The Vulva in Nature: How Our Bodies Exist Beyond Cultural Narratives

When you hear the term “Divine Feminine” for the first time, one thing you’re sure to

discover is that it simply exists everywhere; whether it’s looking into the sky and feeling

connected to the stars, grinding herbs and praying to altars, or delving deep into yoga

practice.

One sacred part of the Divine Feminine is the vulva. The vulva naturally occurs within

nature as though it were destined to be seen, acknowledged, and even revered — like a

spirit or deity. Whether we see it in flowers, stone, art, or stories, the vulva has always

been present and has been intrinsically linked to the spiritual world.

However, before you can see how the vulva exists in nature and the divine, we have to

look at how society has distorted our perception of it. Only then can we return to nature

and spirituality to reclaim it.

Embark with Yoni Mudra Art Gallery on a discovery of how women’s bodies exist

beyond current cultural narratives. In this blog, The Yoni Mudra Art Gallery (YMAG) will

reveal all.

The Present Day: How Women Currently Experience Their Vulvas

In the modern world, there is a lot of “mixed messaging” around how society perceives

women’s vulvas. If you remember what pop culture dubbed the “Upskirt Decade,” you’ll

recall the blatantly disgusting trend of paparazzi trying to get shots up celebrity women’s

skirts.

Emma Watson reported that the moment she turned eighteen, paparazzi were already

lying on the floor to get a photo up her skirt. The more unfortunate part is that the

“golden egg” of this trend was catching a female celebrity without underwear, and there

were moments where this exact phenomenon occurred.

Who was to blame? Women. At least according to tabloids at the time.

But with all of this hyper fixation on the female genitals, clearly, the vulva must be in

some way revered, right? Not quite. Rather, they were seen almost black and white: pornographic, or not.

In an article written by Natalie Gil in 2019 titled "We Asked 3,670 Women About Their

Vaginas – Here's What They Told Us," a keen view of how women viewed their own

bodies became clear. Women were experiencing anxiety and depression, even forming

the opinion that their vulvas were "abnormal."

One of the biggest culprits? Pornography.

Let's review a snapshot of some of the research's findings:

● 48% had concerns about the appearance of their vulva.

● 64% worried about size.

● 60% worried about shape.

● 30% worried about colour.

● Labiaplasty procedures increased internationally by 45% from 2014 to 2015.

● 36% percent were not happy with their vagina.

● 22% percent said they were unhappy.

● 16% were unsure how they felt.

● 32% said they had been made to feel their vulva or vagina was not “normal.”

● 72% of women who compared their genitals to others referenced porn as their point of comparison.

Now that we understand the problem, let’s reconnect for a moment. For the reader, take

a breath, ground your feet on the floor, and imagine something undeniably beautiful.

Something like a flower.

Vulvas as Flora: The Connection Between Flowers & Women’s Bodies

Courtney Barnes, MD, said in an article by MU Health Care that in her years of being a

gynecologist and the thousands of vulvas she's seen, she's never seen one that struck

her as "weird," a common concern for women.

Instead, she goes on to describe vulvas like flowers, noting that they possess a

uniqueness that makes them beautiful, as flowers too often lack perfect symmetry.

Flowers have long been used as a metaphor for all things beautiful, soft, and even

feminine. This symbolism is closely linked to the vulva, which resembles a myriad of

different flowers of various shapes and sizes.

Yet, in society, we hail flowers for their beauty, searching for them in nature and

presenting them as gifts for nearly every occasion, both happy and mournful.

Butterfly Pea Flower (Clitoria Ternatea)

Sometimes referred to as the vagina plant, and, as the Latin name boldly suggests, this

stunning flower earned its name for having what is recognized as a protruding clitoris-like petal. The outer petals resemble the labia, unhidden and unapologetic.

Rather than being seen as phallic, this beautiful blue flower can be used as food colouring, a herbal element in teas, and a natural dye for fabrics. In India, it's also recognized as a holy flower used in daily rituals. Also called Aparajita, meaning the "unconquerable" and "blue-throated one," the butterfly pea flower is connected to the Hindu deities such as Durga and Shiva.

