Every now and then I pick up a product I’m not sure I should write about. I’m all for alternative therapies when there are evidence-based facts to back them up (even if it is the placebo effect. If it works, who cares how?!) but when is little or no substantiating evidence to back something up, I always err on the side of caution.
And so on to today’s subject of Yoni Steams…
I picked up my Heal the Womb sample at the last CAM Expo ever. To be fair, it was attached to some very interesting literature about fertility massage therapy and Womb Awareness Week (who knew!) On reading this I learnt a few interesting facts:
- the womb is approximately 3 inches long, 2 inches broad and 1 inch thick.
- the womb can double in weight during menstruation (from 1-2oz to 2-4oz) putting pressure on any organs the womb rests against.
On a more serious note, it is estimated that 80-90% of us women have a misaligned womb, and there are several potential culprits including high heels, poor seating posture, weak core muscles and running, aerobics and weight lifting in the pre-menstrual phase. I was shocked to read this, so all ladies who go to the gym please avoid heavy lifting both three days before and during your period.
I was also shocked to read that pain, although common, is not a normal part of menstruation. I tend to have a constant ache during periods, and although not intense it is tiresome! For me I’ve found getting as much magnesium as possible into my body really helps (as well as eating magnesium-rich foods, injecting, bathing and oral supplements – any way I can get it!) and this month I was taking Essential Woman by Barlean’s and my period woes were lessened to an extent, though I’m not sure if it was down to this product or the perfect timing of my magnesium shot.
The bizarre practice of Yoni Steams came to light in recent times through dear old Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop but has been practised for thousands of years in Eastern medicine. That said, there are precisely zero clinical studies to back up this ritual, and plenty of doctors saying negative things about vaginal steaming. I did, however, find a medical doctor, a gynaecologist no less, saying more positive things about the procedure and how you should listen to your body. You can read more here but I would like to thank Lissa Rankin MD for speaking out against the rest of the noise and I am ordering your book to have more of a read!
I’m not going to harp on about the health benefits or dangers of yoni steams, because I can’t tell you what is medical fact or fiction, but I am going to tell you about my experience. Someone who went in very dismissive of the whole event and came out more open to it all. First up, many health experts and non-health experts have said that a vaginal steam could be dangerous to your lady bits; causing disruption to your flora and the like. But hold on a minute…. we have saunas, we have steam rooms, we have jacuzzis, why not the concern about these? Sit with your legs open in a naked sauna (how uncouth!) and what have you got?
Heal the Womb Yoni Steam Herbs
I think one of the reasons I was put off partaking in the v steam for so long was the fact I had been reading the name printed on pack: “heal the womb” as “heal thy womb”. I was thinking this pack sounded a bit up its own ass, never mind getting up in my vee-jay-jay! But one night recently, possibly because I have moved to the countryside and Mr BB was out (and there’s not all that much to do in the countryside- I love it!) I took the plunge and put the pan of herbs on the stove to boil.
I have an electric hob now, and had a bit of an accident – you just don’t have the same control as gas! So excuse the mess but admire the action shot of the water bubbling!
The herbs you see boiling up inside are Lavender, Chamomile, Yarrow, Jasmine , Marigold, Rosemary, Rose, Mistletoe & Lemon-Balm.
I hopped over to the website and this is the description I found:
“The energy of this blend focuses on fertility, love, purification, healing and unlocking a closed root chakra. Helping to connect to spirit, encourage prophetic dreams & assist with those wishing to connect and bond to their future babies.
The energy of herbs connects to the 4 elements; Air, Fir, Water & Earth, the Masculine & Feminine energy, the Sun, Moon & Venus and Goddess Isis.”
Hmmm…
After boiling up the herbs I decided the easiest way would be to use an old bowl in a small insulated cardboard box and stick it in the toilet bowl, one of the recommended ways online. There are quite a few “DIY ottoman” projects online for the experience but I ain’t got time for that, my herbs are already boiled and steeped! A few comments online had me thinking that the steam would be incredibly hot, potentially posing a health threat to my lady bits.
The eventuality is that the vaginal steam was nowhere near as intense as a facial steam is for me. The warmth is comforting (don’t worry, Mr BB was only away for one evening, I’m not so lonely in the sticks that I’m seeking comfort in a yoni steam) and there is certainly some sweating going on down there (am I just stating the obvious here or what?!) but the heat is never unbearable or even close to it.
As for the after-effects… I was not expecting to feel any different post-treatment, certainly not any closer to my future baby, and I didn’t initially notice anything at all. But the heat and steam obviously brought more blood flow to the area, and with more blood flow comes more feeling, and completely anecdotally, I have more feeling down there than before. And even anecdotally, that’s got to be a good thing, right?!
If you’ve made it to the end of this 1000+ word blog, you deserve a bonus! And here it is, I found this video whilst researching yoni steams. You’re welcome!