From culture to culture for three thousand years shamans and midwives across the planet have initiated women in healing the most sacred parts of their bodies using yoni vaginal steam baths. The name for the female genitalia in Sanskrit is yoni … bajos in Spanish … chai-yok in Korean. Herbs and steam are combined in this ancient treatment to cleanse the vagina, stimulate the healthy production of hormones to promote uterine vitality, aid in regulating menstrual cycles and enhance conception.

I am pleased to share more information about yoni herbal steams since many women may be curious but unfamiliar with them. This is provided for your general knowledge and you should consult your physician or naturopath. Yoni herbal steams soothe every system in the female human body and can enhance reproductive fertility. The wide variances of maladies that can be addressed include painful or irregular periods, infertility, endometriosis, blocked fallopian tubes, fibroids, polyps and cysts as well as vaginal dryness and hemorrhoids. The technique works as a uterine lavage to cleanse the uterine wall of accumulated debris and nourish the womb on both physical and energetic levels.

If you are using herbal steam techniques in tandem with Assisted Reproductive Treatment, the timing of the steam can be important. Yoni herbal steams are advantageous prior to ovulation or on the actual days of In-Vitro Fertilization transfer . Steaming before the transfer can help to liquefy the cervical mucous and creates a lubricated path for the insertion of the catheter through the cervix. The same applies for an Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) procedure.

For those taking Clomid, I suggest steaming once when first starting the medicine and steaming again just before ovulation, but before intercourse, as it’s not recommended to heat up the sperm. For postpartum, yoni steam is highly recommended within 9 days after birth to decrease abdominal distention. In some cultures, babies are sometimes born in the steam. For a natural menstrual cycle, it is recommended to steam a few days after the onset of menstruation, as well as once before ovulation and before intercourse.

Yoni herbal steams are not recommended for women who think they may be pregnant; who experience heavy bleeding during the menstrual cycle, fever, any kind of infection or inflammation of cervix, uterus or ovaries, or who are using an intrauterine device for contraception.

A variety of herbs are used for the yoni vaginal steam, but most common is a combination of organic oregano, basil and marigold. Motherwort herb is recommended for fibroids and polyps within the pelvic cavity. Essential oils are contraindicated because they are too harsh.

Women describe the actual experience of yoni steam as extremely calming, relaxing and a genuine act of self-nurturance. When attending an herbal steam session, you are cloaked in a warm cozy bathrobe and then relax on a specially designed small stool wrapped in blankets.

After the yoni steam, there typically is a transition onto a massage table for Arvigo Mayan Abdominal Massage. When pelvic malpositioning of the uterus is a cause of infertility, undergoing Arvigo Mayan Abdominal massage sessions in tandem with herbal steam can produce positive results. The uterine clearing and pelvic organ repositioning may present an optimal opportunity for implantation. Menstrual fluids from previous cycles accumulate and harden, so the gentle heat of steam can facilitate the movement of these fluids that may otherwise impede the hemodynamic flow necessary for optimum circulation.

The periodic use of the yoni steam technique can enhance overall reproductive health for women.

Jennifer Schafer, an RNE Professional Member, is a Fertility Coach and Bodyworker located in Beverly Farms, MA. Her website is shaferfertilityandmassage.com.