How to Yoni Steam at Home: Best Herbs, Benefits & DIY Setup
Welcome to my Complete DIY Yoni Steam Guide!
If you have any questions, please reach out to me on Instagram: @naemapierce
*You can click the options below to be taken to different sections of this article.
I. What is Yoni Steaming? (Vaginal Steams)
Yoni steaming (also called vaginal steaming) is a female reproductive health practice that involves sitting over a pot of hot water that contains medicinal herbs, and allowing the warmth of the herbal steam to permeate the vulva, vagina and and womb space. Often a blanket or towel is wrapped around the body from the waist down to create a “vaginal steam sauna.”
The Ancient Practice of Vaginal Steams:
The ancient practice of yoni and vaginal steaming has been practiced by women all across the globe for hundreds of years. You can find roots of this ancient practice among the indigenous people of the Mayans, as well as in places of Korea, Japan, China, Greece, the Philippines and India, Central America and South Africa.
And to be honest…this reproductive health practice traces back to almost every culture, and you can pretty much count on the notion that your own ancestors were benefiting from the practice of yoni steaming.
* The word yoni is a sanskrit word that translates to mean the “source, vagina, abode, womb.” You can think of the word yoni to describe the female womb space and reproductive system as a whole.
II. Yoni Steam Benefits Explained
(For Your Menstrual Cycle and Reproductive System)
Women have understood the benefits of yoni steaming to be deeply nourishing for the reproductive system on many different levels. The reasons why vaginal steams are so healing is because it improves blood flow and blood circulation, cleanses your reproductive organs, and fosters a deeper connection between yourself and your womb space. Let’s break down each one further:
Blood Flow & Menstrual Cycle Regulation: Healing your Menstrual Cramps
Just like you may use a heating pad for muscle pain or menstrual cramps, you can use the ancient practice of vaginal steams as an “earthen heating pad.” The warmth of the herbal steam in conjunction with the medicinal herbs creates a moist heat that makes this practice one of the top diy home remedies for treating most reproductive system imbalances.
The warmth of the herbal steam increases blood flow & circulation overall in your pelvic region which dramatically helps the blood vessels, connective tissue, nerves, lymphatic system and muscles to have pathways of flow and suppleness, rather than stagnation and tension. Stagnation in blood flow and lymphatic flow due to muscular tension and body imbalance is absolutely a contributing factor to your blood clots, menstrual cramps, pms symptoms, hormonal imbalance, uterine fibroids, ongoing or persistent bacterial infections and yeast infections, short cycles, heavy/long cycles and more.
In essence, the better blood flow and lymphatic flow you have in your womb space and pelvic region, the better menstrual cycle you will have overall.
Cleansing Vaginal Infections (Bacterial Infections and Yeast Infections)
As soon as you start to feel a little itch or see a slight change in your vaginal discharge, doing a vaginal steam immediately is one of your best bets to clear whatever is creeping in!
Jump on your yoni steam seat with your best herbal blend for vaginal infections (see below for suggested herbal blends) and you’ll be amazed how it disappears.
My advice would be to use yoni steaming for minor infections and preventing further infection, and not for a full blown yeast infection or bacterial infection. Sometimes the moist heat can actually do the opposite effect if the steam is not done early on enough during the vaginal infection.
Emotional Balance for Your Womb Space
Let’s be real, with our long history of patriarchy, misogyny, and the intense world that we live in, just about every woman has experienced some level of trauma or emotional distress related to their womb space and vagina.
One of the biggest benefits of yoni steaming in my opinion is the emotional healing and reconnection with yourself that it fosters. The practice itself is a self care ritual, dedicated to your reproductive system, well being, and womb space that offers a different level of presence with your yoni that finally allows the unfelt things to be felt and to reconnect with your natural essence: a powerful woman.
Sometimes an emotional release blossoms from this presence and more often than not, women describe yoni steam feeling like this deep, sacred warm hug to their entire insides and are left feeling so nurtured, held and safe. Don’t be surprised if your menstrual cycle imbalances and disturbances disappear as you give yourself this level of presence in connection with your yoni.
