For every soul that belongs to the champagne set, there is more to hear than the tinkling of flutes. Between the dogged paparazzi, flitting friends and a fast-paced life, a quiet retreat becomes necessary to mend the spirit.

The emotional tonic lies in discovering self-help. It takes more than chatting about chakras and prattling about Pilates to lead a better life. It takes self-assessment, concealed from prying eyes. Fashion designer Anita Dongre understood the need for emotional release in many of her friends and acquaintances and started Clay, the Institute for Wellness and Lifestyle Enhancement, in Pali Village, Bandra, Mumbai. “It inevitably happens,” she says, “that I become people’s confidante. I feel glad to be able to just listen but the truth is that no one can keep holding your hand all the time. You need to wipe the tears and sort things out yourself. That’s how Clay happened.”

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