To conclude the vaginal portion of our Womb Journey we’ll discuss herbs. Herbs are plants with leaves, seeds, or flowers used for medicinal (in our case) purposes. There are nourishing herbs (safest of all), tonic herbs (acts slowly in the body and has cumulative effects), cleansing herbs (stimulates body’s cleansing systems and disease fighting mechanisms), and potentially toxic herbs (most potent medicines of all). Before handling herbs I highly recommend contacting an herbalist if you’re not familiar with the use as they can be hazardous in certain dosages or combined with other herbs and medications.
Teas:
Raspberry Leaf and Black Cohosh are two herbs linked to vaginal health, mainly combating vaginal dryness. They overall are used to treat reproductive health, toning uterine walls and alleviating symptoms of menopause (black cohosh). Raspberry leaf is a nursing herb which rarely has any side effects when taken, where to black cohosh can have negative side effects if taken in large dosages.
Steams:
Vaginal steams are an age old natural remedy believed to cleanse the vagina and uterus, regulate menstruation, and ease period cramps and bloating, as well as boosting fertility. Even though there has been no scientific research performed to verify the validity of the claims, this doesn’t discredit the fact that this procedure indeed works, I can testify that I have experienced a positive outcome following the use of herbal steams. Vaginal steams increase blood flow to the vaginal area due to the moist heat allowing for optimal circulation. The following are a list of herbs used alone or in combination for steam treatments:
- mugwort - wormwood
- chamomile - calendula
- basil - oregano
As stated before, contact an herbalist or certified yoni practitioner for more information on dosage and use before ingesting or steaming. The skin of the vulva is very thin and delicate, you want to be mindful as to not cause an adverse effect to your vagine!
