This Is What Happens When A Woman Meditates

36’’ X 60’’

Acrylic on Canvas

Simply being aware of our bodies can bring about such tremendous change. To create a piece about this, I asked my friend Henny Stern to pose for me. 

Henny is a trauma-informed psychotherapist, somatic practitioner, and embodied dancer, and helps people heal trauma through their bodies.

When Henny arrived, she shared her process of meditation: She begins sitting, noticing the position her body is sitting in naturally. She doesn’t try to shift her position to “a better position,” but honors the downward, closed position she finds her body in initially. 

Moving deeper into this experience, she notices how her body shifts. Her body opens, she stretches her legs and arms, and slowly moves into a standing position. She then begins to dance. 

While this is Henny’s process, she wanted to impart to the viewer that “each of our bodies communicates and guides us to our own authentic truth. It’s about learning to listen to these messages and then having the courage to honor and respect them.”

You can follow Henny on Instagram @holisticpsychotherapist and learn more about the power of healing trauma through the body