Henna is my therapy

Whenever I feel drained or upset, doing Henna always cheers me up. A craft that steadies my anxious, shaky hands. Art that fills the air with a herbal, minty, refreshing aroma—when it feels my lungs I feel like I can breathe again. The satisfying motion of my fingers with the cone and how the paste applies smoothly and gratifyingly. This feeling of applying henna allows me to remember my sabr or patience and take a moment to be present when I feel like things are happening too fast in my head. 

It’s a rewarding side-hustle because I get to also learn about others and immerse myself in stories around me instead of hyper-fixating on my own. Oftentimes I will literally just say/think, “I need to do henna” or “I need a bazaar to happen so I can have a henna stall there,” the same way I often express my need for a good iced latte with a double shot of espresso and a little brown sugar and cinnamon every school-day morning. 

I love putting on gilmore girls, an audiobook, music or a podcast, to just do my henna with; it’s my therapy session and destress time. Another time, I went to the beach alone and did my own henna. In the sun, facing the ocean, feet in the sand, shells newly painted on my left hand. I love doing henna for others, making new friends, learning new stories and making money from it, but henna hits different when no one is rushing me or there’s no pressure to make it perfect for someone else. It’s self-care. My connection and passion for henna is definitely deeper because of this perspective where henna is a therapeutic skill where I find comfort, bliss and solace.