What thought or emotion evoked the need for you to venture into wellness?
My journey towards spirituality began with my own need for healing—that’s probably how this journey begins for most people. I had a series of accidents during college, falling off my motor bike and seriously hitting my head. Even though I recovered, these accidents left a series of imprints on my body that slowly over time began to impact the quality of my life.
During these years, there was no naturopathic doctor whom I didn’t meet or consult. The conventional solutions recommended didn’t work. Ten days later, I went to Bali, where my taxi driver recommended I see a practitioner master at a nearby temple who offered this very specific kind of acupressure I’d never heard of before. I went and had one session. After that session, I felt as though my whole body just opened up. I went back to India and I was pain free for seven months. I thought, I have to learn more. I returned to Bali and studied with this healer with a translator. I came back to India and began practicing his methods on myself, and it continued to make me feel better, making me want to go further into other lesser-known modalities.
For years, I have been imaging a very curated collection of products grounded in practice and purpose. Some ancient and some very modern to address how we live our lives today and how our cultural histories can support that. I knew this needed to be the backbone of a new wellness lifestyle brand that established a real foundation in our lives, not just superficially—both in how it worked and the rituals attached to how we use them.
What does words like wellness and mindfulness mean to you? How do you practice it in your daily life?
Words like wellness and mindfulness have taken on a very serious meaning in our country or in general that’s how they are perceived. I think mindfulness is the lighest, easiest and the most playful word possible. To be mindful, actually means to be very observant. How one can really observe is when you and your environment is very silent. Environment can’t be controlled all the time but the inner silence or the sense of deep peace inside you is actually the place where mindfulness starts from. There comes a point where let’s say from being a very reactive person, you move to a space where you realise that not everything deserves your attention or reaction.
Walk us through the creative process of making the products? What thought went into it?
The creative process is always the most fun part. As a kid, I learnt how to make tea from my mother. She taught me how to make the right tea and I understood the difference between a good and bad tea preparation. So, this little ritual that I had with my mother was the first starting point. I understood the sense of smell and taste, and how important it is for a fine human being to understand those finer senses. You slowly start understanding the value of what you have and what you don’t have.
The creative process here at work is very similar to what you may like to create or experiment in your personal life. From personal emotions to interactions with the world around us, each moment can spark a new idea or contribute to the evolution of an existing one.
Can you talk about the importance of mindfulness in today’s times?
The importance of mindfulness in today’s times is growing more and more. We live in a world with a lot of noise around us. The physical or digital noise, the traffic around us and even noises of our own homes. And not only noise, other elements like pollution, stressful factors in our work and the relationships that start coming into one’s aura and energy fields.
Even a simple act like taking a shower can be meditative. Why does one feel light after a shower? It’s as good as meditating. You feel like all that dirt in your mind and body has been washed away. Running water has great properties apparently to cleanse your body. I usually practice some of these simple activities myself. It does not necessarily mean that I have to sit cross legged and meditate. I love that also! But honestly that’s a very small part of my daily routine. Being calm and quiet, observing and absorbing everything around you is actually the first step towards mindfulness.
What was the vision and inspiration behind the design aesthetic of the brand?
The brand’s vision is to actually help people. It is to create a world of Atomicc Code, whether a store or an online space where any person can reach out and feel that they can align with what they wish for or what they need. The vision is also to eventually help people move forward emotionally, physically or mentally in their spaces in their lives. The Atomicc Code promise and vision is anchored in connection across three core pillars:
- The balance between spirit and science—Atomicc Code products are crafted from the finest ingredients for daily nourishment and well-being and based on Ayurveda, one of the oldest and well-documented ancient medical systems. The Vedas—ancient Hindu scriptures written in 4,500 BC—reveal the wide use of Aromatherapy under Ayurveda.
- A link between the past and the future— A lifelong seeker of Ayurvedic beliefs and Indian spiritualism, with a background in chemical engineering and lighting design, founder Gautam Seth believes a daily practice can carry ancient practices and knowledge to a whole new generation of new students. Through the daily rituals Atomicc Code’s launch collection inspires, this link is ever present—and also personal.
- Everyday quality and care IS luxury—Because our rituals and practices become the backbone of everything we do and CAN do. Atomicc Code identifies those key quality products to support us not only where we are but where we’re headed, helping us to “unravel the mysteries of unseen dimensions, going deeper into our everyday purpose.”
What are the products lined up ahead?
I feel yoga in India has a beautiful and strong dimension to human body. I myself started yoga very late in my life and realised the importance of it. Once you start with the right frequency, you start aligning with it and realise what you were without it and what you are with it. Hence, next line of products will focus on yoga, which will include yoga mats, bricks, meditation cushion, mat cleanser, and such things. Post the yoga line, we will be coming out with other products. The goal is to create a complete design based spiritual, wellness and lifestyle brand.
Words Hansika Lohani
Date 04.05.2024