All things Indian
@Inditalk · 1:26
Understanding the relevance of native menstrual practices in India with Sinu Joseph
She is the co founder and managing trustee of My Three Speaks and also works with the Forward Foundation. She has studied several Hindu temples religious restrictions owing to menstruation and their impact on women's menstrual health. Her study on Sabarimala and the associated Shasta temples explored the way consecrated spaces can alter women's menstrual cycles
All things Indian
@Inditalk · 0:18
Namaste, the first question that comes to mind is, why is it that there is a perception that Indian culture has had a regressive approach to menstruation and women's has been general
Mythri Speaks
@Sinu · 0:08
Namaste thank you for inviting me to this conversation, and I look forward to it
Mythri Speaks
@Sinu · 0:52
See, the thing is that this is not just about India. It's about every nation that has experienced the effects of colonization. One of the things that they did, which it's very difficult to put a finger on, is how they created disrespect within ourselves, about our own Native practices, our own culture, our own tradition, not to mention how the Sciences on which these practices were based were completely destroyed. So it became difficult for us to even trace back the origin of these practices
All things Indian
@Inditalk · 0:27
What has been your approach when you have reached out to girls and women across States in India, with regard to, as you rightly mentioned, Native practices being, you know, sort of called taboo. And how do you sort of reach out to them about hygiene practices and educating them about Native practices in this light, in this context
Mythri Speaks
@Sinu · 4:47
And I know this because whether it's Proctor and Gamble or Johnson and Johnson or whatever other big manufacturer out there, they've all at some point or the other reached out to me with the sole intention of helping them penetrate the rural Indian market in the name of social work in the name of corporate social responsibility, and I refuse them all. So the first thing I want to say out there is that there is no such thing as menstrual hygiene being a problem
All things Indian
@Inditalk · 0:45
Shinuji, thank you so much for these wonderful insights. And I think it is when you know you're really in touch with the ground realities and also with your roots, you know, you sort of make that connection nation, right. And this perspective is invaluable thank you for sharing it with us here
Mythri Speaks
@Sinu · 4:59
So anything in our body that has to move the movement of hormones, the movement of blood, the release of the menstrual fluid out of your body, all of this is controlled by vatadosh. So for menstruation to occur naturally, vatadosh is a little bit higher than usual. The other doShe that is prominent during menstruation is pitta dosh, because blood has the element of Pita of Agni. So whenever there are processes involving blood like menstruation, pitta dosh also comes into play
Mythri Speaks
@Sinu · 4:37
They have a big fight with someone and that's how they know their period is coming. It does not have to be that way. Even the feeling of extreme hunger or that craving for junk food. It's because Apita has gone for a toss. So if you know how to observe these things that are happening within you, then you will realize why it's happening. And through simple diet and lifestyle changes, you can prevent the aggravation of bath and pit and therefore the associated menstrual conditions
Vidya D
@vidyanambiar · 0:44
Hi Sinu, I would like to check on your opinion about spiritual practices during menstruation and also yoga because most of the yoga and most of the spiritual practices that are available today are mostly designed for a male body, and they don't really consider or take into account the menstruation aspect of a woman, which is so core and important for a woman. Is there any yoga practice that is completely designed for women
Sohini Joarder
@Rover_Phoenix · 0:43
Hello, ma'am. I'm Sohini. And thank you so much for clearing so many doubts. I have a very common question that I've been struggling with right now. So there are three main sources of things that can prevent period style menstrual cups and tampons, three most available. So I would like to know that which one is most safe and more preferred because I use pads. And I changed to Tampa, which is like I feel like it's more safe
Sohini Joarder
@Rover_Phoenix · 0:16
Hello Ma'am. And I would also like to know that why are women considered impure while they are menstruating like they are not allowed to pray in some places or enter temples or touch anything religious. So why is this from the very evening considered
Mythri Speaks
@Sinu · 4:52
That's a very, very important question with you about the practices of yoga or any other spiritual practices for women during menstruation. There are a few things that we need to understand based on which you will be able to arrive at the answers yourself. First and foremost is what happens physiologically. That is what happens to your body when you undertake yoga or Pranayam or Dhyan, or go to a temple, or do a Puja in all these practices, what essentially happens within the human body, male or female
Mythri Speaks
@Sinu · 3:45
Namaste so Hini, this is in answer to your question about menstrual products. Let me Zoom out a bit and tell you the basis on which one has to select a menstrual product. Okay. And then you will have the answer yourself. Now you need to understand that it is important to maintain a certain PH in the vaginal region at all times to prevent bacterial infection. Now the PH of the v***** is typically around 3.5 to 4.5 that is moderately acidic
Mythri Speaks
@Sinu · 4:51
All these menstrual problems, which modern world considers as normal, Ayurveda says it's an indication of armor and it means your diet and lifestyle are problematic. Menstruation is that gift which pushes this armor out of your system every month to clean you in and out so that your fertility and overall health is maintained. So if you observe soon after your period, your skin will actually glow, you'll feel more energetic. Why is that? Because you've got a free detox?
