Bindi Shah
This year’s artwork created by the participants of the meditation classes for childless not by choice, is a lotus flower with roots.
Nature is always a big theme within our classes, and this year I chose a Lotus as the focus. Lotuses arise from a dark place into their beautiful form. They grow in the mud and swampy areas; and out of the mud, comes beauty. I thought about how lotuses can relate to our story of childlessness. The strength of the lotus relates to the strength of all of us. We’ve come out of the mud, or are starting to, or are continuing to; we are finding the top of the water and moving into the light. We are blooming.
Lotus flowers also have roots which are hidden under the murky depths of the water. There are aspects of our childlessness which are also hidden from the world. They are deep within us, and only come out – if they do at all – in very safe spaces.
I gave the participants two prompts to use for the artwork:
Prompt 1: The muddy, gritty part of the lotus will be your experiences around childlessness. What are the parts of your story which you haven’t yet told anyone about, or the parts which are the most hidden.
Our stories are so layered, with different aspects. I know with my own story, there are parts of my childlessness which are more private to me, and parts which I am more comfortable about voicing out. I wanted the participants to also feel there was a place where they could voice out the experiences which are more uncomfortable for them. There is so much healing when these hidden aspects are shared in an understanding and compassionate space.
Prompt 2: The petals and beauty of the lotus are the movement forward – how do you see yourself and others in the classes.
I wondered what they were releasing about the pain of their childless journey. How they saw themselves now, maybe a few years on from the initial realisation of childlessness. How they saw each other in the classes, as they have been forming connections. Perhaps how being childless have transformed their life; maybe brought other things in, which they couldn’t have imagined at the start of this journey.
I received everyone’s sentences, and wove them into a piece - along with my own sentences, and the energy of the whole class. I hope you enjoy the artwork.
Being able to create this group piece is always so special. It means that those who are not yet ready to share on their own, have their words and feelings heard too, in this World Childless Week for our stories. Their words, as a lotus, mean so much, and in sharing, there is release.
Please watch the video too, it shows the artwork in more detail with some of the sentences read.
Bindi Shah
Bindi Shah guides meditation classes specifically for childless not by choice. Meditation is an amazing tool to calm the mind and ease anxiety, something very much needed for our community.
However in wider classes there can often be pro-natal language; with these specific childless not by choice classes Bindi provides a safe, nurturing place of understanding. The classes are over zoom with a different meditation theme each week. With her background in life coaching, she also provides mentorship for childless women, and runs the popular Write to Heal workshops.