ABSTRACT
Knowing that Tara, her husband and her parents had been taught religious practice (sadhana), I took it more or less for granted that if they felt unwell they would ingest a portion of their body substances to restore their strength. This practice, along with yogic sex, is a mode of worship taught by gurus to disciples, where the underlying aim is to acquire a healthy constitution. Describing yogic sex, Carol Salomon has noted that the male practitioner makes use of a technique by which he draws a drop of menses through his phallus. Then, employing breath control, the fluid is directed to the head, a process known as ulta (contradictory), leading to a state of bliss and serving to facilitate longevity and health. 1 While this technique would seem to indicate that women only serve as men’s ritual assistants, helping them acquire strength and spiritual prowess, women too should take a small portion of their substance for purposes of health. Absorbing other bodily emissions – urine (jal), feces (mati) and semen (rati) – is still another means of strengthening one’s constitution. 2
