Yoga for Women

A question that is often asked is why most of the prescribed practices are for men or to be performed by men. Be it upanayanam, chanting of Veda mantra-s, the performance of agnikriyā-s, or even pūjā at devasthānam-s (temples) – these are all specifically meant to be done by men, and women of reproductive age are discouraged from performing these. It is essential to understand the reason for this.

Most of these practices require us to raise prāṇa śakti to the higher regions of the body, to transcend the physical body and to facilitate subtle communication with the Devī-Devatā Śakti-s, Pitṛ-s and others. To be a suitable instrument for these processes, there are several rules to be followed by men, starting with initiation through upanayanam, the daily performance of sandhyāvandana, and even clothing and hairstyle (e.g., the śikhā worn by men), which are all designed to facilitate this purpose. But when prāṇa is raised to the higher regions, involuntary processes such as menstruation, which require prāṇa to flow downwards in the lower parts of the body, will be impacted. As a result, frequent performance of such acts by women of menstrual age could result in several menstrual and reproductive disorders. For a woman to remain healthy during her menstrual years, it is necessary to ensure that sufficient prāṇa nourishes her reproductive organs by coursing in the lower region of her body. [1]

A woman’s menstrual health lies at the core of her strītvam (femininity) and her overall health. When a woman’s menstrual health is affected, it results in a body that is constantly fighting itself in agony and a mind that becomes restless owing to the pain of the body. When a woman is thus afflicted, it enhances her body-mind identity due to the constant experience of discomfort, instead of helping her evolve beyond it. Therefore, the religious and spiritual path for women must take into consideration the ability of the body, especially during their menstrual years.

The Veda-s and the śāstra-s derived from it are not based on man-made social constructs. They are firmly rooted in the deep knowledge of the biology of the human system and its interaction with the environment. Without immersing ourselves in this knowledge of the human anatomy, not just at the gross level (sthūla śarīra) but also at the subtle level (sūkṣma śarīra), we will struggle to comprehend and interpret many of the instructions in the śāstra-s.

Due to our inability to understand the more profound science behind the śāstra-s, we are beginning to edit the rules based on social constructs. Such tampering with the rules of the śāstra-s, especially those concerning women, is causing biological disruptions and also impacting social harmony, as women take paths other than that which are natural to the female form.

Yoga for women

So then, what is the process and path for women, especially of menstrual age?

Of the various forms of yoga, versions such as kriya yoga, hatha yoga, kuṇḍalinī yoga, mantra yoga, etc. are not suitable for the female form, as they are intended to cause the upward movement of prāṇa, thereby resulting in menstrual and reproductive difficulties. However, the Ṛṣi-s, out of compassion, have created other forms of yoga that help the jīvātma to progress in each birth and are suitable for all. These include karma yoga, bhakti yoga and jñāna yoga. Let us understand the essence of each of these.

Karma yoga is performing all actions as seva (selfless service) without any expectation of money, reward or recognition. In this form of yoga, we not only make seva a way of life but are also grateful to those who allow us to serve them, since they give us an opportunity to exhaust our karma by serving them. Karma yoga creates inner pleasantness arising out of gratitude and peace that comes when there are no expectations. This is also the most effective way of finishing off the prārabda (existing) karma we are born with without creating new karma (āgāmika karma) for subsequent births.

Bhakti yoga is the process of total surrender to the divine, understanding that everything destined to happen will unfold on its own through Divine Grace. In this method, we give up the sense of doership and yet accept responsibility for events and relationships in our lives as part of our unfinished karma from past births. In its perfected form, Bhakti yoga enables us to see and experience the Divine in everyone and everything and thus transcend the illusion of separateness.  

Jñāna yoga is the process of constant and honest introspection into our mind and its deviations. This method requires strict inner discipline and utter honesty in self-examination of our thoughts, emotions, and reasons for them. Yet, it requires us to be non-judgemental and remain detached while examining our inner thought processes. It is not for the weak-minded ones as the process of self-introspection can throw up many hidden saṃskāra-s that are not always easy to accept or deal with. Ideally, jñāna yoga is easier when we have purified our saṃskāra-s through karma yoga, and inculcated surrender through bhakti yoga. This could even take lifetimes. Those who take to the path of jñāna yoga quickly are evolved ātma-s who naturally take to brahmacārya and sanyāsa, as they might have exhausted worldly desires in previous births. However, for one who is a gṛhasta (householder), this path might not be the right way to start and can cause more confusion as most followers disregard rituals and upāsana, which are necessary tools for most people in the initial stages. This is explained by Śrī Śankarācārya Bhagavatpāda when he says:

“Householders who give up their routine practices are guilty of dereliction of duty. Śāstra-s call them āśramāpasadas (fallen people) and āśrama-viḍambakas (clowns)… Householders who harbour desires should be made to perform karma-s, and those free of such cravings must be respectfully allowed to go beyond all karma-s through jñāna and sannyāsa. This is the tradition of the compassionate Śrutimāta (Veda).” [2]

When an ātma has taken birth in a female form, the Ṛṣi-s understood that these ātma-s need to go through the process of karma yoga and bhakti yoga to finish their prārabda karma and purify their saṃskāra-s. A way of living that would naturally unfold as these forms of yoga were thus designed for women. That way of living is what is given in the Strī Dharma Paddhatiḥ.

[1] This is a simplified explanation of what has been explained in detail in the earlier books by the same author, namely ‘Ṛtu Vidyā’ and ‘Varṇa Vidyā’, which should be studied for better understanding of the restrictions on women of menstrual age.

[2] Ātmatīrtham by Śrī Nochur Venkataraman Swamy ji. Sopānaṃ 37. Sri Ramana Maharshi Brahmavidyasrama

Read the full article from Part 1 of the book, Chapter: Introduction