The Healing Properties of Our Botanical Dyes

Every Healing Textiles product is made using Ayurvastra, the traditional Indian art of dyeing cloth with medicinal plants. Each colour comes from a plant with its own healing properties in Ayurveda. This guide lists them, dye by dye.

All our dye baths also contain kashayam, a mix of 22 different Ayurvedic medicinal herbs, so every colour carries both the plant dye and the herbal infusion. After dyeing, the threads are washed three times in fresh water and soapnut.

Turmeric (Haridra / Haldi) – Golden Yellow

Curcuma longa

• Used in Ayurveda for its antibacterial, antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties.
• Used as a home remedy in India since Vedic times for cuts, burns, colds and flu, and as a rejuvenating tonic.
• Traditionally used to support young children and anyone building their immunity.
• Linked to the Manipura (solar plexus) chakra, supporting wellbeing and a sense of personal power.
• In Vedic astrology (Jyotish), yellow is connected to Jupiter: wisdom, abundance and blessings.

Annatto (Sinduri) – Warm Orange

Bixa orellana

• High in antioxidants, which makes it especially good for the skin.
• Traditionally used to reduce inflammation, slow the signs of ageing and support glowing skin.
• Antimicrobial. Indigenous communities have long used it to protect skin from the sun and repel insects.
• Linked to the Svadhisthana (sacral) chakra, supporting joy, pleasure and wellbeing.
• In Jyotish, orange is connected to Mars, supporting courage, willpower and drive.

Indigo (Maharasa) – Soft to Deep Blue

Indigofera tinctoria

• Prized in India for its medicinal properties, with a history going back to the Indus Valley Civilisation.
• In Indian villages, indigo-treated cloth is given to new mothers to swaddle their babies and support a newborn's immunity.
• Indigo-dyed cloth is traditionally placed under someone with a fever or inflammation, so its properties can be absorbed through the skin.
• Linked to the Ajna (third eye) and Vishuddha (throat) chakras.
• Our indigo is dyed without any mordants.

Indigo with Turmeric – Green

Indigofera tinctoria & Curcuma longa

• Carries the healing properties of both plants: anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antiviral.
• Linked to the Anahata (heart) chakra. Green is traditionally believed to help clear blocked grief and open you to trust and love.
• In Jyotish, green is connected to Mercury, supporting communication, a sharp mind and a balanced nervous system.
• Well suited to meditation, immune support and heart-opening practice.

Myrobalan (Haritaki) – Buttery Yellow, Soft Green to Warm Grey

Terminalia chebula

• Known in Ayurveda as the King of Herbs.
• Tridoshic: it can balance all three doshas, Vata, Pitta and Kapha.
• One of the three ingredients in Triphala, the Ayurvedic formula used for digestion, gut health, healthy weight and immunity.
• Believed to increase prana, the life force present in every cell.
• Its effect is put down to its prabhav, a special energetic quality that can't be explained by logic.
• Myrobalan-dyed textiles are said to support creativity, awareness and balance.

Indian Madder (Manjistha) – Rusty Red to Terracotta Pink

Rubia cordifolia

• One of Ayurveda's strongest detoxifying herbs, clearing ama (toxins), which Ayurveda sees as the root of illness.
• Supports the lymphatic system and helps purify the blood.
• Balances excess Pitta and Kapha.
• Cooling and soothing for the skin. Traditionally used for inflammation, rashes and heat, and even for anger.
• Especially comfortable for adults and children with sensitive skin, and good in hot summer months.
• Helps counter Kapha symptoms such as sluggishness, lethargy, brain fog and poor digestion.
• Our madder is dyed without mordants.

Sappanwood (Raktaka) – Rose Pink to Violet

Caesalpinia sappan

• Strongly antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti-allergic.
• Cooling, and helps to balance Pitta.
• Supports healthy skin and eases skin problems caused by excess heat.
• Helps protect the skin from the ageing effects of UV rays.
• Said to promote mental and spiritual balance.
• Linked to the Muladhara (root) chakra in its darker shade and the Sahasrara (crown) chakra in its lighter shade.

Dark Siyahi (Deep Violet) is sappanwood deepened with siyahi, a traditional blackening process. It carries the same properties as sappanwood.

Indian Gum Arabic (Babool) – Warm Tan to Grey

Acacia nilotica

• Valued in Ayurveda for its strong Kapha-balancing action.
• Antiseptic and antibacterial. Like neem, it is traditionally used to make chewing sticks for cleaning teeth.
• Astringent and anti-parasitic, and supports good digestion.
• The tree also helps local ecology by enriching the soil, shielding land from wind and fire, and sheltering wildlife.

Caring for Plant-Dyed Textiles

• Wash gently with a mild natural cleanser such as soapnut.
• Dry in the shade, away from direct sunlight, to prevent uneven fading.
• Turmeric may react with sweat, but any marks wash out. Turmeric is also very susceptible to the sun. Please do not use your Turmeric rug outside in sunshine.

Click on any dye name above to see the yoga mat made in that colour.

Discover our healing yoga mats →

Want to know more about how each colour is made? Read How are our Ayurvastra yoga mats coloured so beautifully.