What Mendhi Means to Me

By Nael Ameen @nael.ameen 

From a very young age, the practice of mendhi has always felt natural. Decorating ones self with paste from crushed leaves almost feels holistic. 

Generationally, mendhi has been culturally ingrained - however I sometimes felt obliged to appreciate this art form from a distance. Elaborate mendhi is traditionally reserved for beautiful brides; and to this day there is an immense stigma of the use of henna on men. Although my sister is undeniably more skilled at doing mendhi (insert shameless plug to her instagram @mayamendhi); it means an awful lot that I grew up in a household that never shamed me for having as much interest in henna as my sister does. I was given the freedom to explore every aspect of my south asian culture, even if elder aunties and uncles would view this as ‘wrong’. Unbeknownst to me at the time, playing with henna as a young boy was the beginning of a practice which has now become an art form and meditative practice. 

Being a third-generation British- Bangladeshi, I now use henna as a way to connect to my history. Though I have only visited my homeland once, through my personalised therapeutic practice of henna - I feel cemented in my south asian identity. Gently guiding the mendhi tube across designs stemmed from ancient islamic patterns, a calmness brushes over me. It forces me to unplug from outside agitations and concentrate on stillness. 

On a personal level, at the age of 19 I am appreciating the importance of connectivity - and mendhi has aided this. I recently went traveling in Costa Rica with my best friend, and in the hostel, amongst a backdrop of insular conversations, I was doing henna on myself. Like magic - the other travellers noticed and immediately a genuine conversation was struck about the practice of mendhi. It allowed for others to see me from my lens and my culture. More importantly, the intimate act of doing henna on a person you just met 20 minutes ago allows a barrier to be broken, and that closeness manifests emotionally not just physically. 

In our current world of extreme pace and endless tech jargon, it is vital to find an outlet for mindfulness - and I’m happy to say that mendhi is mine.