How To Meditate In Fashion (And Reasons Behind It)
What to wear to a meditation retreat | Meditation outfit | Yoga outfit inspiration | How to dress to a meditation yoga class

Nowadays, meditations become a normal part of people's daily routine, and if you have a meditation in your practice, most likely you have asked yourself what is a proper outfit to wear during your spiritual journey. We all know what to wear to work, yoga class, party, or church, but in this article, we will research some outfit ideas to support your spiritual practice.

Fashion is a big part of modern life, it allows us to express ourselves and sends non-verbal communication about us to the entire world. Meditation, on the other hand, is all about internal focus. Just like in life, let's take a stab at finding the balance between the outer and inner world, between material and spiritual, between tangible and intangible.

There is no right or wrong apparel to choose for your mindfulness practice, generally speaking, you should wear whatever feels comfortable to you today, as you create your own experience. Choosing a meditation wardrobe should be anything but stressful, ideally, choose roomy items that don't restrict your movements, make you feel comfy, and are soft to touch. There are enough distractions during meditation practice, and uncomfortable clothes shouldn’t be one of them. The right choice of your garments allows you to tune in to the process, relax, focus on your inner peace, and concentrate on your physical and emotional well-being.

While having special clothing for meditation isn’t necessary, having items in your closet dedicated especially to your spiritual time can impact the quality of your practice and inspire you to meditate more often. Think about how a professional suit gives you confidence and sets the tone for your business meeting or how you can’t wait to go to a gym to rock your favorite workout outfit that motivates you to keep pushing yourself. Dressing up for “me-time" becomes even more important if you are meditating at home, as designated outfits inspire you to practice more regularly and set the mood.

1. Wear whites and soft neutral colors

If you have meditation experience, most likely you have seen people wearing white clothing during meditation classes. There are a lot of reasons lie behind it. “Colors create an uncontrollable action in your subconscious mind of inspiration, productivity, and expansion,” said Yogi Bhajan, who is most known for bringing Kundalini yoga to the United States in the 1970s.

In color psychology white represents purity and innocence (think about a traditional white wedding dress in many cultures). The color white is like a blank canvas that symbolizes a new beginning and a fresh start. It can also be interpreted as a color of cleanliness, freshness, and simplicity. It is believed that initially, a person comes into the world as a clean white sheet.

Energetically speaking, white is thought to be a very high vibrational color, relating to pure healing light, divine connection, and higher consciousness. The chances are that you came across guided meditations in your practice, where you asked to imagine white healing light flowing through the top of your head and filling every part of your body.

Chakra-wise, white is associated with the crown chakra or sahasrāra chakra in Sanskrit. It is known as “the bridge to the cosmos.” It is the most spiritual in nature of all seven chakras located above the crown of the head. It acts as the individual’s center of spirit, enlightenment, wisdom, universal consciousness, and connection to higher guidance. The crown chakra is our highest potential and is responsible for a healthy spiritual life.

Wearing whites extends your aura. Auras are thought of as the unseen field of energy surrounding a person's physical body and different colors are associated with different emotional states and states of mind. White is the rarest of all aura colors as it combines all colors and indicates clarity, goodness, integrity, and a high level of spirituality, generosity, and wisdom.

Wearing white is also a kind of meditation itself, as it takes a lot of mindfulness to take care of white clothes. As Yogi Bhajan once said: “The most difficult thing on this planet is to wear white from top to bottom; white, it is the greatest therapy”. If you ever wore a head-to-toe white outfit at least once in your life, you might remember the feeling of how you automatically slowed down and moved more consciously with less rush.

2. Choose natural fabrics

Lean towards natural, breathable, soft fabrics and organic, eco-friendly materials that will allow your skin to breathe and your blood circulate freely. Keep in mind the current season and your climate to select your outfit accordingly. Some people tend to get cold during meditations and breathwork, others get hot flushes. As you learn how your body reacts over time, you will know whether you should choose a cozy wool cardigan or a flowy viscose top to ensure your body temperature remains optimal and your energy flows with ease.

Go one step further and support small and local businesses, women-owned and run companies, handmade items, ethically responsible brands that focus on sustainability. There are a lot of brands that we love on marketplaces like Etsy. Below are some of our favorite shops for timeless bohemian pieces.

AYA Sacred Wear Etsy Shop
Cotton Flower Clothing Etsy Shop
Ezo Box Etsy Shop
Jai Jot Spirit Etsy Shop
Linen Fox Etsy Shop

3. Opt for cozy and comfortable designs

During meditation, you are present in the moment and you should feel snuggly and restful. Make sure your pants do not feel tight on your belly and your t-shirt or bra straps do not cut and irritate your skin so you can breathe in and out with your belly and chest comfortably. By the end of the day, we meditate to eliminate stress from our lives and you want your clothing to be stress-free and bring you joy. Go for effortless silhouettes, oversized shirts, cozy tracksuits, harem pants, rompers, or even your favorite pajamas.

4. Try wearing a dress

While we are all about empowering women, wearing a dress during meditation might be a good idea if you are working on healing and embracing your feminine energy. Historically, women wore long dresses and maxi skirts in many cultures (think saris or kimonos). It is believed that the cone-like design of a maxi skirt helps women to connect to the Earth, get grounded, and receive the powerful and abundant energy of Pacha mama.

This part becomes even more important if you are practicing movement meditation, ecstatic dance, and dance therapy. Flowy maxi dresses, skirts, kimonos, and robes become ideal for practices where you need to move freely, express yourself through your body, and let your feminine energy flow.

5. Experiment with head covering

This tradition also goes back in time. In some cultures, it’s believed that hair has a special energy. Remember Samson confessed that he would lose his strength if his head was shaved? (Judges 16:15-17).
In many religious and spiritual traditions, including Islam, Christianity, and Sikhism, head coverings are worn as an expression of faith.

Covering your head and hair during meditation is supposed to help you concentrate your energy, clarify your thoughts and bring your attention to your third eye chakra or Ajna (sixth chakra). The Ajna chakra is believed to be located in the center of the forehead between the eyebrows. Covering your head literally helps to "keep your head together” during your meditative practice.

To keep it fashionable, try out turbans, printed headscarves, bandanas, and boho hats.

5. Go barefoot

This isn’t exactly a clothing tip, but maybe worth a shot. Ever seen the foot reflexology maps in your local massage center? Foot reflexology is a centuries-old practice rooted in Chinese medicine that involves touching certain points in your foot that correspond with other points in your body for all sorts of benefits. So take off your socks to stimulate energetic centers on your feet and get the energy going. Especially if you are outside, especially if you are practicing walking or earthing meditation.

Don’t you love that grounding feeling after strolling barefoot along the beach or walking on grass?
Now there is scientific proof to it, this research suggests that the body’s direct contact with the Earth affects your overall state of health. Walking barefoot lowers your stress levels, improves muscle and joint pain, boosts positive moods, and promotes a healthy immune system.

6. Be mindful of others

If you are meditating in a group, going to meditation class, or mindfulness retreat, be mindful of how your clothing affects practitioners around you. It’s a good idea to skip bright colors and revealing outfits as it might distract other people’s practice.