Written by my Spring 2017 apprentice, Lauren Scott, this post discusses how vaginal steaming can help period pain!

Luxurious, rejuvenating, and ancient; vaginal steaming is an age-old remedy that women all over the world have been using since the dawn of time to heal various gynecological issues, and achieve an overall healthy cycle. As a safe and effective way to ease period cramps, reduce heavy bleeding, and balance a long spotting cycle, vaginal steaming may just be the solution you’ve been looking for to banish painful periods once and for all.

My Vaginal Steaming Story

I started vaginal steaming after hearing about it just this past year, and all it took was just a couple of steaming sessions for me to see a difference in my period. I didn’t experience as much pain and discomfort, and over time, I saw less and less old brown blood and clots. Now, I am well on my way towards achieving the perfect period, which consists of absolutely no pain, no brown blood, no bloating, and only 4 days of bleeding.

What is Vaginal Steaming and How Can It Help Period Pain?

Steam is healing in three main ways: It’s physically uplifting, it moves and erodes, and it cleanses. Steaming can be used to help improve stagnation and remove old residue in the vaginal canal and womb space. When the blood from the previous menstrual cycle has not been properly cleansed, the body recognizes this as a foreign substance and will activate the muscles in the abdomen to try and push it out. This results in painful cramps. Vaginal steaming for periods can help get rid of cramps by helping to cleanse the uterus of old residue and speed up blood flow to improve circulation and help the body’s own cleaning mechanisms.

The signs that there is old residue in the body are brownish blood, cramps, clots, stringy blood, ovulation pain, periods longer than four days, menstrual cycles longer than 31 days, heavy bleeding accompanied by cramps, irregular cycles, PMS, PMDD, fibroids, cysts, endometriosis, bloating, and more.

Vaginal steaming involves sitting over a pot of steaming hot water infused with healing herbs. Steaming can be done for seven minutes, and up to 45 minutes, and it’s incredibly relaxing. When done right, vaginal steaming can help women achieve a period with no pain or bloating, no brown blood, that is only four days long with a cycle that is 28-30 days long.

How To Do Vaginal Steaming at Home

First of all, it’s important to know when you should not steam. You should NEVER steam when you are on your period, if you’re pregnant, and after ovulation if you’re trying to get pregnant.

Other contraindications for steaming are when there is excess heat in the body, which may look like hot flashes, night sweats, or fevers. Those with excess heat should steam for no longer than seven minutes, or wait until the excess heat has subsided.

 Vaginal Steaming Protocol for Old Residue

  • Steam for 3-5 days in a row on days 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26 of your cycle, before your next period. Even if you have a long cycle, steam on these menstrual cycle days to help regulate and shorten your cycle.
  • Once all red blood has stopped, steam again for another 3-5 days in a row. You can steam when there’s old brown blood, just never fresh red blood. Try this for at least two to three cycles, and see if the brown blood goes away. If not, continue this protocol until you have no old brown blood left and you start and end your period on fresh red blood.
  • Steam for at least 30-minutes, and no longer than 45-minutes at a time

The steam is what delivers the majority of the healing actions, but adding in about a cup of herbs can aid the process. Some of the best herbs for vaginal steaming are rose petals, lavender, white sage, parsley, witch hazel, chamomile, dandelion, mugwort, and peppermint.

Setting Up a Vaginal Steaming Session

Once you have your herbs, if you’re using them, add them to a pot with about 6-8 cups of water over medium heat for ten minutes. When the water is just starting to bubble, turn the heat off and place the pot inside of your steam sauna, underneath a chair with a hole cut out in the seat, or, pour the water into a bowl and straddle it with your knees on either side on the floor with a blanket. Lean forward onto a pillow, set a timer and relax.

Unless you have a short cycle that’s 27 days or shorter, or have excess heat in the body, you can steam for 30 to 45 minutes. Because short cycles are sensitive, a short steam of 10 minutes with gentle herbs is enough to help balance the cycle.

Women with excess heat (as described above) should steam for only 7-8 minutes, with gentle herbs and no cloak or blanket wrapped around them. If you want to steam for longer, you’ll want to look into purchasing a vaginal steam sauna box or chair.

Honor Your Cycle and Begin Your Journey Towards a Painless Period

Vaginal steaming is a wonderful way not only to ease some of the physical woes of the period but also to honor our feminine cycles and appreciate them. Vaginal steaming is truly a guilt-free pleasure and it’s incredibly relaxing and luxurious. I love what vaginal steaming has done for my periods, but also for the time it’s given me to simply sit and focus 100% on taking care of myself, in that moment.

About Lauren:

Lauren Scott, Women’s Holistic Health Coach, Vaginal Steaming Practitioner.  Having pursued education in women’s hormonal health, holistic nutrition, natural beauty, and vaginal steaming, Lauren Scott’s passion is helping women achieve optimum health and wellness, while reconnecting with their feminine intuition. You can learn more about her unique offerings on her website.

If you want to try vaginal steaming for period pain and to start honoring your cycle, reach out to Lauren directly at

tr*******************@gm***.com











 and she can help you create a custom steaming protocol just right for you.