Steaming Your Way to a Better Period
There’s more to menstrual health than painkillers and birth control pills
This post is part 2 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.)
Steaming Your Way to a Better Period (you’re here)
The Slow Yes: Peristeam for Fibroids, Cysts, and Beyond (coming soon)
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)
Many people have been taught to expect pain, clots, and chaos as part of their period—but from a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) perspective, those symptoms are signs that something’s out of balance, not inevitable. This post explores what a healthy menstrual cycle looks like through the TCM lens, why issues like cramps or irregularity happen, and how peristeam can help address the root patterns—gently and naturally.
Menstrual Woes Are Common. But Not “Normal”
Cramps. Clots. Mood swings. Sugar cravings. Flooding...
Many people assume these symptoms are just part of having a uterus. After all, if everyone else seems to have them, they must be normal, right?
But from a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) perspective (and even in western medicine), menstrual pain, irregularity, or unpleasant symptoms aren’t actually normal. It means that your body is asking for support, not punishment.
Also, in TCM, menstruation is seen as a vital sign, just like your pulse or body temperature. When your cycle is off, it’s the body’s way of calling out for attention and care. And that’s where peristeam (also called vaginal or yoni steaming) can come in.
What Is a Healthy Menstrual Cycle in TCM?
Here’s what a balanced, healthy period looks like from a TCM standpoint:
Arrives every 26–30 days (21–35 is considered a wide healthy range)
Lasts 3–7 days
About 35 mL of total blood loss (2–3 tablespoons)
Fresh red blood, minimal clots
No spotting before or after
Odourless
Little to no PMS, cramps, headaches, or digestive symptoms
Sounds like a unicorn? But this is what normal actually looks like.
The idea that we must suffer through our cycles is outdated. In TCM, menstruation reflects overall vitality. The uterus is considered one of the Extraordinary Organs, which says a lot about its power and complexity. Pain is not its default state. And pain is not the uterus's fault.
Why Menstrual Issues Happen (Through the TCM Lens)
In Chinese Medicine, the body is a reflection of nature, and vice versa. Just like the seasons shift, so does our internal landscape.
If you're new to TCM, you might want to peek at these first:
TCM 101 Blog Series: What Is TCM, Really?
Five Elements Blog Series: Living with the Nature That Lives Within Us
TCM views symptoms as clues. Instead of stopping them, we ask why they’re happening. Here are a few common patterns behind menstrual imbalances:
Liver Qi stagnation: stress, PMS, mood swings, breast tenderness, irregular periods, sharp cramps
Blood stasis: stabbing pain, dark blood, big clots, pain relief after passing clots
Cold in the uterus: blue-tinged clots, cold hands/feet, raw food-heavy diet, pain relieved by warmth
Heat: burning cramps, heavy bleeding, irritability, acne, constipation
Dampness/Phlegm: bloating, sluggish digestion, stringy or sticky blood, foggy thinking, cysts or fibroids
In clinical practice, there are over 30 different diagnostic patterns for menstrual concerns. That’s why individualized care matters, whether it’s herbs, acupuncture, food therapy, or… steam.
Would like to dive deeper on this topic? We invite you to visit our Menstrual Cramps page.
What is Peristeam?
Peristeam (aka. vaginal steaming or yoni steaming) is a gentle hydrotherapy in which warm (not hot) herbal steam is directed toward the perineum to support healing in the pelvic region.
This practice has been quietly present for generations across many cultures, long before surgical interventions and hormone therapies became the norm in gynaecological care. It was once a common home ritual—passed down through families as part of everyday body wisdom.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), peristeam fits within a broader system that honours the whole body. The uterus is viewed as one of the "Extraordinary Organs," intimately connected to the Heart and influenced by emotions, lifestyle, food, and the cycles of nature. Peristeam is simply one of the ways we support the body's rhythm, rather than override it.
It’s a revival. A return to rooted, body-honouring care that gently encourages balance without suppressing symptoms or altering physiology. For many, it’s not just a treatment, it’s a ritual of reconnection.
How Peristeam Supports Menstrual Health
Peristeam supports menstrual health by working with the why behind your symptoms, not just the surface.
It may help:
Warm the uterus and dispel cold
Move Qi and Blood to ease pain and clotting
Soothe the nervous system
Regulate cycle timing and length
Drain excess dampness
Clear heat
Nourish Qi and Blood
Improve body awareness and connection
Matched with the right timing, duration, and herbs, peristeam becomes a personalized ritual of care—not a cookie-cutter solution.
When to Steam (Cycle Timing Matters!)
Steam isn’t for every day of the cycle. More isn’t always better.
Avoid steaming when:
Actively bleeding (fresh red blood or spotting)
You have a very short cycle or spontaneous bleeding
You’re within 6 weeks of surgery
You’re pregnant or possibly pregnant
You use a hormonal contraceptive patch or arm implant
You have Essure or tubal coagulation sterilization
You’ve had uterine ablation or fibroid embolization
When in doubt, consult first. The right herb + wrong timing = not ideal. The goal is to make things better, not worse.
Closing Thought
You don’t have to dread your cycle. With the right support, it can become predictable, manageable, even meaningful. Peristeam offers a gentle way to reconnect with your body and honour your rhythms, rather than override them.
Coming Up Next:
Blog 3: The Slow Yes: Peristeam for Fibroids, Cysts, and Beyond (Peristeam for Gynecological Concerns)
We'll explore how peristeam may support conditions like fibroids, cysts, and more—and what to know if you're navigating those diagnoses.