The Slow Yes: Peristeam for Fibroids, Cysts & Beyond
When the standard options don’t feel like yours, this might.
This post is part 3 of a 6-part blog series on Peristeam and Pelvic Health.
Explore the full series below.
(You’re also welcome to visit our Pelvic Health overview page for more context.)
The Slow Yes: Peristeam for Fibroids, Cysts, and Beyond (you’re here)
Peristeam for Teens’ Menstrual Wellness (coming soon)
Peristeam and Mind-Body Integration: Healing from the Inside Out (coming soon)
Before You Steam: What Every Curious Pelvis Owner Should Know (coming soon)
For those navigating conditions like fibroids or endo, care often feels limited to suppression or surgery. This piece explores how peristeam, rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine, can gently support gynaecological health, offering a slower, body-honouring alternative.
There Has to Be Another Way
Fibroids. Cysts. Endometriosis. PCOS. Infertility. Irregular bleeding.
The list of gynaecological conditions is long, and the standard menu of treatments often includes: “Try this pill,” “Come back when it’s worse,” or “You’ll need surgery.”
If that’s all you’ve been told, you’re not alone.
But there are other ways. Slower, quieter, root-level approaches that don’t suppress or surgically alter the body just support it in doing what it’s designed to do.
Peristeam is one such approach. It’s not a miracle cure or a one-size-fits-all fix, but it can be part of a powerful care plan that honours your cycle, your symptoms, and your body.
What Counts as a “Gynaecological Concern,” Anyway?
It’s a bit of a vague term, we know. But here’s what we’re really talking about:
Fibroids
PCOS
Ovarian cysts
Endometriosis
Adenomyosis
Cervical dysplasia
Infertility and miscarriage
Organ prolapse or uterine prolapse
Post-surgical recovery (e.g. D&C, LEEP, laparoscopy)
These conditions are more than just clinical diagnoses. They can affect your energy, emotions, fertility, digestion, mood, and even your sense of identity.
Not Just a Uterus Problem: What TCM Says
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), we don’t just zoom in on one symptom or body part. We zoom out.
Imagine a withering leaf on a tree. Instead of only looking at that one leaf under a microscope, we’d ask: What’s the soil like? Is there sunlight? Is the tree thirsty? Are the roots blocked? That’s how we look at gynaecological health, too.
Many of these conditions show up in TCM as combinations of:
Blood stasis (sluggish blood → pain, masses, clots)
Phlegm or damp accumulation (cysts, heaviness, discharge)
Cold in the uterus (chronic pain, poor circulation)
Qi stagnation (stress, PMS, mood swings, irregularity)
Treating these doesn’t mean fighting your body, it means supporting its balance through warmth, movement, nourishment, and flow.
What is Peristeam?
Peristeam, sometimes called vaginal steaming or yoni steaming, is a gentle form of hydrotherapy where warm steam, often infused with herbs, is directed toward the perineum to support pelvic and reproductive health.
While it may seem like a modern trend, peristeam has deep roots in many traditional healing systems across the globe. Long before gynaecology became a surgical specialty, people were using steam, warmth, and herbs to care for the pelvic region with intention and care.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), peristeam is viewed as a type of external herbal therapy. It’s not a one-size-fits-all ritual, but something that can be tailored to support the body’s unique needs, especially when navigating conditions like fibroids, endometriosis, or irregular bleeding.
Despite its simplicity, peristeam is often deeply nourishing. It’s warm. It’s grounding. And when practiced regularly, weekly, or timed with the menstrual cycle. It offers a quiet, non-invasive way to support healing and restore balance.
So… Can Peristeam Actually Help?
It can, when done with care.
Peristeam works by warming the pelvic region and inviting gentle circulation of Qi and Blood. It helps with sluggish blood circulation, dispel cold, and clear excess dampness or heat. This can make a meaningful difference in conditions like fibroids, cysts, endometriosis, and irregular bleeding.
It’s not instant. But it’s not invasive either.
When used alongside acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, lifestyle adjustments, Chinese Medicine Nourishment (Dietary Therapy), and cycle tracking, peristeam can be a deeply supportive addition to a long-term care plan.
Healing Is a Slow Art, But Worth It
Let’s be honest: this is not a “3 steams to a fibroid-free life” type of journey.
But steaming is just 10–30 minutes a week. A warm pot of herbs. A towel. A little quiet.
It’s you coming home to your body.
Week by week. Month by month. Cycle by cycle.
This type of autonomy and self-care is very rewarding.
When Steaming Isn’t the Right Option
There are a few conditions where caution or temporary avoidance is needed:
Hormonal contraceptive patch or implant
Essure or tubal coagulation (non-surgical sterilization)
Uterine ablation or fibroid embolization
These procedures create intentional scarring or structural changes. Steam may reduce scar tissue and unintentionally reverse the effects.
In these cases, steaming might still be possible, but only with careful guidance and a full consultation.
Also avoid steaming:
During fresh bleeding or spotting (wait 24 hours after it stops)
Less than 6 weeks after surgery
If pregnant or possibly pregnant
As always, start with a personalized consult to assess timing, safety, and fit.
A Gentle Yes to Another Option
The path forward doesn’t have to be sharp or sterile. It can be soft, rooted, and wise.
Peristeam won’t be right for everyone, but for many, it’s the first thing that’s felt right in a long time.
Coming Up Next:
Next week, we’re shifting gears, we’ll explores how peristeam can support teens. Yes, teens! Not every pelvic concern starts in adulthood. Preventing or treating pelvic concerns early can save their hassles down the road.