The Language of the Body
This illustration is from The Power of the Yin Oracle Deck, which I designed and illustrated last year for author and publisher Daven Lee. I’ve featured several illustrations from the deck in this newsletter before. This one is for the card titled “The Language of the Body.”
Among the 58 cards in the deck, this is one of the foundational ones, for Daven’s philosophy centers around the vessel of our soul: the body. As its title implies, The Power of the Yin empowers the feminine side of the human psyche, which is generative, compassionate, nurturing, receptive – and grounded in our earthly, physical bodies. Though the deck points to spiritual transcendence, it begins in the body. Daven writes:
“The body is the gateway to the Power of the Yin. It is our vehicle, vessel, instrument and channel for experiencing the subtle signals and knowing of the intuitive realm of the yin. Our body’s logic is non-linear; it receives directly from Source and is itself a source. It is a field of play and pleasure and a site of illness and discomfort. It is endlessly creative in strategizing how to get our attention. And when we listen, we are asked to be with the totality of our being, not just a simple solution for a symptom. Learning the language of the body is a lifelong study!”
The text on the back of the card is more suggestive, a whisper of words that gives the user a gentle nudge, leaving space for interpretation:
Listen as she speaks to you.
You many not know at first
what she is trying to say.
Listen anyway.
She may not be articulate,
but she is fluent.
Her language is not linear,
but it is precise.
She has her own signals,
dialect, tone and grammar.
This is your original language!
Listen, trust, and heed.
These words may sound like they’re stating the obvious, but as a craniosacral therapist and teacher of Qi Gong, Daven knows otherwise. Many people cannot hear, or feel, what their bodies are telling them, as if it were speaking a foreign language. The card invites the reader to listen to the deeper wellsprings within.
What strikes me again and again about Daven’s approach is that while she is intimately tuned into the realm of the body, her perspective is one of completion within the self. Only two cards in the entire deck show a couple. She writes of pleasure, connection, and fulfillment, but does not focus on the “other.” Rather, she emphasizes the wholeness that emerges from inner attentiveness, and the potential that one brings to partnership with the self, with or without a lover or spouse. The solitary user of the deck will find much satisfaction here.
This turning within suggests a spiral, which can be interpreted as bidirectional: coiling inward toward the center of oneself, or uncoiling outward. Perhaps one follows the other. The woman here is relaxed, but not sleeping. Her self-touch is intimate, but not erotic. In keeping with Daven’s words, I tried to create a suggestive image that leaves space for interpretation. In your mind’s eye, what happens in the moment that follows this image? Is the woman dreaming? Is she part of a dream?
Only you can complete the story.
Working with Daven for the eighteen months it took to birth this deck was immensely rewarding for both of us. The Power of the Yin is already in its second edition. You can learn more and order here.
Most of the original illustrations from the deck are for sale. They are 9”x12” acrylic paintings on canvas. The Language of the Body just sold, together with two others. Please inquire for more information if you’re interested in other images in the deck.
A good week to all!
D. Yael Bernhard
https://dyaelbernhard.com
Have you seen my other Substack, The Art of Health? In addition to being a visual artist, I’m also a certified integrative health & nutrition coach with a lifelong passion for natural food cooking and herbal medicine. Now in its second year, this illustrated newsletter explores cutting-edge concepts of nutrition. I strive to make relevant information clear and accessible, and to anchor essential health concepts in unique images. Check it out, and if you like it, please subscribe and help spread the word. Your support keeps my work going!