Mother Earth has a plethora of lessons to share with us, and an unlimited amount of medicine we can benefit from. Plants hold the essence of that medicine and have been used in vaginal steaming for centuries. Medicine women gathered these herbs and flowers and used them to treat all kinds of ailments.

In our modern world now, we have access to hundreds of herbs online and in stores, and less so through traditional gathering methods. Learning about these herbal allies is one way to connect the link with the power of Mother Earth and our own being. Each plant has a different lesson and use. Yoni steaming is one way to use the medicine and teachings of these herbs, supporting your spiritual and physical health in the process (if you want to learn more about how to properly yoni steam connect with me or read here for more information).

Here are just SOME of the herbs that can be used for yoni steaming and a few additional tidbits of information on how to use the herbs for other purposes. Many of them are safe to use in teas, baths, beauty treatments and for spiritual and ritual work too!

My top herbs for Yoni Steaming AND MORE

(In alphabetical order and in common names for ease)

Astragalus

Overall: This is a powerful rooted herb for raising energy, immune function, and balancing the nervous system. It reduces or improves fatigue as well. Drinking it in tea is great.

Steaming: In Yoni Steaming it is used for a very particular purpose! To stop excessive bleeding, lengthen short cycles, and improve uterine sensitivity. What does this mean? It means when using Astragalus for steaming it should only be used with those that have too many periods (less than 27 days a month, or twice a month) and experience intermittent spotting. The goal of this herb is to help balance and lengthen the cycle. You would not want this if your cycle is already balanced or if it is infrequent or absent.

Spiritually: this herb is used in Chinese medicine to support energy-building and focusing and in some earth-based work for initiations.

Calendula

Overall: This healing herb is used in many beauty and wellness products. It is soothing to skin irritations and therefore great to add to baths. It can also be eaten, the fresh or dried petals added to salads (or my favorite with cashew-based vegan cheeze!) Therefore it is also great in tea!

Steaming: Calendula is used to move blood and promote bleeding (so it’s great for those who are missing their period maybe due to stress or low weight), as an anti-bacterial and anti-fungal and to moisturize the tissues!

Spiritual: Calendula is a herb of the sun, of happiness, and of brightness. Therefore it is great to use when needing to call in the healing energy of the sun, success, and good luck.

Lavender

Overall: Of all the herbs available to us, Lavender is probably one of the most widespread in home and beauty products and scents. Even as a dried herb, a little goes a long way, and the scent will last a long time. It can be bothersome to some people with allergies or scent sensitivities, but for many, it has an immediate relaxing and calming effect.

Steaming: Lavender is used for both aromatic and relaxing effects. It is also disinfecting, meaning it has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties and can aid in cleansing bad bacteria and odor.

I use lavender in Yoni Steaming and in dream pillows (more on dream pillows another time!). But you can also use it in sachets to freshen drawers, closets, or bags, or add it to baths to soothe and relax.

Spiritually: lavender is also connected to psychic awareness and the clearing of spiritual energy.

Mint or Peppermint

Overall: Cooling, relaxing, and great for easing uncomfortable digestion and bloating, these herbs are obviously great in tea and water infusions. Adding to baths or in a room spray clears, energizes, and uplifts.

Steaming: mint is used to deodorize (help with odor) and improve digestion as well as cool down the tissues. This is helpful for those experiencing hot flashes, night sweats, or living in a hot climate.

Spiritually: mint and peppermint are used for luck, money, energizing, and clearing the way for abundance!

Motherwort

Overall: This herb is nurturing and great for those who feel they need some care and attention. I use this herb in tea to help with a frazzled, tired, and stressed system. It is very herby and earthy tasting, so not palatable to everyone, but the effect is similar to your mother bringing you a warm drink, as you lay cozy in your bed.

Steaming: this herb is used for cleansing and clearing stagnation, as it moves blood. Those who bleed too often would not use this herb. But those that are missing periods, or have a lot of clotting and stagnation in their bleeding will benefit from this herb. As it is also high in nutritional value, it is a blood tonic and nourishes the tissues while also adding moisture.

Spiritually: Motherwort can also be used to promote the healing of feminine wounds, feel protected, and soothe fear or anxiety!

Nettles

One of the most effective and nourishing herbs is Nettles.

Overall: Nettles are full of vitamins and minerals (calcium, iron, magnesium, B vitamins, etc.) and therefore make a powerful ally in anyone’s medicine bag. However, nettles are particularly great for women as the iron and calcium contents are high and easy to absorb. During and after your period drinking nettle tea will help replenish your stores and nourish your body. They also have an anti-histamine effect meaning they help reduce allergy symptoms.

