Health & Wellness

Ayurvastra - Chic clothing that heals!

It is not just what you eat or what you do that keeps you healthy but also what you wear matters a lot. A new fad that’s fast catching up in the city is Ayurveda treated fabrics called Ayurvastra.

Ayurvastra - Clothes infused with medicinal herbs. Photograph: Google

Clothes infused with medicinal herbs are becoming more and more popular as the city’s stressed urban workers seek cures for conditions such as insomnia and hypertension. A new fad that’s fast catching up in the city is using Ayurveda treated fabrics for day to day living. A lot of Ayurvedic clinics in Bangalore are now asking their patients to start using Ayurvastra for a healthy living.

Ayurvastra is a branch of Ayurveda, the ancient 5,000 year old Indian system of Vedic healthcare. Loosely translated, “ayur” is Sanskrit for health, and “vastra” is clothing. Ayurvastra clothing is made from organic cotton fabric that has been permeated with special herbs and oils that promote health and cure special diseases depending upon the blends of embedded herbs and oils.

Ayurvastra cloth is used by Ayurveda health clinics in the treatment of a broad range of diseases such as diabetes, skin infections, eczema, psoriasis, hypertension and high blood pressure, asthma, arthritis, rheumatism, and even some forms of cancer. “Ayurvastra clothing helps restore balance within the body’s systems and strengthen the immune system. Ayurvastra cloth is completely free of synthetic chemicals and toxic irritants and is totally organic, sustainable and biodegradable,” Says Abhishek, R, a city-based architect, who propagates Ayurvedic Living.

Talking about the manifold benefits of Ayurvastra he says “Every step in the preparation of Ayurvastra clothing is carefully and precisely controlled. Organic fabrics are given Ayurveda treatment by combining various medicinal herbs. Natural cotton and coloring is used so that they are free of toxic irritants. After dyeing, cloths are dried in herbal gardens, so the whole process is natural and devoid of any chemicals. Ayurvastra is very common in Kerala but a lot of Ayurvedic clinics in Bangalore are now prescribing patients to start using Ayurvastra as it does a whole lot of good to the system,”

For diabetes, mimosa pudica (touch-me-not), cumin seeds, and shoe flower (hibiscus) are combined in the herbal dye. The main herbs used in the herbal dye for arthritis are curry leaves and apocynceae. For skin diseases, the herbs used are turmeric, neem and sandalwood. Dyes for Ayurvastra cloth typically contain between 40 and 60 specifically blended and carefully prepared medicinal herbs, plants, flowers, roots and barks. The temperatures of the dyes, the duration and number of the dye soaks, the blend of herbs, and even the equipment used are carefully controlled. Abhishek says “The medicinal property lasts as long as the colour and the fabrics are extremely soft and light on the skin. Ayurvastra has a whole range of medicinally treated yoga mats, shawls, sarees and bed linens,”

Clinical trials initiated by the health ministry at the Government Ayurveda College in Thiruvananthapuram suggested that ayurveda fabric indeed work. In one of the studies, patients suffering from rheumatis, hypertension, diabetes, psoriasis and other skin ailments were constantly exposed to ayurvedic herbs for 30 days through ayurveda clothing, bed linens and mattresses. Walls, floors and ceilings in the subjects’ room were further lined with ayurvastra coir mats. The experiment found that the garments helped in cases of skin diseases, arthritis and blood pressure. Vedics say by coming in contact with ayurvastra, the body eliminates toxins and its metabolism is enhanced.

However the most effective time to wear Ayurvastra clothing is when the body is most at rest such as during sleep or meditating because this is when the body is naturally healing and re-establishing its balance. Because of the growing interest in Ayurvastra, companies such as Ayurvastraonline are starting to offer products over the Internet. 

Tags: ayurvastra, ayurvastra clothing, ayurveda treated fabrics, ayurvastra in bangalore, medicinally trea