Beyond Menstruation in Yoga and Jainism

In broad terms, menstruators in South Asia negotiate cultural and religious practices that restrict personal, social and religious engagements during menstruation. For menstruators in the many contexts of contemporary yoga, practitioners are similarly enjoined to practice in different ways, or not to practice at all. Thus, menstruation is approached differently across different communities—sometimes as a spiritual opportunity, sometimes as an occurrence regulated by social and religious practices, and sometimes as a physiological process to be regulated or, more rarely, stopped. This presentation presents initial findings from the research project ‘technologies of the body' on menstruation in Jainism and in contemporary religions and spiritualities inspired by South-Asian thought. At the core of this project is the history and practice of non-menstruation and non-leakage: both practices of non-menstruation vis-à-vis menstruators, and non-bleeding vis-à-vis non-menstruators (such as prohibitions on men bleeding in sacred spaces). While dominant narratives in yoga worlds are about harmonising menstruation as a natural process (Dinsmore-Tuli 2020) and tapping into sacred menstrual rhythms and power (Blue 2025), there are also counter-currents that aim to stop bleeding through deliberate religious or spiritual practices (sādhana), including yoga and austerities (tapas).

This presentation shares preliminary findings from historical and textual material and participant interviews, including 20 interviews with participants in Maharashtra and online during 2024. Initial findings from Jain textual and lived religious experience demonstrates a worldview that values stopping menstruation (amenorrhea) as a sign of spiritual purity. This contrasts with practices of amenorrhea in contemporary spiritualities where amenorrhea is framed as ‘sexual amorous continence®' (Sublima 2018). By combining textual analysis with participant interviews this project aims to bridge historical perspectives with lived religions that challenge norms of menstruation, gender and sexuality through technologies of the body.