henna

My love affair with henna began in August of 1998 at a motorcycle rally in Sturgis, South Dakota. I remember going home and finding some of my own at the local hippy shop and playing around with designs. The next year I was excited to go back and get more henna adornment. When I started telling the woman running the booth that I had been practicing with henna she asked me if I would be interested in working for her and here’s where I feel like it all began.

 

Henna, or menhdi, is an ancient art dating back thousands of years. It has origins in Africa, the middle east, and India. Primarily women used it to ceremoniously adorn their bodies during significant milestones in their lives such as marriage. In India women would spend hours preparing the bride-to-be for marriage by adorning her hands, arms and feet with intricate designs. During this time they would reveal and pass along information on womanhood – including the expectations of a wife, becoming and being a mother, how to keep house, etc. It was thought that the darker the stain turned out, the better the marriage. I’ve even read that for as long as the stain remained, a woman would be catered to but as soon as the stain was gone, she was expected to step fully into her role. The honeymoon was officially over.

 

Henna is magical. I’m self-taught but what I have read in books I resonate with so deeply. I have a book of henna designs, some that I have created myself and others that were given to my by other artists. A person can come to me and show me an exact design and I will replicate that, but some of the most amazing pieces that I have had the honor to design are the one where I am given free reign. I’ve found that no two designs are ever the same. Like snowflakes.

This leads me into the next wonderment: henna as a healing modality. Henna is made from the dried, crushed leaves of the henna plant. It lives in hot climates and when applied to the skin has a cooling effect. It is an anti-inflammatory. And then there’s visual elements of the designs. People will generally chose a design that is visually appealing and so whenever they gaze upon their stain, it will produce a feel-good effect. One time a woman contacted me who had recently been diagnosed with leukemia. She wanted me to come to her hospital room to draw healing designs on her body. She believed in the healing force behind the designs.

During the fall and winter months my henna business slows down a bit, like I said before, henna is a plant that likes warm – hot climates. The stains turn out brighter and deeper when the skin is warm. In the slow months I shift my focus more to yoga and making jewelry. However, some fun ways of incorporating henna into my art includes applying it to canvas, candles and my newest discovery: wood burning!

I’m available for private and public events. I have done parties for 5 year old and 13 year olds. I have been hired for a corporate event with US Bank. I’ve done the hands of a bride-to-be and other times I’ll be applying henna to the guests of a wedding. I also love being invited to apply henna to pregnant women’s bellies. What an amazing canvas!Please contact me at hennalovetahoe@gmail.com with any booking questions. I will be adding more to this page in the near future. Coming up starting June 11th, you will  be able to find me vending at Truckee Thursdays!

xo Meghan