Ancient technique used to increase fertility and invigorate the female anatomy is finally finding a home in modern medicine
Our usually rapid march towards ever more technological and scientific medicinal cures has recently taken a much-needed pause to investigate the case for preventative medicine. This reorientation towards prevention not only applies to preventing cancer or the effects of aging but also the female anatomy.
Korean, Russian, Philippine and Mexican women have relied on herbal vaginal steams to cleanse their anatomy for centuries, and the idea that these steams may help reduce the number of hysterectomies performed within the United States (which is the second most likely surgery for a woman to undergo in this country, according to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) is rapidly gaining traction.
Imagine, here, in San Diego, a different, easier way to optimum female health. Imagine a private, comfy, and softly lit room in the offices of Reproductive Wellness, an esteemed San Diego fertility clinic. Inside, a woman sits over a dark green vase emitting an aromatic steam that fills the room with the scent of roses, lavender, and chamomile. This steam is then combined with Mayan abdominal massage, a guided meditation or more, to create a truly relaxing and detoxifying experience.
A regular schedule of thirty minute sessions on the steam chairs have been widely credited to cleanse the uterus, decrease painful or irregular periods, prevent yeast infections, painful intercourse, and hemorrhoids, amongst other benefits. Furthermore, these steam baths can be used to help induce pregnancy.
Philippians, Koreans, Mexicans and Russian women, who remembered the traditions from their country, have practiced vaginal steams in this country as folk medicine for centuries. However, it was Dr. Rosita Arvigo, who journeyed into Belize over forty years ago for a ten-year apprenticeship with Mayan doctor Don Elijio Panti, who would be instrumental in ensuring Mayan steams reached a wider audience the United States.
Joanna Yañez, an alert and passionate young woman from Ramona, California, is the link between this ancient medicine and San Diego. Ms. Yañez traveled across Mexico absorbing traditional folk medicine and studied under Dr. Arvigo before returning to San Diego where she has been practicing traditional medicine and massage therapy for over a year.
Although the benefits of traditional steams have yet to be evaluated by rigorous clinical testing, there is a large body of anecdotal evidence indicating the effectiveness of the treatment. Chiropractors, health clinics, gynecologists, are increasingly endorsing the idea as its popularity spreads throughout the country.
Monique Davis , a young woman suffering from Crohn’s Disease, began seeing Joanna in October of 2012, and noticed an immediate improvement not only in the intensity of her Chrohn’s Disease but also in the overall health of her female anatomy.
Aliana Gallegos, who has been seeing Joanna for only a few months, noted a reduction in the severity of menstrual cramps after simply two sessions, and says she thinks of the treatment as a mini-sauna for the most important part of her anatomy.
Joanna Yañez says the primary purpose of the steam is to bring, “warmth, nourishment, and to cleanse the womb.” Yañez goes on to note this cleansing of the uterus “renews the lining, making it periods less painful, and conceiving easier by providing the reproductive system with optimum health and circulation.”
Currently herbal Vsteams are only offered in the San Diego area by Joanna Yañez. The vsteams are available by booking an appointment to see either Joanna at Reproductive Wellness or Nature’s Whisper Yoga Studio. Joanna can be reached by phone at (619) 320-5253, or online at www.rebirthmayamassage.com
--E. Debruin