I had never heard of Vaginal Steaming until very recently and to be honest I speculated and thought, is this actually a thing? I’m quite an open character, but I may need to open my cooking pot a little more.
Vaginal Steaming (Yoni Steaming) is a known ritual, requiring you to sit over a steaming bowl of immersed medicinal herbs allowing the steam to cleanse and detoxify your womb. Yes, you read right.
This practise has been used since ancient times in Southern areas of Africa such as Mozambique, Zimbabwe and various areas of the Far East such as Indonesia, Thailand, Korea and across to the other side of the world into Central America where the practise has been adopted and is known as the “bees knees”to keeping your vagina intact.
For most women, your vagina, or should I say your va-jay-jay, according to urban dictionaries is your prize possession and should be treated just as well as you would your mother. The activity of vaginal steaming has proven to be a reliable ritual, especially with women who have experienced health issues such as fibroids, irregular menstrual cycle, bacterial vaginosis, heavy bleeding, ovarian cysts and abortions.
I personally have experienced irregular menstrual cycle at a young age and still do to this day. There are times when I am unsure whether my period is coming or going. On the upside, it is rewarding to hear there is a practise that can help and that can easily be carried out at home.
To walk you through the process: you need a chair with a hole in the centre, a blanket, bowl of hot water and medicinal herbs of your choice, i.e: rosemary, lavender, thyme, etc.
Here are the steps to follow:
1. Prepare the bowl with hot water (ideally stove boiled - with caution)
2. Pour your herbs into the bowl, stir and let it brew for 2/3 mins.
3. Place the bowl directly underneath the chair.
4. Wait until the water slightly cools.
5. Ensure you are wearing appropriate clothing with no underwear.
6. Place yourself on the chair and ensure your vagina (Yoni) is exposed.
7. Wrap a blanket around you and the chair to retain the heat.
8. Relax comfortably and allow the steam to rise naturally for 10/15mins.
You can feel comfortable in your own surroundings, have tranquil music played in the background and be at one with the energy in your room, allowing the intense aroma of the steam to enter your goddess getaway. Different herbs contain various health benefits, like lavender can be used as an antiseptic, rosemary helps improve digestion, mugwort herb acts as a uterine stimulant and restores your monthly cycle.
There have been many cases told where women have expressed their experiences such as Hollywood actress Gwyneth Paltrow; who praises the practise as a way of restoring female hormones and softening the tissues in your vagina to help you feel centred.
“The real golden ticket here is the Mugwort V-Steam. You sit on what is essentially a mini-throne, and a combination of infrared and mugwort steam cleanses your uterus”
Gwyneth Paltrow
"I think it is important to talk about Yoni health while we are going through these things because the root chakra, our Yoni is very important to be connected to while we are defending our rights as females and people who bleed,” she reveals.
Author Veladya
Holistic Nutritionist and Author Veladya believes in self-love and healing one’s self.
"It’s all about taking care of the vagina and many cultures, a vagina is a really sacred space on a woman's body", she reveals.
Shakera Leigh
Health & wellness educator Shakera Leigh swears by this treatment.
There are always do’s and don'ts to every practice and the safest option is not to perform whilst you’re on your menstrual cycle or during pregnancy as it may cause heavy bleeding and can be harmful for the baby. We do suggest consulting your doctor before trying this practice.
We all need consistency in our lives in relation to our menstrual cycle, so why not take the plunge and perform the practise on yourself. Treat yourself to a zen moment and embrace your femininity. Enjoy Ladies!