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Yoni Vaginal Steaming: What is it? The benefits & How to do it safely

Even though the yoni stands firm at the centre of so many of life’s main events, from menstruation, to ovulation, sex, and childbirth, we sometimes take it for granted, forgetting that it needs love and nurturing to work in our favor.

Given that the list of pesky symptoms, chronic conditions, and major upsets affecting the vaginal area and reproductive system is long and harrowing (and western medicine often lacks satisfactory answers), it’s only natural that people are turning to yoni steaming for more effective and empowering results. But what is a yoni steam, anyway?

What is vaginal or yoni steaming?

Yoni steaming, also known as vaginal steaming, is a practice in which a woman allows the warmth of herbal steam to waft upward against the exterior of her vulva and into her vagina in order to help heal and balance a variety of health and wellness issues. This vaginal steam treatment is actually an ancient therapy respected by healers worldwide. Thankfully, today, yoni steaming is becoming more recognized as an opportunity to reconnect with the body and regularize menstrual cycles. While some spas offer vaginal steaming services, it can be pricey, and DIY home practices are totally doable with the right tools and preparation.

Benefits of yoni steaming
Yoni steaming is used as a natural remedy for addressing issues associated with the vagina, uterus, and the entire reproductive tract. The tangible, recognized benefits of steaming your vagina include the following:

Pain reduction
Yoni steaming can significantly reduce general pain, cramping, bloating, and exhaustion associated with menstruation or other parts of your monthly cycle.

Hormone balancing
A yoni steaming practice can help balance hormones, regulating irregular, too-heavy, too-light, or absent menstrual cycles, as well as addressing fertility issues and ease symptoms of menopause like dryness or pain during sex.

Uterine health
You can use yoni steaming to detoxify your womb, reduce uterine fibroids, ovarian cysts, uterine weakness, uterine prolapse, and endometriosis—to name a few.

Relieves chronic infections
Many find a yoni steam for yeast infections is an effective way to treat the often chronic condition, as well as help maintain a healthy odor and discharge more generally.

Postpartum healing
Many women do yoni steams to accelerate healing and tone their reproductive systems after birth, or help heal a vaginal tear, an episiotomy, or a C-section scar.

Helps heal hemorrhoids
The anus being in very close proximity to the vagina means that the painful, oftentimes disturbing issue known as hemorrhoids can also benefit from a steamy healing session.

Does vaginal steaming actually work?
Let’s face it. Ever since Gwyneth Paltrow’s endorsement of yoni steaming, the age-old practice has grown exponentially. Now, vaginal steaming is being hailed as the holy grail of self-care acts and yoni steam benefits as modern-day magic. All told, I like the sound of a 30-minute treatment addressing the majority of life’s problems, and naturally, so do lots of other women with problems.

And yet—the medical community has a long and colorful reputation of casting the yoni steam in a negative light, just as it does most natural or “alternative” or DIY therapies. While it is true that there is no scientific research to prove whether vaginal steaming is effective or safe, the same can be said for many natural therapies (most of which do not have adequate research funding—largely because they’re “alternative”). Meanwhile, mountains of helpful anecdotal evidence is often dismissed as irrelevant. Typical mainstream opponents of yoni steaming maintain that the vagina is self cleansing and is therefore not meant to be steam cleaned. However, by this logic, the human body always does what it was made to do and never needs additional support.

The yoni steam herb used on Paltrow’s yoni was mugwort, typically used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat a range of reproductive system problems. A look at several systematic reviews of mugwort found it can help correcting breech pregnancies, but more research officially recognized by the medical community needs to be done.

Personally, I know at least 3 highly badass, competent, well-studied women who run yoni steaming practices of their own and a whole lot of other women who have nothing but positive things to say about them. In fact, one of my closest friends recently told me that her favorite thing about her yoni steaming experience was its ability to simply relax the muscles of her vagina and vulva in a way that she had never experienced before. The result: she felt light and happy. As for myself, I have an appointment next week!

Yoni steaming precautions for safety
Pregnancy
Avoid yoni steaming if you’re pregnant or if trying to conceive. Or—speak with a licensed practitioner on how to best proceed if you’re interested in a yoni steam for fertility.

Menstruation
It’s best to quite literally go with your flow and avoid steaming during your period, opting instead for sessions before and after you menstruate.

IUDs
Avoid yoni steaming if you have an IUD (intrauterine device), as the possible interactions between herbal steam and IUD devices is not understood and may cause adverse reactions.

Overheating
While vaginal steaming is generally safe, it’s smart to avoid doing a yoni steam if there is excess heat in your body due to fever, hot flashes, or night sweats.

Essential oils
Refrain from using essential oils in your steams, as they are typically too harsh for the vagina. Stick with dried or fresh herbs.

Consult
Always speak with a midwife and/or holistic practitioner if you want to steam postpartum, are working to heal severe hormonal issues or infertility, or if you experience side effects like discharge, cramps, or spotting after your yoni steam.