AIR BETWEEN MY LEGS

by | Jan 30, 2025 | Uncategorized | 0 comments

AIR BETWEEN MY LEGS

From my sister in law insisting that my 9 months old girl wears it all the time to the multi million-dollar fashion industry, it is high time I talk about this few inches of clothing known as the underpants/panties/bikini briefs/lingerie/undies/chaddi in hindi.

As recorded in the western history, the panty was originated to protect expensive outer garments from the unwashed dirt of the body since bathing was a luxury for most of the people in Europe. There are few instances of panties being used as a protective garment against sexual assault in early Rome but the usage was limited to royal families. The panties were designed of metal with lock and key options to ensure fidelity while the men were away on wars and would carry the keys with them.

The earliest designs of these underpants were quite similar to modern day pajamas with open or sewn crotches. Progressively they became shorter, tighter, skimpier until they were left to threads of the “THONGS”. The designs changed with the shortening of the outer wear , from long gowns to skirts , short skirts, shorts , LBDs. etc.

Ironically , in Europe when the first panties were made ,as a result of their direct contact with the female genitals, underpants were considered the most risqué of garments, so much so that it was considered almost more immodest to wear them than not, as they not only concealed but also drew attention to the vagina. Thus, until the mid-nineteenth century, they were primarily worn by prostitutes and by little girls.(From History of Panties by Courtney Cox)

There are absolutely no references in Indian history or Ayurveda texts mentioning the necessity of wearing such a garment by women. “Langot” loincloth for men has found references in ancient texts, to be worn when performing manual labour, performing asanas , engaging in sports like wrestling, mallakhamb. Panties might have arrived in India with either one Portuguese/Dutch/British or all.

Let me first explain, why am I talking about panties when my primary topic of interest is Ayurveda. Ayurveda connects origins of ailments to our mind and thoughts. The connection between emotions, feminine energy, shame, body consciousness, sexual and reproductive health is very subtle and sublime.

With respect to women and gynaecological disorders like PCOD/PCOS/fibroids/painful irregular periods, this couldn’t have been truer. Most of the women who undergo these complications are also victims of unresolved body issues, sexual inhibitions, low self-esteem, emotional abuse, gender shame, sexual abuse and so on. An underpant has a deep connection with a woman’s vaginal and emotional health. Both these factors constitute the major pillars of a female’s reproductive health.

In India 70–75% women suffer from vaginal yeast infections and 50% of them face it recurrently. Let me explain you how and why this happens and the role of an underwear in this.

· Vaginal discharge gets trapped in the fabric of the briefs, touching the labia minora/majora and the clitoris continuously. This trapped moisture causes itching and finally leads to infections.

· In addition to the vaginal discharges, the women living in warmer climates also have to deal with sweat increasing the chances of itching and infection.

· Once an incidence of yeast infection happens, it recurs continuously with a lot of women (me included) because of not being able to “air” the area properly.

· Use of tight panties, synthetic fibres like nylon, polyester etc aggravates the conditions leading to yeast infections.

· Continuous douching with water, use of soaps and other vaginal wash products makes the area more prone to yeast development.

After recurring vaginal yeast infections, which led me to read as many, remedies as possible ,suffering for years, 2017 was a year of cataclysmic event in my life. I decided to follow the most common suggestion, “ to keep the area aired”. I concluded that the best way to implement the suggestion was either to wear a skirt all the time with boxer shorts or not to wear undies at all. Since I could not restrict my wardrobe to only skirts with boxer shorts inside I gave up my humble undies and rest as they say is history. I have undertaken intercontinental travels, Mumbai local trains, intercity buses, treks on the hills without undies .

For all those suffering out there, take a small step at a time.

· Transition from bikini brief designs to open boxer styles or bloomers if your outer clothes allow it

· Change from synthetic fabrics to strictly cotton only

· Sleep at night without wearing any undies

· If at home, try to keep yourself aired for at least a couple of hours after taking a bath

· Do not douch yourself after every visit to the bathroom, instead use a tissue paper to wipe the moisture away

· Do not use soaps, vaginal washes etc for pubic area, just water is enough during a bath

· Regular application of a drop of coconut oil in the vaginal area before a bath also protects and prevents any yeast infection

· Consumption of buttermilk during an yeast infection reduces itching and promotes optimum Ph level

· Application of yoghurt on the vaginal area provides instant relief , washing with plain buttermilk is also effective

· Fresh aloevera gel from the plant can be applied for immediate relief, avoid scented readymade gels

· When applying all the above remedies restrain from wearing any underpants for sometime.

Not wearing a panty might seem to be a more painful decision than the recurring yeast infection , but to each her own.

As far as hesitation /shame of not wearing one is concerned , its in our mind, theres hardly any dress that will show whether its there inside or not.

You didn’t know I don’t wear one, until I told you, isn’t it.