Have you ever heard of vaginal steaming… and thought… Wait… women are doing WHAT now? Or maybe you’ve heard it called yoni steaming, womb steaming, V-steaming — and you’ve felt curious… but also a little unsure.

Today on I Love Me The Podcast I want to lovingly demystify this ancient women’s practice, share why it’s making such a powerful comeback, and introduce you to Pelvic Steam Therapy — a holistic approach I’ve created that takes vaginal steaming far beyond the physical… into emotional, energetic and subconscious healing.

If you’ve ever struggled with painful periods, hormonal imbalance, fertility challenges, pelvic pain, gynaecological issues or difficulty through the peri menopause years — or if you simply want to feel more at home in your body — this episode is for you.

 

Simple, inspiring lessons in self-love. Hello sacred lady, it’s Tamra here.

Let’s begin with exploring…

What is vaginal steaming?

Vaginal steaming — also known as yoni steaming — is an ancient women’s healing practice that involves sitting over warm, herb-infused steam to gently nourish, cleanse and support the pelvic region.

Despite how ‘new’ it might sound, this practice has been used by women across cultures for thousands of years.

Indigenous healers, midwives, medicine women and shamans all over the world have relied on steam and plant medicine to support women’s health — long before modern medicine existed.

Yes, before modern gynaecology, this was women’s medicine.

It was passed from mother to daughter.

From healer to apprentice.

But at some point in history, this wisdom was interrupted.

As medicine became more institutionalised from around the 18th century onwards, birth and women’s health gradually moved out of the hands of midwives and community healers and into the emerging medical system — led largely by male physicians and hospitals.

Many traditional women’s practices were dismissed or forgotten.

Steaming has however, made its way from ancient times into the modern world with some doctors and international hospitals prescribing steaming.

Although this is not common practice, as the majority of doctors are unaware of the studies and evidence that is out there, and unfortunately this isn’t something they learn at med school.

Yet!

One of the women who did play a HUGE role in bringing steaming and women’s healing practices to the Western world from the 1980s, was Dr Rosita Arvigo.

Rosita shares how when she first learned about steaming from the Mayan healers, that if a woman came to them with a menstrual or reproductive complaint, the first question they would ask her, would be:

“Did you do a vaginal steam?”

Apparently the Mayan elders would ask this of women again and again, because it was such an effective treatment.

Not just to heal a gynaecological issue, but as a self-care practice to help prevent them from occurring in the first place.

And this is what I love most about vaginal steaming.

It puts women back in charge of their pelvic health.

It’s a practice you can do in the comfort of your own home, at a time that suits you, and in a way that invites you to slow down and enter into communication with your body.

I personally prefer the term pelvic steaming, because when we steam, we’re not just affecting the vagina — the entire pelvic bowl benefits.

The vulva, the vagina, the cervix, the uterus, the pelvic floor muscles, the perineum, the bladder and even the colon all receive warmth, circulation and nourishment.

The steam supports the whole pelvic bowl full of fascia and muscles and organs.

This is why I call my work Pelvic Steaming, as opposed to Vaginal steaming.

The uterus or the womb, is the barometer of a woman’s wellbeing.

We are cyclical beings.

Our emotional and physical health is all connected to our womb and how well it cycles.

This is why…

One of the main reasons women turn to vaginal steaming or pelvic steaming, is to help cleanse and rebalance the uterus.

And yes — the uterus is self-cleansing.

That’s what menstruation is designed to do.

To cleanse the uterus.

But here’s the thing:

Many women today are not living in rhythm with their bodies.

Stress, anxiety, suppression, hormonal disruption, rushed cycles, trauma, disconnection, using IUDs and the Pill — all of this can interfere with the uterus’s ability to fully shed each month.

Not to mention sitting too much, and eating a poor diet.

When blood, fluid, or residue is not fully released, stagnation can develop.

And stagnation is the fertile ground where imbalance grows.

Imbalances that can lead to hormonal disruption and a wide range of gynaecological issues.

Yet, steam is such an extraordinary medicine.

It penetrates deeper than water alone.

It lifts, softens, moisturises, and mobilises.

So when we steam the pelvis, we’re essentially receiving a face-lift for down there!!

Because the steam:

• Increases circulation through the pelvis
• Supports organ positioning
• Softens scar tissue, so that over time that scar tissue can dissolve
• Hydrates and tones the skin and tissue
• And encourages movement where there has been stagnation, so we can release old blood and mucus that’s been held in the uterus; the type of retained material, that can lead to an array of different gynaecological issues.

In this way, steaming doesn’t ‘force’ healing.

It supports the body to do what it already knows how to do.

To cleanse and heal itself.

And because, as women, our overall heath depends upon the health of our uterus, when we steam our pelvis, we’re going straight to the source of our problems.

Now, one of the reasons women fall in love with steaming so quickly… is because:

It feels so good.

Warmth is deeply soothing to the nervous system.

Steam softens tissues, increases circulation, and invites the body into relaxation.

