This yoni massage may prevent your vulva from tearing during labour
+ DIY Ayurvedic Yoni Balm recipe inside
Caution: wait with Yoni Yoga until week 36 or until your Health Care Provider agrees it’s safe to do so. I’d suggest you only make the balm when you first need it (‘cause it’s too tempting otherwise).
What is Yoni Yoga
And how can it help me give birth with the least severe tears possible?
I am unsure if any other Doula’s refer to Perineum Massage as Yoni Yoga. But I myself find the term quite accurate. It’s a self massage practice - but partners are welcome to help - that is done from East to West by countless generations of birthers. So not Ayurvedic Per se. What is Ayurvedic, is the *DIY Yoni Balm* I’m about to share with you.
First things first: why do I need Yoni Yoga and why do I need to do mine with this Balm?
Before your baby makes their way through your Birth Channel, you want to prepare it with Ojas (Sanskrit for immunity and bliss) and suppleness. Besides it being a nice, anointed welcome way to Earth, a little “stash” of health and immunity won’t hurt when you’re recovering after birth. But there’s more. Getting up close and personal with the stretching sensation in your vulva well before your birth portal boosts feelings of safety, birth positivity and body confidence. Simply to connect to your own portal and witness how far she can stretch and then *pop* bounce back… Is a pretty powerful proof of how much You’ve Got This.
Your second question: “Why This Balm?” — honestly, women have used all sorts of lubes to do this practice. And if your Vagina is and has always been blessed with a healthy environment of micro flora, and without any itch, burn, excessive wetness, sensitivity towards candidiasis, little fissures, swelling and so on, you’ll probably be fine with these options. However, when your circulation anywhere lower than the womb is likely to be compromised, which is often the case in pregnancy, it’ll be worth it to think twice before you indulge in both commercial and fresh-from-the-kitchen lubes. Now Licorice Ghee has been used for this specific purpose to stretch and soothe all kinds of pregnant vulva’s for the past 5000 years or so. Sounds pretty solid to me.
Licorice is a demulcent and has the ability’s to soothe, moisten, strengthen and heal. It’s also safe to use when your Yoni likes their yeasts.
Ghee is THE culinary embodiment of Ojas (Sanskrit for immunity and bliss). This is especially true if you get yours organic and from an ethical source. Ghee is good for all three Dosha’s. Most women generate more body heat throughout pregnancy, which contributes to that receptivity for imbalances in and around Yoni. This is in the realm of the Pitta Dosha (Fire). Ghee is especially balancing for said Pitta, or Fire.
The Practice
Practice the massage in a candle lit room, with aroma's, music and other conditions that bring you comfort. Deep breathing and thinking of white or orange light can be off energetic support. You can also seek silence first and find the positive, love evoking visualisation that you want to think of during this practice to make it your own.
And here’s how to carry out the massage:
Wash the hands and use ample liquorice ghee as Yoni's lube. Insert one or two fingers (short nails pls) along the entrance. Just a few inches in you will feel a decrease in cushioning. This is the inner edge of Yoni's muscles. Gently massage in circling movements around the edge. Try to send your awareness to your sense of touch, really feeling each movement. If you can, align your breath with the sense of touch too. As you exhale, stretch the inner muscles firmly enough to feel resistance. Feeling some burn? That’s perfectly normal. Relax into it. Find your own boundary for today’s sesh (as to how far you stretch). Next time, you will go a little further. Continue to increase that stretch about 4 times a week over the next 2 weeks. Then, take some time to reflect in your journal. Do you feel a noticeable difference in stretch limits? How does it feel to stretch today? Is that any different from when you just started?
Tips: if you feel a little nervous about stretching your vulva, try to find deep relaxation first. A warm bath, a full body yoga session, a Yoga Nidra with emotional release - or maybe your way to relax into your body is through dance. It’s also said that your vulva and the throat are magically connected. So try to relax the jaw, sing your favourite song or repeat your seed mantra for 108 times whilst you’re on it.
The Recipe
3 Ingredients
1tbsp Licorice Powder (organic)
4tbsp Ghee (you could make this at home if you like)
8oz Spring Water
How To Make It
Place all the ingredients in a stainless steel pan or either a ceramic or copper milk cooking pan. Constantly stir with a stainless steel spoon whilst the ingredients are melting together over a low flame. You will slowly witness the water dissolve. When all the water is gone, you’ve got your balm for today!! Take it off the heat, pour it into a sterilised jar and allow it to cool so the balm can thicken into that perfect texture.
Simple as that! This should be enough for 1 massage. I’d recommend to discharge of any leftovers since you want to be 100% sure you’re not inviting any bacteria into your birth channel.
Best timing to make it
Although it’s safest to make the medicated Ghee for this *intimate* purpose in tiny portions (so you’ve got enough for just 1 or maybe 2 massages), the most auspicious time for making Ghee is under the Full Moon. 🌕 If you happen to have such a bright light within the time you’re experimenting with the perineal massage, try to schedule 1 x Ghee Making + Self Massage under the Full Moon. You can give it a ceremonial vibe by burning Myrrh and Frankincense Resins, sing a prayer or mantra, and combine it with a Yoga Nidra — preferably one focused on giving birth.