Additional Yoni Steaming Benefits:
Yoni steams can help regulate the menstrual cycle and balance hormones
Relieves menstrual cramps
Healing vaginal infections such as bacterial infections and yeast infections & harmonizes pH balance
Relieves PMS symptoms such as menstrual cramps, bloating, fatigue, emotional imbalance
Soothes sensitive vaginal tissues - externally, in the vaginal canal and/or womb space
Relaxes “vaginal tightening” and hypertonic pelvic floor muscles / relieves pelvic floor pain
Regulates blood flow: reducing heavy bleeding or increasing blood circulation for scanty periods
Balances, nourishes and tones the uterine lining, vaginal tissues & reproductive system
Helps to balance and increase cervical fluid production / Increase fertility
Reduce and eliminate blood clots, stagnant blood and old residue by increasing blood circulation
Dissolve small ovarian cysts and uterine fibroids
Heal and treat endometriosis
Clears the womb space and reproductive organs from energetic or emotional traumas/boundary violation and offers a space for emotional release
Delivery preparation and labor support to avoid medical interventions
Quickened postpartum healing after birth, miscarriage or abortion
Heals and dissolves scar tissue
Minimizes hot flashes
Soothes menopausal systems like dryness, pain during intercourse or sensitive vaginal tissues
Facilitates deeper self connection, emotional balance, awareness of sexual health
Helps you to thrive in your relationship to your reproductive system, menstrual cycle, creativity and what it means to be a woman/female!
The benefits of vaginal steaming are immense, and can help with all kinds of reproductive health optimization AND with treating specific symptoms or medical conditions too. Plus, it just feels good!
III. Scientific Evidence for Yoni Steams
Science is catching up to ancient wisdom. We all know there are times when mainstream science doesn’t acknowledge or study ancient practices that have shown time and time again to have massive healing benefits. Take meditation for example - meditation was thought of as a “woo woo” topic for decades until science finally decided to study it. Turns out, it has measurable health benefits that now offers scientific evidence… and now everyone acknowledges its validity!
The short answer is that there is no scientific evidence for the benefits of vaginal steams at this time. After all, we are living in the day and age where the female body and women’s reproductive health is still not heavily studied (hi patriarchy!), and instead heavily looked at as “medical conditions” waiting to happen.
For me, scientific evidence is not required to try and test out the benefits of an ancient practice, especially when the risk factors are slim to none. *Please know that while I am a yoni steam practitioner, sex coach and somatic pelvic bodyworker, I am not a licensed healthcare provider, and nothing in this article is medical advice.
There ARE communities that have done 1,000s of case studies on the benefits of yoni steaming, that show that the benefits of vaginal steams are incredibly high. The biggest dangers you’ll see named out there (by the medical community) is that steaming alters pH balance, or causes vaginal infections, bacterial infections, and/or yeast infections. However this has not been proven to be true, and the various case studies that have been done show that vaginal steams perform the contrary, and dramatically help heal various vaginal infections and bacterial infections.
IV. Medicinal Herbs for Yoni Steams
The herbs in the photo above are some of my favorites that I use for my own yoni steam practice. The herbs on the top row (from left to right) are calendula, rose petals and tulsi. The herbs on the bottom row (from left to right) are mugwort, peony root, lavender, don quai, and red raspberry leaf. I recommend using the highest quality organic ingredients you can find.
