“In the three months of autumn, the shapes of all living things on earth become mature naturally and are ready to be harvested. [One should] keep the spirit tranquil and stable to separate oneself from the sough of autumn by means of restraining the spirit and energy internally and guard the mind against anxiety and impetuosity.” (Su Wen, Ch 2, translation by Wu, 1999, pp.14)
According to the classic Chinese Medicine texts, each season along with the energies of what we call yin and yang are the blueprint to life. We look at each season as an opportunity to tune into the elements associated with it - fire, water, wood, and metal, respectively, and how we can utilize them to bring about harmony in our lives and bodies.
When we transition from one season to the next there is an instinctual desire in many of us, especially women, to clean, organize and let go. This is not random, it is directly related to this blueprint of life we see within the classical texts. This blueprint is found in the menstrual cycle, winter is the time of menstruation, spring is the follicular phase, summer is ovulation and autumn is the luteal phase.
As we transition in our external environment from summer to autumn in the Chinese Medicine calendar we can focus on what this new season represents. Autumn is associated with the element of metal, and the organs of the lungs and large intestine. The lungs symbolize our ability to breathe in life and the large intestine symbolizes our ability to let go of the aspects that no longer serve us or we no longer need. If we tap into this teaching of autumn as it relates to Yoni health, we see this same thing - the womb holds life just as it lets go of an unfertilized egg when life hasn’t been formed. We can support this natural rhythm of the womb with simple practices such as yoni steaming.
When we formulated our KYA Yoni Steam we considered the seasonal changes both externally and internally. Our yoni steam gives a woman the opportunity to not only clean and organize her womb space, as she prepares it for the seasonal change, but it can also help her tap into the teachings of the Su Wen. The guidance of keeping the spirit tranquil and guarding the mind against anxiety and impetuosity. This happens through the special properties of the Chinese herbs found in our steam. These herbs work together to harmonize the mind, body, and spirit.
One of our favorite herbs in our steam is Ze Lan. This beautiful herb has the ability to soothe or sedate the heart through one of its main constituents known as tannins. When our yoni steam is brewing the smell stimulates the olfactory nerves in the nose, and activates parts of the brain, specifically the limbic system, that allow for this sedative action to take effect. The heart in Chinese medicine is associated with emotions, and the element of fire, the season of summer. When the heart is soothed, the mind is free from restraint and the emotions and energy can flow freely. This we can see translated through the context of Yoni health with an easeful transition from each phase of a woman’s cycle up to the release of blood in menstruation.