When the pelvis relaxes, the whole body can follow.

Steam also creates movement.

It lifts, moistens, tones and gently encourages things that’ve become stuck — physically, emotionally and energetically — to move again.

From a Chinese Medicine perspective, many illnesses stem from ‘stagnation’.

When things aren’t flowing as they should, imbalance sets in.

Pelvic steaming brings heat to the pelvis, which improves circulation, dissolves stagnation and supports the body’s natural self-cleansing processes.

And when the nervous system feels safe and relaxed, that’s when the deeper healing can occur.

Apart from it simply feeling good, let’s take a closer look at how steaming one’s pelvis supports a woman’s health.

While there are not yet large-scale clinical studies on vaginal steaming — largely because there’s no financial incentive to fund research into home-based women’s remedies — there is a growing body of smaller studies and extensive anecdotal evidence.

What’s really interesting is the range of things women start to notice shifting and improving once they begin steaming regularly.

Some women come to it because their periods are hard — painful, heavy, full of clots, or completely unpredictable.

Others are dealing with cycles that’ve gone missing altogether.

As circulation improves and the pelvis starts to soften and release, those cycles usually begin to feel smoother, lighter, and more in rhythm again.

Many women find their way to steaming because of fertility challenges — especially when everything looks ‘normal’ on paper, yet pregnancy still isn’t happening.

In those cases, improving blood flow to the womb, clearing old stagnation, and reconnecting with the pelvic tissues can make a profound difference — not just physically, but emotionally too.

I’ve also seen women turn to pelvic steaming when they’re navigating fibroids, cysts, cervical polyps or endometriosis — conditions that are so often treated as something we just have to manage or surgically remove.

Yet, what I LOVE about steaming, is that, like in the case of fibroids, the warmth from the steam, literally melts the fibroids, so they break down and come out through the menstrual blood.

Which is obviously a much more gentle way of healing, what can be, a debilitating condition.

And I’ll go into depth on fibroids, in the next episode.

Then there’s pelvic pain — things like vulvodynia, vaginismus, or that deep, unexplained tension some women carry in their pelvis.

When warmth, steam and safety are introduced, the tissues can finally relax.

And when the tissues relax, stored stress and emotion often begin to release as well.

I’ve created a free online guide to healing vaginismus, that you can access here.

So as you steam, you’re restoring moisture, vitality and integrity to the vaginal tissues that are porous and absorbent.

And because steaming helps cleanse the uterus and restore the internal environment to one that has a good balance of healthy bacteria, it’s particularly helpful for women with recurring yeast infections, bacterial imbalances or unexplained odour.

So as you can see…

It doesn’t really matter what the pathology is, pelvic steaming is an affective treatment across the board and universally effective for almost any area of pelvic health.

That said…

As with all conditions, when you steam, you do need to use herbs in the water that are specific to your personal imbalance, you need to steam for the appropriate time-length, and there are particular times in a woman’s cycle that are NOT safe for steaming.

This is why it’s always important to have a qualified steam practitioner create a personalised steam plan for you.

Otherwise you can make symptoms worse, or even create new symptoms.

If you’re planning to get pregnant, I highly recommend steaming prior to conceiving, as as it clears out built up gunk that can cause issues during a pregnancy, and can even be harmful to the foetus.

And when a woman has a miscarriage, or an abortion, and even after birth, steaming again, is helpful in helping to clear out the uterus, so it can return to a healthy state.

What I will say through, is that you should never steam while pregnant, and there are strict protocols you need to adhere to in certain situations, hence why you should only steam under guidance.

That’s really important.

Now while it’s usually some physical diagnosis or menstrual issue that brings a woman to steaming…

We can use pelvic steaming as preventative medicine.

Steaming helps maintain a healthy, balanced pelvis throughout a woman’s life, which is why I believe all women should be introduced to this practice, as they come into womanhood.

If a woman began steaming once she got her first period, she would experience so much more ease around her periods, and her monthly hormonal shifts.

She’d feel better connected to her body, and she’d be creating a healthy environment for her pelvis.

Instead of the menstrual cycle being something to fear, woman can learn through this practice, and what I share in my additional lessons in my Pelvic Steam Therapy program, how to use your menstrual cycle as a superpower.

Not something to be endured as part of being a woman, but something that can work for you.

Something to celebrate.

Now…

There are other changes women don’t always expect from Pelvic Steaming…

They include…

Improved lubrication.

More comfort — and often more pleasure — during sex.

A return of libido.

Better sleep.

A calmer nervous system.

Clearer skin.

Improved digestion.

A sense of feeling more at home in their body again.

What I find most beautiful is that for many women, the deepest healing isn’t just physical.

Pelvic steaming can become a way of gently releasing old relationship residue, unresolved grief, sexual or birth trauma, or other experiences that were never fully processed — allowing the pelvis to soften, open and feel safe again.

And when the pelvis feels safe… everything else begins to shift.

For like I said:

A woman’s overall health centres around the health of her womb.

When a woman has a healthy womb, she generally has whole body health, and better emotional ease.

