Menstruation

MENSTRUATION
by Lisa Powers, Lee Ringma, Parvati Rosen-Bizberg, Manu Szczypior, Karin Heschl

Women have been asked not to perform Agnihotra during their menstrual period, and some observe several other related disciplines. Many people have questioned these practices.
Today's living conditions make it easy for women to deal with the physical aspect of menstruation. But is there something more to menstruation that still needs to be addressed?
Virtually every ancient culture had some customs regarding menstruation. In these traditions the woman observed some degree of seclusion during her period. She was temporarily excused from her routine responsibilities and was expected to rest. In many parts of the world, particularly in less industrialized countries, these practices continue to some extent today. Were these customs rooted in primitive superstition and ignorance? Did they arise from mere lack of sanitation? Or do they stem from timeless wisdom that still applies today?
Menstruation and Subtle Energy
According to ancient knowledge, when a solid part of the body leaves the body (as in elimination) the "circuitry" of the subtle body is broken. Water, i.e. taking full shower, restores it. (All religions have stressed observance of cleanliness. The effect of water on the subtle body may be one of the spiritual reasons for this. It is interesting to note that some forms of baptism and some practices from Orthodox Judaism call for total immersion in water.) During menstruation, part of the body is continuously leaving the body. Therefore, the woman's subtle energy is in an altered state at that time. If someone touches a woman in period, or touches cotton cloth, food, or liquids that she has prepared, that person's "circuitry" is also broken.

The book of Leviticus of the Bible appears to bear some vestige of this idea. Both men and women are referred to as unfit to participate in rituals due to bodily discharges.
In relation to the menstruation discharge: “When a woman has her monthly period, she remains (unfit to partake in ritual) for seven days.” (Leviticus 15:19)
This seems to imply something other than physical cleanliness. These quotations were taken from The Good News Bible: The Bible in Today's English Version, published by The American Bible Society in 1976. This particular translation was written with great emphasis on accuracy.
A woman from Holland told Shree Vasant that in Dutch food packing factories women are not allowed to work during their periods, as they have noticed the effects on the food. Shree Vasant replied:
"If a woman in menstruation goes near healing fires, there is an effect on the process of healing the atmosphere and this should be avoided. This is the science of subtle energies…..
Science has started probing the functioning and manipulation of these subtle energies only recently. They have just made a beginning and they have a long way to go. When they probe deeper they will have to come to a better understanding of the functioning of mind energy which is immediately affected by changes in the functioning of Prana (vital energy) which pulsates through us and connects us with the cosmos. The functioning of Prana is directly connected with the purity of the atmosphere. This is probably the reason why in all religious traditions in the world, women in menstruation are asked to observe a separation until their period is over……….. Agnihotra is a science. Science is governed by laws and not by anyone's changing opinions."
We are all an integral part of the vibrational network that interacts all around us. When a menstruating woman touches another woman not menstruating or a man, part of her energy pattern, vibrational frequency, is passed on to the person touched via a natural phenomenon that you can see with two tuning forks; strike one and bring it close to the other and the other will begin to vibrate. This also explains why women living in institutions all tend to get their periods at the same time.
Shree Vasant has elaborated that when a woman is menstruating, there is a downward moving spiral of energy around her. This is in direct contrast with the upward moving spiral created at the time of Agnihotra. These two opposite moving spirals both constitute a cleansing action, but in different ways, and they cancel each other out to some extent. For this reason a woman while in her bleeding cycle is advised neither to perform nor be in the near vicinity of an Agnihotra Fire. She can still benefit from Agnihotra and its healing, meditative energy, but she needs to be at least a room away.
A Native American Shaman woman shared the ancient law about menstruation. As part of the discharge is dying eggs, there is a vibration of death associated with the energetics of the period. This death vibration disturbs life energy, so that is why women go into seclusion at this time so as not to disturb the living cycles and activities of everyday life e.g. food production, meal preparation, etc.
Menstruation and Ayurveda
Ayurveda confirms the need for rest and meditation at the time of one’s cycle. When a woman has her monthly period, what is Nature trying to say?
Physically, many women are not at their best during their periods, and it has been estimated that forty percent of all women suffer from PMS (Pre-Menstrual Syndrome).

