If this is your first time hearing about sacral steaming you’re in for a treat! Sacral steaming has been a nourishing practice for me and I'm so excited to share some of this goodness with you!
Sacral steaming, yoni steaming, or vaginal steaming is an ancestral practice of using the vapor of hot water, and maybe salt or herbs to support the reproductive system. It has been a practice found all over the world performed by many different cultures. I’ll write a whole other blog about the history of steaming but let's talk about what sacral steaming is!
A hot pot of water and herbs sits in a wooden box or under a stool. And the surface area of the box or stool has a hole on it. A pillow or towel is placed around the hole and the person steaming sits over the hole allowing the steam and herbs to work their way onto and into the person's sacral area.
The steam alone has many benefits but combined with salt or herbs it can make for some real connected transformation.
So here we go!
Here are 3 benefits of sacral steaming!
1. Aids in the the releasing of uterine pathogens
Yeast, mucus, candida, bacteria, and even parasites can make their home inside the uterus and cause issues related to reproductive health and otherwise. Sacral Steaming can gently encourage a release of these pathogens. It’s like when you’re in the shower and you realize you want to blow your nose because mucus has been softened and released by the steam. You might not have had a stuffy nose to begin with, but the steam seems to loosen it up and it comes out with ease.
Steaming is just like that. The steam and vapor touch the external genitalia or vulva and also makes it way inside to the uterus, warming up the sacral space and encouraging release.
After steaming one might notice an increase of discharge.
Just steaming with salt and water can be beneficial in releasing pathogens in the uterus, however steaming with specific herbal blends for disinfection or even parasitic herbs can help to achieve a deeper detox.
2. Postpartum steaming can be beneficial to healing
Doing sacral steams after birth or in the postpartum time can help in the release of lochia or afterbirth matter such as blood, vernix, mucus, and placental tissue. Steaming can shorten the amount of time that one releases lochia.
This sacred practice can help with bowel regularity, hemorrhoid reduction, swelling, and can help heal tears to the vaginal canal and vulva.
Looking back in history we see lots of cultures using steaming primarily as a postpartum practice although some cultures show text and pictures of steaming for other reasons as well.
It’s a beautiful ceremonial practice to close the pregnancy, and birth and welcome the birthing parent into their next journey.
3. Joy and Oxytocin
We often associate pleasurable sensations in the sacral area and/or genital area with sexual experiences. But steaming isn’t that.
Sacral Steaming is unique in that it is pleasurable and it feels really good, yet it's not sexual. And not many of us have experienced pleasure in our sacral area not related to sex.
It’s like being in a shower and turning up the water temperature to just the right spot. That moment when your body says “mmmmm.” It’s like that! Joy!
This practice connects the water, the herbs, your intentions, to your portal! To the womb space. It connects all of you to joy.
There isn’t another joy like this practice.
While steaming, vapor makes its way inside the vaginal canal, into the uterus and touches the cervix. The cervix when stimulated produces oxytocin, the love hormone, or the feel good hormone thus resulting in folks being blissed out, relaxed, and feeling good while they steam.
There are so many more benefits to steaming but I hope you enjoyed these 3.
Blessings!