Now, when I was training to become a Vaginal Steam Practitioner, what I noticed was that yes, steaming with prescribed herbs can help guide the body back into health, absolutely.

But, unless the root cause of the physical distress in the body was addressed, then when a woman stopped steaming, those old issues often came back.

And this is why over the past few years, I’ve been creating a steaming program, that weaves in my teachings as a Mental Health Therapist and Women’s Pelvic Health Therapist, so we can go deeper when we steam, through guided meditations that help release old thinkings patterns and beliefs…

The ones that are usually at the root of the condition or issue a woman finds herself with.

Because we only need to look to modern science to know, that physical disease begins with mental and emotional disease.

So in Pelvic Steam Therapy we use the time we steam, to travel deep into our body, let go of whatever emotion or unresolved pattern or belief is maintaining the physical disharmony in the body, so that their can be a shift at the subconscious level.

For that’s what creates long-lasting shifts in our physical health.

In the program, I also include a comprehensive steam plan, specifically for your imbalance, that not only teaches you how to steam, when to steam and with what herbs…

But gives nutritional and lifestyle support, which includes guidance on ways to move your body to release stagnation, how to work with your meridian points to create better energy flow throughout your pelvis and body as a whole, journalling and self-inquiry questions that are directly related to the imbalance you’re currently experiencing, and a one-on-one session with me, to help clear out unresolved emotions and conditioning.

Because the pelvis is not just anatomical.

The pelvis holds stories.

Emotions, trauma, shame, grief, unexpressed experiences and the pressure to ‘hold it all together’ often lodges in the tissues of the pelvic bowl.

Over time, these create tension patterns — what some traditions call ‘armouring’ — that affect circulation, sensation and health.

Yet, when we sit on the steam box, something profound happens.

The warmth tells the nervous system:

You are safe.

As the nervous system softens, tissues soften.

As tissues soften, memory loosens.

As memory loosens, healing becomes possible.

The meditations in Pelvic Steam Therapy are designed to gently rewire subconscious beliefs — not by force, but by felt experience.

Because the body doesn’t heal through logic.

It heals through safety, presence, and warmth.

Of course, sometimes for women, they need someone to hold space for them, and that’s why I am there holding your hand as you release.

Because when a woman feels safe enough to let go, that’s when long-term healing happens.

So inside the Pelvic Steam Therapy program, women don’t just learn how to steam.

They learn how to listen.

To listen to their own body, so they can become their very own healer.

One of the reasons I believe pelvic steaming is essential for all women is because our bodies are constantly changing.

We can use Pelvic Steaming to support every stage of womanhood.

From first bleed… to fertility years… to postpartum… to perimenopause… to menopause and beyond — the pelvis goes on this beautiful journey of transition.

When we’re menstruating, it helps bring the cycle back into balance.

As we enter perimenopause, steaming is a powerful ally, in that it supports full release as our cycles change, balances our hormones as they shift and evolve, maintains circulation, and helps women connect with the wise woman awakening within.

Then after menopause?

Physically, the steam helps nourish the tissues once bleeding has ceased, and maintain circulation and vitality in the body.

Allowing you to continue to get juicy when it matters most!

Emotionally, steaming becomes a ritual of connection.

You may no longer bleed — but your womb is still a creative centre.

You may choose to steam with the moon, or simply when your body asks.

Because at its heart, Pelvic Steaming is not just about fixing symptoms.

It’s about coming home to your body.

It’s about remembering that you are your own best healer — and that your body is constantly communicating with you.

When we take time to sit, receive warmth, breathe, and listen, we begin to trust ourselves again. We become more compassionate.

More respectful.

More attuned to what we truly need.

Pelvic steaming in this way, becomes a ritual of self-love, self-knowing and self-care.

Pelvic steaming reconnects us with the ancient partnership between the female body and the plant world.

Through warmth, steam and intention, we are invited to soften, heal, and once again cherish our wombs and vaginas as wise, sacred parts of who we are.

So… If your body has been whispering — or shouting — for deeper care…

If you’re tired of managing symptoms instead of understanding them…

If you’re ready to reconnect with your pelvis as a place of wisdom, not dysfunction…

Pelvic Steam Therapy is an invitation to reconnect with your body.

To honour your cycles.

To tend to the roots.

And to remember, that healing doesn’t have to be invasive, harsh or external.

Sometimes, it can be as simple — and as profound — as warmth, steam, plants… and heart-felt listening.

Thank you for being here, and for being willing to explore this ancient, powerful medicine with me.

If you feel called to explore it for yourself, you can enrol in my Pelvic Steam Therapy program here.

Once you enrol, you’ll be sent a questionnaire, and once I receive that back, then I can create your personalised Steam Plan for you, and support you in using this practice to bring your pelvic space — and body as a whole — back into health and harmony.

And please know, if you do enrol, a percentage of profits go to planting trees, so we can give back to the beautiful Earth that will be supporting your healing journey through Pelvic Steam Therapy.