Ayurveda states that women are throwing off toxins every month through menstruation. By the way, Ayurveda also states that this is why women live longer than men?they receive by Nature a monthly detox! This of course is why women may not feel 100% at this time of elimination and so according to Ayurveda the woman's monthly period should be her time of rest and meditation. One Ayurvedic doctor in New Mexico stated that if women rest from daily activities at this time, they report fewer menstrual ailments.
Also, in the context of the body throwing off toxins, it makes sense to avoid cooking, giving people massages, etc.
If Nature intended for women to use this time for rest and introspection, perhaps menstrual disorders are due in part to the modern woman's unnatural response to this phenomenon.
Giving the mother a regular time to "recharge" would help ensure the well-being of the family as a whole. This stress-reduction measure would help prevent "burnout" problems faced by many mothers today.
The menstruation disciplines are as follows:
The following applies whether a woman has a regular period or irregular period.
The most important points are that a woman on period does not perform the Fires, does not handle the Agnihotra materials, and takes a full shower after her period, especially before performing any fires. Gradually, as one’s circumstances permit, one could include other points listed below. Every household is different and each individual has to decide what is feasible for her situation. Our spouses and children should not be deprived or neglected because we have chosen to follow these disciplines. Do the best you can within your situation, but be sincere about your effort.
• A woman in period should not touch any Agnihotra materials.
• While the blood is flowing she should not perform any healing Fires. She should not be in the same room where the fires are done.
• When there is only spotting still a woman should not perform Fire but can sit close to the Fire being performed by someone else.
• It is better if she does not sit on the same rug, couch, etc. with other people.
• She should not go near the garden.
• She should not cook or do laundry.
• Food scraps from the meals of women on period should not be used in compost for growing food.
• If the woman on period touches cotton cloth that others will touch, the cloth should be rinsed with water. Pour the water over the cloth, rather than immersing it in a tub or sink full of water. It must be flowing water not stagnant water in a basin, tub, bath, etc.
• If possible, the woman on period should use a separate bathroom. If this is not possible, the sink and toilet should be rinsed with water before another person uses them.
• If you touch a woman who has her period or some cloth, food, or liquid that she has touched, you should take a cleansing shower with running water before performing healing fires or working in the garden. As the energy transference affects both the person and their clothes, the suggestion is to get in the shower with your clothes that you were wearing at your feet and let the water run over you and the clothes so that both are completely wet. OR, one could simply stick the clothes in a washing machine on rinse cycle, if they are not dirty, and then take a shower. Taking a bath does not provide the energetic cleansing required, as this can only take place through flowing water that runs away down a plug hole, for example.
• A woman follows these disciplines while there is bleeding. The day on which the menstruation began is counted as the first day, regardless of whether it began at morning, noon, or night. If the duration of the period is less than 4 days, the minimum amount of days one abstains from performing Agnihotra is 4 days and one takes a cleansing bath on the 5th morning before resuming Agnihotra practice. For periods lasting more than 4 days, the cycle is considered finished when the blood flow ceases. The next morning the woman should take a cleansing bath/shower as described above. She should then clean the bathtub, sink, and toilet that she used during her period. All clothes worn during the duration of the period should be placed in a plastic bag and washed, also bed linen. Furniture items such as cotton mattresses, couches, curtains, etc. can be sprayed with a light film of water after the woman has had her cleansing shower.
• If children have been touching their mother during her period, they should also take a cleansing bath at the end of their mother's period. Any cotton clothing or cotton fabric they touched should be washed or rinsed. Another alternative is for the father or other family member to care for the children for the duration of the mother’s period.
• If a couple lives in only one room, the husband would need to perform Agnihotra outside the room for the duration of his wife’s period. The woman may also sit to receive the benefits of the fire, but needs to be at a distance.
These disciplines can prove quite daunting for all involved. Much of the inconvenience can be avoided through a Vedic lifestyle that accommodates this reality by providing separate accommodation where women in period can go for retreat, rest and recuperation, free of daily duties. In Vedic lifestyle, others look after the children and the women are served meals prepared by others. It is a setup that respects women’s needs at this time and also avoids inconvenience to others.
Some miscellaneous notes:
• Definition of a period in relationship to Homa Therapy: when the blood flows.
• The small drops (spotting) at the beginning or end are not considered as the energetic time referred to as menstruation. The woman can sit in proximity to the Fire at this time but should refrain from performing the Fire.
• The period of abstinence from performing the Fire by a woman who has just given birth is minimum 12 days, or when the flow stops- whichever is longer. The woman can still sit for Agnihotra and be in close proximity to the Fire while it is being performed by someone else. She should also observe all other disciplines related to menstruation.
• Wool and silk transmit the energy of the period but do not hold it. Cotton both transmits and holds the period energy. Hence the need for cleansing of such.
• Plastic is an insulator of the energy, so plastic bags or gloves can be used to handle period clothes, etc.
• It is important to handle the issue of menstruation with great sensitivity both in relationship to explaining it to the public and in the context of family life, especially around young girls just entering puberty.
• Always present the subject of menstruation in relation to Homa Therapy in a positive light. Stress the benefits for women having time out, supported by their loved ones. The words unclean or any such connotations are counter productive. It is an energetic reality that, once understood, can be willingly accommodated. It is the misinterpretations of a patriarchal history that have lent negative connotations to the subject of menstruation. Vedas enlighten us on the subject.