Most classical yoga texts like the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali or the later Hatha yoga manuals were written and transmitted by male practitioners, often ascetics.So it’s not surprising that menstruation was rarely discussed in any text; it simply wasn’t part of their lived reality. Some practitioners may feel compelled to keep up their practice. Others may feel compelled to rest. Yoga asks us to listen to our bodies in real time, and be responsive.

My emotions are like the mud at the bottom of a pond. An upsetting occurrence is like a rock thrown in -all the mud gets stirred up.