Modelling Clay

Fashion designer Anita Dongre plays Dr Feelgood with her therapeutic wellness centre.

In a nondescript lane in Pali village, Mumbai, is nestled a cottage. The interiors of the cottage bear no semblance to its original architecture, but is fashionably stark, perhaps bordering on antiseptic.

It is after all an "institute for wellness and lifestyle enhancement". It is a well-packaged attempt to combine physical health and mental well being in an integrated format.

Anita Dongre's time is spent between her two competing passions "" fashion and alternative healing. "I am not sure at what point I became interested in an alternative lifestyle. I guess it started when I decided that the day I turned 40, I would take up yoga as an investment for the future," she laughs. "It was a natural movement to slow down my pace of life."

The bungalow was bought originally to convert into a fashion studio, but the space sat vacant for five years. "Everyone told me to rent it out. I might've made a lot more money out of that," she laughs.

Two months ago, Dongre opened the same space as a wellness centre, offering yoga, fitness routines, homeopathy, counselling and naturopathy services.

"This isn't a spa or a gym and we don't push you to lose weight. It's a stress-free management of your life." Clay conducts modules on image enhancement, stress management, and on quick fitness regimes, aimed at busy executives.

There's little reason why Clay shouldn't do well. Professionalising of alternative lifestyle services is big business and Dongre also plans to expand her centre's services.

"Clay," she says, "is fairly priced". Ashtanga yoga costs Rs 1,000 a month while a session with a naturopath costs Rs 250. Homeopathy, on the other hand comes at Rs 150.

"The homeopath", says Dongre, "has been my doctor for years and I have been personally consulting with the dietician for almost a year now." She even works with her fitness instructors before employing them.

"People have started asking me if I want to franchise out the concept, but it's too early. I used to be quite aggressive in my fashion retail business, but since the last two years I've had a sense of contentment."

A group of young, expectant mothers stream out of an ante-natal session. Concludes Dongre, "It may take two years to break even. But that's the price you pay for being ahead of your time".