Yoni Steaming Benefits: Alternative Care For Our Sacred Space 

As women of color, we are often directed by society on how to best deal with our physical and reproductive care without knowing the serious ramifications. It is no surprise that people of color have a tumultuous relationship with the medical profession when large-scale abuses such as the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment, Henrietta Lacks’s unsanctioned cell harvesting, and unconsented birth control testing in Puerto Rico in the 1950s, have all exploited bodies of color for medical gain. The 2007 book Medical Apartheid: The Dark History Of Medical Experimentation On Black Americans from Colonial Times To The Present by Harriet A. Washington details the longstanding history of medical experimentation on African Americans dating back to enslavement.

It is for all these reasons and more that we must make informed decisions about our reproductive care. There has been a recently surging movement for alternative and natural menstrual products given the dangerous chemicals in mass-produced ones. The demand for doulas, pregnancy and birth professionals, has been steadily rising. I am sure the latest research on staggering disparities for infant mortality rates and maternal mortality rates in Black families has played a role in that. 

So, in what other ways can we harness control of our reproductive and spiritual health? Yoni Steaming.

 Yoni Steams

Yoni steaming, also known as vaginal steaming, derives its name from the Sanskrit word for womb or vagina. It is native to indigenous cultures around the world, particularly in Africa, Asian, and the Mayans in Central America. A yoni steam involves boiling water infused with healing herbs and slightly sitting over the steam to allow the warmth to permeate the reproductive system. 

While there has yet to be medical research on the definitive benefits of yoni steaming, women across the world have reported that it has helped them to regulate menstrual cycles and treat infertility. A number of spas offer steam treatments, but you can also do them at home. The growing popularity for steaming has also given birth to a myriad of women-owned businesses that sell specially curated herbal blends for you to use at home. These blends can treat cysts, vaginal and urinary infections, fibroids, PCOS, menopause, and postpartum. They can also cleanse the uterus and aid in blood circulation. 

According to Vibrant Souls Devi Steam, there is often uterine lining build-up that remains in the uterus after a menstrual cycle. This build-up is often the source of pain like cramping. Yoni steaming helps to release this build-up through the swelling of the vulva and blood vessels that carry the absorbed oils to the perineal tissue.

As seen from the video linked above, at-home treatments can be done simply using a pot of boiling water or with a specially-made steam seat. Most recently, LEIAMOON launched a Kickstarter for an electronic steam seat that is available for preorder.  

The Sexual, Emotional, And Spiritual Benefits Of Yoni Steaming

Yoni steaming also has a number of other benefits, including increased sex drive. Aside from the more evident advantages, there are those who believe yoni steams also help us tap into an intimate self-awareness and self-love that we are not otherwise taught to have. As women of color, we are often taught to suppress our sexuality. 

We are awed and lusted after for our curves and full figures but are not expected to, let alone educated, on having a say in our own pleasure. We are the captains of our bodies and should, therefore, form a healthy, intricate relationship with our innermost selves. This connection is one that is separate from our physical relationships to partnered sex or motherhood. 

It is for that reason that steamers also laud the practice as being deeply spiritual and beneficial for your emotional wellness. In the same way that massages and spa treatments allow you to reconnect to your body, yoni steams do the same while affirming your femininity and physical energy. Not only has steaming been reported to reduce stress and depression, but it also helps to detoxify energies. It may release stored emotions, sexual traumas, and other negativity that has occurred to your sacred space or your body in general. 

Black Girl Bliss is a spiritual, sexual, and self-care educational platform for Black women and femmes that champions women’s special feminine energy. In the platform’s book Pussy Prayers: Sacred and Sensual Rituals for Wild Women of Color, the womb is described as the “physical center of sacred feminine intuition and power” from which our intrinsic divinity derives. Many have celebrated yoni steaming for opening them to harness their power and new depths of creativity. When understanding that our bodies are for more than procreation, the possibilities are limitless. 

Give Yoni Care Some Careful Thought

Whether or not you try a yoni steam, I am of the firm belief that we should know all parts of our body. We should know it so well that when something feels even slightly off-balance, we are fully aware. I am also of the firm belief that it is okay to try anything once; that is the only way you’ll know what you think about it. Get to know your yoni and get to better know yourself. 

*Note: Yoni Steams are regarded as “alternative medicine” and are not approved by the FDA to diagnose or treat any disease and are not replacements for seeking professional medical advice.

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