Here’s a list of some of the best medicinal herbs you can use for your own yoni steam practice:
Mugwort: helps stimulate blood flow, great for delayed menstrual cycle and to reduce clotting
Calendula: soothes irritated tissues, good for sensitive vaginal tissue, anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial (also known as Calendula Officinalis)
Chamomile: relieves menstrual cramps, relaxing, soothes sensitive vaginal tissue, gently encourages menstrual blood flow
Red Raspberry Leaf: antifungal, good for minor yeast infections, antimicrobial, anti inflammatory, tones reproductive organs, relieves menstrual cramps
Thyme: antibacterial and antimicrobial - fantastic for treating bacterial infections, also anti-fungal for treating minor yeast infections
Oregano: antiseptic, cleanses reproductive organs, helps menstrual cramps, antimicrobial & great for treating bacterial infections, stimulates blood flow
Rose Petals: anti-inflammatory, soothing, emotional release/emotional balance, wound healing
Lavender: antiseptic, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, soothing anti-microbial
Rosemary: antifungal, antimicrobial, anti inflammatory – great for vaginal infections, anti-depressant
Burdock: deeply cleansing and restoring of tissues
Basil: nerve tonic, uterine stimulate cleansing/decongestant of mucus membranes
Marigolds: anti-inflammatory, reduces menstrual cramps
Red Clover: reduces hot flashes during menopause, relieves PMS symptoms
Ginger: warming herb, encourages blood flow, menstrual cramp relief
Motherwort: nourishing, restoring all “mothering” qualities
Don Quai (angelica sinensis): the super herb that balances hormones for your menstrual cycle, one of my favorites
Yarrow: It has stimulating and sedative actions on the uterine muscles, making it seem “opposing” in forces. It slows bleeding and is good for those who bleed excessively. Useful to simulate a delayed/absent menstrual cycle, can help to decrease menstrual cramps, and treat ovarian cysts and uterine fibroids. Antimicrobial and antiseptic properties: supportive ally in healing bacterial vaginosis (BV) and other bacterial infections. *Helps fortify boundaries/emotionally supportive.
Yoni Steam Herb Blends for Different Reproductive Health Goals
There are lots of different herbal blends you can use for vaginal steaming, depending on your specific goals. Here you’ll find some of my favorites:
Menstrual Cycle Pain/Menstrual Cramps: cramp bark, motherwort, mugwort, red raspberry leaf
Vaginal Infections, Bacterial Infections, Yeast Infections: Basil, Oregano, Rosemary, Lavender, Calendula
Comfort and Soothing Sensitive Tissues: Calendula, Comfrey, Rose Petals, Chamomile
Regulating Menstrual Cycle: Yarrow, red raspberry, dong quai, motherwort
Encouraging Blood Flow (for clots or delayed menstrual cycle): dong quai , motherwort, mugwort, yarrow
Emotional Healing: yarrow, calendula, rose petals
V. How to Yoni Steam at Home (Easy DIY Steps)
In a large pot, boil 4-6 cups of water.
Reduce heat and add about 4 tablespoons of your medicinal herbal blend.
Let simmer for 5-10 min.
Prepare you yoni steam seat.
If you have a yoni steam seat, you can place the pot inside the sauna box or connect your seat.
If you don’t have a yoni steam seat, then check out my short DIY yoni steam seat video that’ll show you how to easily create a seat without any fancy gear.
Once your setup is ready, test the temperature of steam with your hand.
If it’s too hot, simply add a bit of cold water or wait until it cools a bit.
Another temperature test trick is to cup your vulva with your hand to protect it from too hot of steam, then sit/squat over the steaming water, and slowly remove your hand to test the temperature. If it's too hot, simply cover your vulva, then add a bit of cold water to get the temperature just right. I prefer doing this instead of waiting for the water to cool. The “right temperature” is a personal preference.
Important: You want it to be warm and NOT burning your sensitive vaginal tissues. Some people have sustained second-degree burns on their vaginal area from trying to “tough it out” with water that was too hot.
Once you have a satisfying temperature, take a large blanket or a couple towels and wrap the lower half of your body to keep the warmth of herbal steam in and create a ‘yoni sauna.’
Enjoy here with some deep breaths, nice music, journaling or whatever else feels good to you until the water cools. Sometimes I like to rub some essential oils on my hands and breathe deeply while I steam, making the steam session as rich as possible. I recommend doing whatever it takes to turn your environment into a sacred place, especially if it’s your first time, because pelvic steams can be incredibly powerful.
Average time to steam is 20-45 min.
How to Create a Yoni Steam Seat at Home (Video Guide)
Yoni steam seats are actually very easy to create at home without any special equipment. You don’t need a steam stool, professionally carved piece of wood or fancy designer throne… You just need some books, a pot and a blanket.
