutes or greater)

www.mindbodyhenna.com

XO,

Christine

Is It *Really* Ok For You To Wear Henna?

This is the #1 question that I get asked at events collectively by Black, White and Latina women in a lowered, unsure, whispered voice- “Is ok for me to wear henna?” I definitely understand your need to know. That’s why I want to help clear up what might be a misunderstanding for some.

 Let’s say you are also someone that loves the idea of henna, loves how it looks on the skin, wants to wear it but feels it may not be…...well…...appropriate or respectful to other cultures. Maybe you feel that since you weren’t raised in a henna wearing culture that it’s not ok or that it’s only for people from South Asia, Africa or the Middle East. Or maybe you feel that it’s disrespectful to wear henna because you don’t know much about it and think that you’re doing something wrong or possibly even being offensive. Yikes!

This blog post isn’t my personal opinion but instead a collective gathering of perspectives of women of color from various regions, religions and cultural backgrounds that grew up wearing henna and now have become modern henna artists of today.

What you really want to know is: Is wearing henna cultural appropriation? This is a question that doesn’t have one clear cut answer and it also depends on who you ask. Within the many global henna artist communities that range  from women of various cultures, religions and races, cultural appropriation and wearing henna are viewed as two very separate things.

Many henna artists from all over the world believe that henna is available and wearable to everyone regardless if they’re of a culture that wears henna for cultural or religious occasions. Henna is seen at its core as an art medium and it is welcomed to be used by or worn by anyone that enjoys art. Henna is also meant to be enjoyed by wearing it with or without any particular occasion in mind. However, as we already know, women within eastern cultures enjoy wearing henna particularly assigned to holidays, special occasions and observances during various times of the year.

It’s also typical for people that have grown up in western cultures that are learning about henna to come from a place of wanting to be respectful, understanding and knowledgeable about what henna is.  And why it’s seen by the global henna artist community to be more than ok to wear henna not just as part of cultural experience but also as a beauty treatment as somebody would get their nails, hair,  lashes, eyebrows or make-up done professionally.

A relatable association could be this: Over the years, I personally have known families that were Hindu, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, and Sikh. Even though these families don’t celebrate Christmas as part of their religion, many families still took part in certain aspects of fun Christmas-related rituals such as: gift giving, tree decorating and enjoying some traditional foods. These families were taking part in the fun aspects of a certain time of year. These fun Christmas-related experiences aren’t owned by anyone and therefore are free to be enjoyed by all. With that being said, gift-giving can happen for any reason or occasion. Turkey dinner is not only for particular gratitude holidays but can be enjoyed any day of the year by anyone that wants it.

This is how the global henna artist community sees the enjoyment of giving and receiving henna for those that are both tied to henna through culture and those that aren’t. Now that you know the answer to the questions that was posed at the beginning of this post, I hope that you’ll feel that you can also enjoy having your henna done without the uncertainty in the back of your mind.

Or if you’re ready for your first henna session, I’d love to meet you and give your first henna experience. You can book your session here: www.mindbodyhenna.com/book-now .

XO,

Mind Body Henna