"It was a wonderful experience interacting with you and appreciate the way you have planned and executed the whole publication process within the agreed timelines.”
Subrat SaurabhAuthor of Kuch Woh Pal
The book Ṛtu Vidyā emerged in search of answers to questions asked by adolescent girls and women in India during the author’s interactions with them as part of Menstrual Health workshops, conducted over a span of a decade across rural India. In an attempt to decode menstrual practices, the author undertook a journey across India and studied various indigenous knowledge systems such as Ṣaḍ-Darśana, Āyurved, Tantra, Cakra, Yōg, Āgama Śāstra, Jyotiṣa Śāstra, and several sub-texts from these categories. As a result, the book goes beyond just describing cultural practices and takes a deep dive into explaining the scientific and logical reasoning behind the origin of these practices.
This book is for all Indian women who have unanswered questions pertaining to menstrual practices, for menstrual researchers who will find a treasure trove of potential areas for research pertaining to menstrual health, for sportswomen to discover the ancient techniques that worked in sync with women’s periods and not against it, and also for the feminist who assumes that cultural practices around menstruation are a taboo that needs to be done away with.
The correct understanding of the science behind menstrual practices, as given in this book, will help women prevent menstrual difficulties, develop a positive attitude toward menstruation, and learn to work in sync with nature’s cycles.
Ṛtu (pronounced as ruthu) is one of the terms for menstruation in Sanskrit. Vidyā means knowledge. Ṛtu Vidyā is the author’s attempt to bring together various indigenous knowledge systems that provide information about the science of menstruation, which is relevant even to this day.
Sinu Joseph
Sinu Joseph is the co-founder and managing trustee of Mythri Speaks Trust. She has done extensive action-research in the areas of Menstrual & Reproductive Health since 2009 and traveled across rural India, interacting with thousands of adolescent girls and women directly, to get a first-hand experience of menstrual practices and their impact on women’s health. Stepping aside from the popular narratives which focus on menstrual products, her work has explored native methods, cultural practices around menstruation, and the science behind it. She has written extensively on unearthing the science behind native practices and bringing forth a unique narrative, which is the Bharatiya perspective on menstruation, through her blog. Ṛtu Vidyā: Ancient Science behind Menstrual Practices is the culmination of her decade-long work on menstruation, which will equip the reader to scientifically decode cultural practices.