All things Indian
@Inditalk · 0:45
Seanuji, thank you so much for delving so deep into each of these questions and giving us the answers. I do wish that at some point this becomes a part of the curriculum that is taught in schools as well. Well, I think we must look into that closely. My next question would be you have spoken about how the menstrual cycle is also connected with the Moon cycle in many ways and also with the spiritual places with regard to how spiritual places of worship can impact menstruation
Mythri Speaks
@Sinu · 5:00
On the other hand, if you are more in the spiritual side after your reproductive years, it is better for you to have your period during the full Moon because the time of the New Moon is available for Sadhana during Sadhana during Sadhana during Amavasya is very, very beneficial and it will help to ease the whole process so that's the whole link between the moon and the Moon cycle and menstruation. It's a lot more complex than
Mythri Speaks
@Sinu · 3:30
So based on the nature of chakras, it affects one of the glands based on the nature of the temple and the form of the deity there, it will affect a particular type of Chakra if it affects the higher chakras, it is basically about Moksha. If it affects the lower chakras, it is about helping us in day to day life and well being. But either way, if a woman during menstruation enters such a space, it will impact her period
Vidya D
@vidyanambiar · 0:16
Hi Synoji I have one more question. Can you mention the names of the temples in Karnataka, Kerala, or other places of Indian, which are consecrated based on the Muladhara Chakra
Mythri Speaks
@Sinu · 1:44
The temples to be avoided for those in Samsara and for women during their menstrual years are mainly temples which are known as Mokshadams so Kailash, Amarnath, Kashi, Sabarimala. All these places are mokshadhams. You go there when you're ready for Moksha after your completion of Karma, that is after menopause and for men after completion of their worldly responsibilities. It is after that. But apart from Mokshadams, all the other temples are beneficial for us for our day to day life and well being
All things Indian
@Inditalk · 0:43
I will be sharing the link of your book Ritu Vidya with all our listeners here. It's an amazing book. And I suggest, you know, we really delve deep into all that you've said. And this is this is really fascinating. I had no clue that Mars has something to do with menstruation. My next question is about the poor facilities across schools in rural India. Lack of for sanitation facilities in schools have led to absenteeism and dropout among girls
Mythri Speaks
@Sinu · 3:13
And just like India, nowhere else in the world has the absence of toilets led to girls dropping out of school. Okay. So I have published the findings from this and cited about 90 papers in my My Three Speaks blog. The article is titled The Menstruation Research, Rhetoric and Reality. You can go through that. So the first thing to note is that nobody is dropping out of school because there are no toilets in villages
Mythri Speaks
@Sinu · 0:46
I was not familiar with this app and I assumed it would take an hour. I think it's been about 2 hours now, so thank you so much for inviting me and hope to tune in and listen to some of your conversations in future as well. Thank you. Bye
poorna unni
@Poorna · 1:32
Hello, Synoji. It was such a wonderful, you know, experience listening to you talking about menstruation and giving us rational explanation, connecting it to physiology as well as to spiritual practices. And I'm definitely going to get both of your books to read more about this. I found it extremely interesting. I'm based in UAE and I have done some research on women's health, and I also recently began my spiritual journey. So on both planes, I'm quite interested
Paul OMahony
@omaniblog · 3:30
And just to get the whole thing out into the open, I've never had a conversation about menstruation with a man either. And then if I grasped onto it the fact that this is a conversation around the ideas of menstruation that are held in India, it becomes an extraordinary education for me to simply listen. I've learned about Hindu temples. I've learned about Ayurveda wisdom about which I do know a tiny bit, meaning. I have had some conversations about Ayurvedic medicine