A Guide to Womb Steaming
Womb steaming is an ancient practice, having being used by almost every Indigenous culture for thousands of years. It is a sacred yet accessible ritual with a number of beautiful energetic and physical healing benefits.
You’ll often hear womb steaming / yoni steaming / vaginal steaming / pelvic steaming used interchangeably. They’re all the same thing.
Use whatever term resonates — at the end of the day it’s a soft ritual involving a person sitting over dried herbs in hot water, enjoying the healing properties of the steam.
One piece of knowledge that I really want to anchor in is: Your vagina and vulva are not dirty. They do not need to be detoxed or cleaned. Steaming should never be used for purifying or removing odours, because our bodies do that naturally.
When partaking in your first steam, it is important to set your intentions for the experience and seek to nourish and tend to your vessel physically, emotionally and spiritually.
This guide is designed to answer any questions you have around the practice. As always, my DMs are open for further questions and guidance once you receive your Womb Steaming Herbs.
Who is womb steaming for?
Anyone with a vagina can partake in womb steaming.
What happens during a womb steam?
During a womb steam, the healing properties of the chosen herbs are extracted and carried (via steam) to both the external areas of the vulva, and internally through the vagina, working on the uterus, pelvis and channel connecting to the heart.
From a practical perspective, you sit over a pot of herbs for half an hour and enjoy a soft, nourishing steam.
What are the benefits of womb steaming?
Potential physical benefits:
Regulate irregular or absent menstrual cycles
Reduce period pain and bloating
Decreased menstrual flow
Promote fertility
More frequent and / or powerful orgasms
Support healing of vaginal tears, episiotomy or C-section scars
Reduce pain during intercourse
Ease dryness
Relief of UTIs or yeast infections
Reduce symptoms of uterine fibroids, ovarian cysts, PCOS, uterine weakness and prolapse, & endometriosis
Potential emotional and energetic benefits:
Release stored emotions
Heal from sexual and / or emotional trauma
Deepened connection to Higher Self
Access or expanded connection to yin / feminine energy
Expanded creative potential
Enhanced sexual energy and desire
Connection to personal and ancestral womb wisdom
It is important to remember that every person’s experience with steaming will be individual to them. Your current mental and physical health, health history, sexual history, and many other factors will influence how your body reacts to steaming.
There is no magic number of steams, and you may not resolve anything with steaming alone. Trusting the process and surrendering to how it unfolds will shape the experience into a nourishing one.
When can I womb steam?
Womb steaming is a gentle and safe ritual that can be practiced throughout the month. There are a few times and circumstances where you shouldn’t steam.
When not to steam:
During menstruation
During pregnancy / suspected pregnancy
During ovulation if you are trying to conceive
If you have an IUD
With an active internal or external infection or wounds
How long should a womb steam be?
I recommend steaming for 30 minutes, but you are welcome to adapt the practice to suit you. You can steam from 20 minutes - 40 minutes, however I encourage you to tune into your body and listen to when you are done. A timer may also be helpful for the first few steams.
How do I do an at home womb steam?
At home womb steaming is incredibly simple and deeply nourishing. I partake in weekly steams (except during menstruation) and take about 5 minutes to set up my space.
First, you’ll need heat proof pot with a lid, such as a rice cooker, crock pot or casserole dish. Add your organic herbs (shop the RUST blend here) and fill the pot with hot / boiled water. Stir counterclockwise to declare what you’re releasing, and clockwise to summon what you’re calling in or desire to experience (e.g. I release any stagnant energy ~ I welcome in healing and increased sexual energy). You may also like to take a moment to honour the land that grew the herbs, and the people who have cultivated this practice. Then pop the lid on until you’re ready to steam.
Either before or after you prepare your blend, set up your space. I encourage you to wear warm socks, a comfortable top and have blankets near by. You’ll also need a long skirt, sheet or sarong to wrap loosely around your waist to create a tent.
There are a few positions you can choose — my personal preference is to perch on the edge of a seat (be it a couch, chair, mini trampoline or bath tub) with a pillow underneath my butt for comfort. Place the pot of herbs on the floor under you and wrap the sheet around your waist. When you sit down the sheet will act as a tent for the steam and trap it in, channeling it into your womb space.
If you’re having trouble with the sheet moving, I recommend tucking it under the back side of the pot. Pop a blanket over your legs and relax into the steam.
To elevate the ritual, consider listening to some binaural beats, sipping a cup of tea or steaming by candlelight. Ideally you’ll want to be in a calm, quiet space without any disruptions so you can sink into the steam.
Once you’re ready to close the steam, return the herbs to the earth (I like to pour mine under trees around my yard) and enjoy some quiet time. You might like to journal on your experiences or have a warm bath or simply go to bed. I generally feel very blissed out and soft after a steam.
How often should I steam?
I recommend weekly, with a break during menstruation. You may like to set a specific day of the week for your steaming ritual (e.g. Venus day aka Friday) and add it to your calendar so you remember to do it regularly. Don’t stress if you forget a week or it’s been 10 days instead of 7 — your body will benefit from however many steams you nourish it with.
Will womb steaming affect my period?
Potentially. It is often used to soften period pain, regulate or return cycles, decrease flow and ease discomfort from disorders such as endometriosis. As a result of regular steaming, you may experience changes to your cycle length, a lighter period, a release of old blood, or changes to pain levels. It may take several cycles before a “new normal” is established, depending on your personal situation.
I have personally experienced a decrease in period pain, but also seen an increase in old blood as my body slowly releases what it is ready to let go of.
Keeping a journal or note in your phone of your cycle length, symptoms, experiences and blood type / amount is an easy way to connect with your body and understand its ebbs and flows.
If you have any questions or concerns about your steaming journey, please feel free to connect on Instagram.
Take care,
Viv
RUST Founder