In this video you’ll see examples of yoni steam seats you can easily create in the comfort of your own home:
How to Yoni Steam at Home (Full Video Guide)
How Long to Steam
For menstrual cramps, 2-3x right before your bleed (if you’re period is 7 days and do not experience heavy bleeding)
For scanty blood flow: 2-3x right before you bleed
For clotting, dark spotting before period and clearing stagnant blood/old residue: 2-3x before you bleed and 2-3 times when you finish bleeding (or when you have very light spotting at the end of your bleed)
For infection: perform immediately at the onset of symptoms and continue up to 3x until it clears
For fertility issues: 1-2x per week before ovulation (after bleeding stops) *see contraindication below
For healing postpartum: daily for short amounts of time 5-10 minutes 2-3 days after giving birth. Sometimes just standing over the hot pot of water for 5 minutes is plenty if you are still actively bleeding. This helps any residual tissue from birth be shed in a gentle way.
For short cycles: steam 1-2x per cycle anytime outside of bleeding. Note that steaming can encourage bleeding, and is contraindicated the week prior to menstruation if you have short cycles (<25 days).
For Long Cycles: steam 2-4x per cycle
VI. Do NOT Steam When…
Contraindications to Steaming:
You are actively bleeding
You are pregnant
After ovulation *if you are actively trying to conceive*
*A note on IUDs: In my opinion, you can steam for 5-10 minutes, 1-2x per cycle if you have an IUD. I wouldn’t do more than that. Different practitioners have different ideas about this. The risk is that the heat could dislodge an IUD. Use your intuition and do what feels right for you.
VII. Self-Pelvic Massage After Yoni Steaming (Try This!)
Right after vaginal steaming, your pelvic floor is incredibly warm and relaxed, and it’s a perfect time to perform a self massage. Use your intuition to massage your vulva, vagina and perineum after steaming.
And if you want specific tools/tips for how to give yourself a pelvic massage, join me in my monthly Pelvic Mapping Workshop! I’ll guide you through a hands on touch practice to build a deeper, more powerful relationship to your pelvis, pussy and sexuality. Click here to learn more and be sure to join my email list to be notified about each monthly workshop date!
Want to get my FREE guided Pussy Liberation audio practice?
In the practice I will gently guide you into a deeper, more ecstatically loving relationship with your pussy and pelvic region. It’s a beautiful entry point for anyone who wants to feel more alive and free with their sexuality and sexual health.
VIII. Additional Resources to Go Deeper
Learn about your Menstrual Cycle & Track Your Menstrual Cycle — learning how your cycle works on a foundational level as well as how to track your menstrual cycle using the fertility awareness method are by far the most fundamental tools to understand your menstrual cycle, reproductive health, and your own self on a deeper level. If you are desiring to reclaim your relationship to your menstrual cycle and trade shame and pain for thriving cycles and radical self love, check out my course Rich, Red & Ripe: The School for Bleeding Witches to deep dive into the magic of your cycle.
If you are desiring to learn how to track your menstrual cycle for birth control, achieving pregnancy or reading your cycle as a 5th vital sign, my course Remembering your Rhythms is for you! Here you will become unshakably confident in the practice of cycle tracking and finally get actual data on what is happening in each cycle hormonally so you can better ascertain various issues, treat them more clearly, and have natural (drug-free) birth control!
Not ready for a full course yet? Download my free booklet “The Inner Seasons”, which illuminates each of the four phases of your menstrual cycle and tips for attuning your life to your cyclical nature.
DIY Castor Oil Packs are one of my other favorite reproductive health remedies next to vaginal steaming. Check out this video I made to show you how to easily do a castor oil pack at home.
Mayan Abdominal Massage is a specific type of abdominal massage that works to improve the 5 senses of flow to tissues in the abdominal and pelvic regions including blood flow, lymph flow, nerve flow, digestive flow and energetic flow. As a pelvic and abdominal specializing bodyworker, I offer this unique massage approach for all reproductive health goals. Check out my in person bodywork in Asheville, nc.