Crimson Cattleya (Cattleya Labiata)

This lower lip is designed to imitate the body and appearance of a female wasp. This imitation isn't at all accidental, however; it's evolutionarily engineered to guarantee pollination. The visual openness and design of the flower are meant to bring in pollinators, combining the flower's unique aesthetic, occasionally even including chemical signals.

Some varieties of orchids will even go as far as to mimic the pheromones of the female

wasp, bringing in pollinators to pass along the flower's legacy from plant to plant.

The unique colour, open shape, and connectivity to spread the flower's pollen to ensure more seeds and subsequent flowers can thrive is an ode to fertility and even the feminine allure.

As well, the Cattleya orchid species itself is also known as the “Queen of the orchids.”

Geological Yoni Formations: The Vulva Depicted in the Earth

The vulva doesn’t only exist in flora; it also exists in the earth. It appears in the rock that

forms miraculous structures, shaped and cracked by the shifting planet and the

elements moving across it. But how does the vulva manifest itself in stone?

“Yoni Formations”

The vulva can also be seen in geological formations, often referred to as “Yoni formations.” The term has several symbolic, spiritual, and artistic meanings. Some of these incredible structures were once revered as sacred fertility sites, giving couples struggling with conception a place to visit in hopes of enhancing their chances of bearing children.

One historic piece of literature available on the subject comes from 1980s California.

The article was focused primarily on Indigenous American rock art *, including ceremonial

fertility sites found in locations across Southern California.

*Please note, this is an old article that incorrectly and inappropriately misidentifies

Indigenous peoples. This in no way reflects the feelings of the author or the Yoni

Mudra Art Gallery and associates. However, it does contain culturally significant

information and depictions.

According to the article, located in Southern California, there exist sacred sites found

near the Mexican border, just North of Lake Perris and the areas of Idyllwild. The Yoni

formations found in these locations were recorded to have been "enhanced by griding or

chiselling," and were reported to be traditionally visited by Indigenous populations struggling to conceive.

The belief, it appears, was that life itself emerges directly from the earth, particularly

from these visually feminine openings in the rock.

The Utroba Cave

A stunning geological marvel located in the Nenkovo, Rhodope Mountains, Bulgaria, the

Utroba Cave (also called the"womb cave") was a structure speculated to be worshiped to the point that people of the time carved or modified it to resemble female genitalia.

This Thracian sanctuary (additionally called "cave vulva") has been speculated to have been carved out of rock in XI-X century BC.

Within the cave, it's reported that an altar can be seen standing at about 1.30 meters tall, resembling the lips of female genitals. At the center is a small hole approximately 10 centimeters in depth and only 5 centimeters in width. It's presumed to have been a

Thracian temple during the XI-X century BC.

Apparently, there is an opening in the ceiling that allows sunbeams to pour onto the altar at precisely 12 in the afternoon, highlighting the monument's reverence.

The Divine Feminine: Defining Yoni in Spirituality

Regardless of your own personal spiritual beliefs, Yoni is a representation of feminine power — disconnected from the modern interpretation of what femininity is, should be, or should strive to be. It is raw, unbridled, and innately imbued with unrivaled omnipotence. It interlinks to spirituality in many ways, whether through deities or your own self-exploration, there is a community to help you connect.

Yoni Mudra Art Gallery: An Anchored Community Space Celebrating the Yonis of the World

YMAG isn't just an art-centered space and community center; we're a hub designed to

promote and protect the mental and physical well-being of others through yoga, dance,

meditation, spiritual healing, and more. Like nature, we always evolve by inviting regular

in-house/community-led art workshops and public lectures, making sure we can touch as many hearts as possible within our community.

We offer public lectures on conversations surrounding Yoni-centred topics, ranging from personal autonomy, sexual autonomy, and sexual, physical, and mental health. This is a safe space for self-expression and discovering empowerment without the threat of patriarchal influence.

Yoni Mudra Art Gallery welcomes all those looking to discover who they are individually or those who wish to learn about the experiences of others in a respectful and kind space.

See our website for everything YMAG has to offer.