Steaming: Nettles are often used as a base in most formulas, as they are safe for just about everyone and their unique cycle and because the nutrient content is so high. They nourish the tissues, blood, and kidneys, and moisturize and strengthen the uterus. They have a very earthy, nurturing energy and therefore are perfect for supporting self-care.

Want to balance your menstrual cycle from a holistic perspective and get down and close to your womb power?

The Menstrual Empowerment Course is for you!

Oat straw

Overall: A grassy, nutritious herb, with a nutrient content higher than oatmeal! As the flavor is mild, oat straw is nice in a nourishing tea and it has comparable and in some instances higher nutritional value than nettles. It restores the whole body (skin, nerves, bones, etc.)!

Steaming: Oatstraw is a good, gentle herb that adds nutritive value to the steam and therefore tissues. It is cooling and moisturizing and works as a blood and kidney tonic. While safe for almost everyone (unless you have an allergy), Oatstraw is particularly helpful for those who have heat issues, hot flashes, stress, and tension.

Spiritually: oatstraw has connections to harvesting, abundance, and sexual energy (sow your wild oats)!

Red Raspberry Leaf

Overall: Well known as THE women’s herb. Red Raspberry nourishes the uterus, uterine lining, and digestive tract, as well as helps with canker sores or gum issues. The high content of vitamin C, calcium, and iron also make it a powerhouse for nourishing the body and it is common to see it used in tea and is therefore beneficial to anyone.

Steaming: it is used as a blood tonic (providing nutrients to the blood) and can help with cramping, painful cycles, stagnation, and clotting. If you combine the use of Red Raspberry Leaf before you start bleeding and in tea before and during your bleeding, you may have fewer PMS symptoms as well.

Spiritually: Similar to Motherwort, Red Raspberry leaf can support spiritual work regarding mothering, nurturing protection, and support. It may also support pregnancy or fertility magic.

Roses

Overall: A beloved plant, known for promoting self-love, romance, and heart-based healing. The pink or red petals make a yoni steaming blend so beautiful.

Steaming: Roses are cleansing and tonifying to the tissues and will promote the movement of blood. They are also anti-inflammatory. Energetically they promote healing and self-love and can be used to add these energetics to your steaming ritual.

Spiritually: roses are great to use when needing to boost self-acceptance, and positive vibes, create abundance, and assist with emotional healing from grief, loss, betrayal, or disconnection from the beauty of life.

Rose petals are great to add to food, to tea or baths, or to dream pillows to promote the energies described above! You may also see it in flower essences.

This is just a small list of herbs that can be used! Different parts of the world have used what is available to them, intuitively gathering the plants of their region. Oftentimes there is overlap, as one plant can have different names in different parts of the world. Other plants and herbs (though still not an exhaustive list), to mention are:

Horsetail - similar to oat straw with extra benefits to the hair, nail, skin, and connective tissue due to the silica content.

Lemon/ Lemon Peels - helps to reduce odor, and improve digestion as well as brighten and cheer.

Mugwort - used for spiritual development, dream work, in flower essences, and in yoni steaming it helps to decrease or postpone bleeding, so is used for those with short or too frequent cycles and who are prone to spotting.

Pau-D’Archo - an anti-candida herb, therefore it is very disinfecting and cleansing and should be used sparingly. It is powerful for supporting blood sugar levels as well.

Sage - is anti-fungal and anti-bacterial, it is cleansing and will help to reduce damp infections or discharge. Most are aware of the spiritual use of sage and it should be sourced ethically, but culinary sage is just as potent and very easy to find and grow.

Yarrow - a moisturizing kidney tonic that builds energy while also decreasing bleeding when used in yoni steaming. It can also help with hemorrhoids and UTIs.

It is important to mention that if you have any allergies, you will not want to steam with that particular herb, just as you wouldn’t want to eat it or drink it.

Those with troublesome cycles and disorders or conditions should work with a trained practitioner to pick the right herbs and create a protocol that will properly address your symptoms. Yoni Steaming can support spiritual work, energetic cleansing, and intuition as well, used as a ritual, it is very powerful. Other benefits have been discussed in previous posts, but traditionally it has also been used to promote sexual pleasure, lubrication and to cleanse after intercourse, as well as assist in womb and uterus healing after giving birth.

My desire here is to educate and empower you to explore these plants and the medicinal gifts they offer. There is a vast amount of information out there, but don’t be overwhelmed. You can always start with one plant that calls to you and try adding it to your tea, or take a ritual bath with it and see how it feels.

With love,

Ashley