Menstruation: A Spiritual Perspective

Now the second part – the spiritual part.

I am particularly going to refer to the Upanishad here, not Smruti or Dharma Shastra, because they are controversial. The Upanishad, as everyone knows, is pure knowledge.

Prashnopanishad talks about the life forces within the body, mainly the five kinds of life forces: Prana, Apana, Vyana, Udana, and Samana. This is common knowledge for those who have exposure to spirituality or yoga. I am just connecting the dots.

In the third Prashna of Prashnopanishad:
अथ हैनं कौसल्यश्चाश्वलायनः पप्रच्छ। भगवन्कुत एष प्राणो जायते कथमायात्यस्मिञ्छरीर आत्मानं वा प्रविभज्य कथं प्रातिष्ठते केनोत्क्रमते कथं बाह्यमभिधत्ते कथमध्यात्ममिति।

This is the question asked about the life forces or Pranas within the body. An elaborate answer is given about which forces they are, where they are centered, and what their functions are.

These life forces exist in five forms within the body: Prana, Apana, Vyana, Udana, and Samana. They are behind various activities within the body, such as breathing, blood circulation, the distribution of digested food, metabolism, and peristalsis. All actions, movements, and functions within the body depend on these forces.

There are five more Upa Pranas for minor functions, such as the closing of eyelids and yawning. Among these, the force we are particularly interested in here is Apana.

Apana and Its Role

Apana causes excretion from the body. It is the force that sends materials out of the body. Apana is predominant during five conditions: defecation, urination, ejaculation, childbirth, and menstruation.

Apana is the force that makes various organs, nerves, and muscles work to push materials out of the body. When Apana is active, the body is in a state of repulsion and rejection. The body is not in a mode of acceptance; instead, it is rejecting.

Whenever one of these functions is taking place, Apana or the force of rejection is predominant in the body.

Spiritual Growth and Apana

For spiritual growth, while doing spiritual practices, we are advised to:

• Meditate in a calm and serene environment.
• Take a deep breath and keep the mind calm.
• Face east or north to optimize the body to receive grace.

We train the body through Asana and Pranayama. What is Pranayama? It is the establishment of control over these life forces.

Ask any yoga trainer, and they will say: Vegān Na Dhārayet – 'Do not practice yoga when you have an urge to attend to nature's call.' This is because, at that time, Apana is active. If Apana is active in the body and you undertake spiritual practice, it can lead to health issues. Everyone with some exposure to yoga knows this.

We are spreading yoga all over the world not just for spiritual upliftment but also for general health. This is a fact every yoga teacher knows: do not practice when you have an urge.

Wisdom of Our Elders

Our elders wisely established this system: whenever Apana is predominant in the body, avoid activities that require receiving, balancing, calming, expanding, or elevating.

The direction of Apana is downward. It works with gravity. Adi Shankaracharya, while interpreting Prashnopanishad, points out that Apana works with the aid of gravity and is a downward force.

The spiritual path, on the other hand, is upward. The Kundalini rises up the spinal cord towards Sahasrara, from Muladhara to Sahasrara. This is the path of involution, in contrast to the downward path of Sushumna.

One of the major impediments to the upward journey of Kundalini is the force called Apana. Although Apana is always present in the body, it is actively aroused during the five processes: defecation, urination, ejaculation, childbirth, and menstruation.

Hatha Yoga and Apana

Hatha Yogis train themselves to reverse the direction of Apana so that it aids the rising of Kundalini. They take small quantities of food and water to minimize the need for excretion. But this is for advanced practitioners of yoga.

Very advanced practitioners can deliberately reverse Apana after achieving control over the life forces. Some yogis can even stop breathing or their heartbeat. These are like commandos training in battleground-like situations, creating those situations deliberately to train themselves and emerge stronger. However, this is not for ordinary humans.

Conclusion

Essentially, from a spiritual perspective, it is better to avoid spiritual practices when Apana is active or aroused in the body – that is, during defecation, urination, ejaculation, childbirth, and menstruation.

During these times, the body is in a mode of repulsion and rejection. Spiritual practices undertaken during this state will not yield results. Moreover, inducing an upward spiritual force while the downward Apana is active can create a conflict between the two, leading to undesirable outcomes.

Our wise elders recognized this and emphasized avoiding such practices during these conditions.