An Exploration of Women's Health and Spirituality

In this modern, patriarchal society, the female body and the feminine spirit have become  commodities that can be manipulated and profited from. Physical female attributes that were once revered for their life giving properties are now used to sell everything from cars to entertainment experiences. At the same time, the hustle and immediacy of a globally connected lifestyle holds little value to the place for the softer, gentle, subtle side of feminine nature. Coming to the practice of yoga can assist women in navigating this distorted view of the feminine that been thrust upon us by providing techniques and guidance to support physical, mental and spiritual health and vitality.

A Brief History of Women in Yoga

Feminist researcher Vicki Noble is one of the leading historians to have recently uncovered evidence that females played a crucial role in shaping and participating in the traditions of pre-Vedic Tantric yoga. Palaeolithic and Neolithic artwork has been found that is hypothesised to depict images of females joining in celebration of their natural siddhis (powers) of ‘bleeding, birth, healing and dying’. This communion of women propagated a Kundalini type energy that flowed outwards and benefited the broader community.

Over the ages, as societal hierarchy and structure shifted, the woman’s domain became the household. So by the Vedic and Classical periods, yoga was a very male dominated observance. Females were never depicted in yogic postures and there is little mention of females in the Sanskrit texts outside of advice for males on the path to enlightenment to keep their distance from females to avoid any temptations that could result in a loss of the most revered bodily fluid, bindu (semen).

Just as females are only now beginning to have an equal presence in the workforce, it is only since the pioneering work of Indra Devi that yoga has spread to Western society and become accessible once again for women. Indra is attributed to bringing yoga to the West by popularising it in Hollywood, however this reflects upon the superficial value of body image which has helped to raise the reputation of yoga and make its integration a worldwide phenomenon.  The attraction to yoga for females has resulted in an outstanding shift: approximately 80% of people practicing Yoga are now women. Although many still do come to the practice seeking to create a toned figure, more and more are discovering that this, along with many other health benefits, is simply a side-effect of the empowering personal spiritual journey that yoga embodies.

Adapting Yoga to the Life Stage

From a health perspective, yoga can support females through all the major changes that occur within their life cycle: adolescence and the onset of menses, the fertile years and the pre- and post-partum periods, menopause and old age. So much about female health is linked to the menstrual cycle and the corresponding fluctuation and balance of hormones. Many women are beginning to see wisdom in the previously well understood and celebrated link between their own monthly cycles and the seasonal rhythms of nature, particularly the lunar cycle. Yoga practices can be tailored to best support women across the four traditional life stages (asramas): bramacharya (student), grihastha (householder), vanaprastha (retired) and sannyasa (renunciate).

Adolescence, which could be considered somewhat equivalent to bramacharya asrama, is a time when young women are learning to understand their bodies, searching for their place in the world and working hard to accept the overwhelming changes occurring as hormones surge. This is a critical period during which a woman’s respect for her body can be developed or undermined, resulting in lifelong subconscious patterning. A suitable yoga asana (posture) and pranayama (breath) practice harnessing the energy and exuberance of youth, counterbalanced with loving kindness (meta) meditation for acceptance of the self and tolerance of others, is an excellent way to support stability and develop confidence. At this stage, a mentor with whom the young woman feels comfortable discussing her studies and development of spirituality is invaluable.

Another period of major changes begins with the onset of pregnancy. Not only the self-evident growth within the physical body but the adjustment to ahamkara (ego, sense of self) and sense of cosmic connectivity may be heightened during pregnancy.  In the prenatal phase, yogasana can assist with gently maintaining tone within the body and preparing a woman both mentally and physically for the endurance required in labour. Mindfulness meditation is very important to begin establishing a connection between the mother and the developing child. Continued throughout motherhood, this practice can empower mothers to stay mindful and present in all dealings with their children, which is critical to the development of the behaviours and attitudes of the offspring.

After children have grown or the height of a career has passed, menopause and perhaps grandchildren are on the horizon. Moving into vanaprastha asrama is a time for sharing the wisdom garnered through the trials, errors, joys and successes that have been experienced. Yoga at this time of life can be a solace for sore and aching joints, a preventative to the onset of common ailments of the later years and a preparation for entry into a fulfilling  sanyassa asrama. These are time to enjoy the fruits of the earlier, busier years. Sometimes more spare time can become a lonely proposition, but practices such as yoga nidra and reflective meditations assist in guiding the mind and spirit towards a peaceful and slower pace, fostering the connection with the cosmic self with which we all will eventually reunite.

Reconnecting with Women’s Wisdom

No matter the age or path in life, all women thrive from some form of interconnectedness with others, seeking this form of soulful nourishment more so than men. However, although our populations are more dense, our intimate connections with other humans are rapidly reducing. The support of extended family and close friends is becoming less prevalent as work relocations and online connections become the norm. Yoga can provide an avenue through which one can unplug from the multimedia that rules modern life. Learning to understand how the body moves through asana allows the practitioner to improve their reading of body language and thus become more empathetic and attentive in their dealings with others. Through sharing energetically in a class setting, and even with online classes, the feeling of practicing in communion with others heightens the sense of interconnectedness. Women who come to yoga practice can find their ‘tribe’, a currently trending term for a group of like-minded people with whom a person can grow, find understanding and feel comfortable to share openly.

Tapping into this interconnectedness and thus finding their unique spirituality brings women closer to realising their capability to chart the course of their own destiny. Yoga offers techniques such as visualisation and manifestation meditations, and the careful practice of sankalpa – intention or resolution setting that creates new patterns in the body and mind. By coming to a deeper understanding of their own spirituality as they improve  their health, women empower not only themselves but those around them – their families, friends, work colleagues and the broader community.

Earth and the life upon it is at a crossroads: the rise of global epidemics, mental afflictions and environmental disasters demonstrate that the overarching masculine way of being is not sustainable. Just as a fever will always eventually break, society has reached a tipping point. Its citizens are looking over the precipice to view the destruction that the patriarchal values of control, dominance and force have brought not only up the earth that supports us but upon our own health, wellbeing and values as humans. A return to balance is now inevitably imminent and this must involve embracing and incorporating the matriarchal side of the human experience. Yoga, along with other healing modalities, will have a critical role in guiding the upcoming generations of females to work together to restore this balance.

But this is not about a power struggle between women and men. It is about lifting the veil of fear that has hung for so long over the feminine spirit. Females have been suppressed, abused, commodified and exploited due to a lack of understanding causing fear. Just as there is always yin within the yang (and vice versa), so this is more about nurturing the feminine side that lies within everyone: learning to use the right brain to balance the left, shakti to balance shiva, the lunar energy (tha) as well as the solar (ha). It requires an approach of compassion and forgiveness. Returning to the Tantric roots of yoga, where women came together in communion to share energy in order to enhance it and spread it, this is how we can regain widespread health and spirituality and heal a broken world.