herbal remedies to heal fibroids & menstrual pain
reclaiming ancestral and indigenous wisdom for whole-body healing
Have you ever wondered if you could experience your period differently?
For as long as I can remember, I’ve accepted long, heavy cycles, lower back pain, breast swelling, mood swings, and bloating as just a normal part of being in a female body.
I’ve endured bleeding through multiple pads a day, through my clothes, and onto seats or beds. I’ve felt so much shame and embarrassment needing to hide my mess and the stain of being a woman. I never even considered that there could be another way to experience my period, let alone that there is one.
Now add in menstruating with fibroids or any other uterine ailment. The pain and discomfort is amplified to an entirely new level. It can be so unbearable that it becomes difficult to leave home.
This was my reality for many years until I discovered that certain herbs could relieve uterine pain and discomfort. It astounds me that I never thought Mother Nature might hold the cure. Like many women, I had no idea how to heal my uterine pain. We've normalized and accepted our severe pain as “just the way it is.”
In light of this, I remind myself to be compassionate and offer myself grace. I know I'm not alone in feeling lost and helpless when it comes to treating uterine pain.
It took 31 years for herbalism to enter my awareness as a pathway for healing my womb. After having a series of yeast infections in 2020, my friend gave me a packet of pre-blended herbs to steam the vagina. After just one steaming session, my entire energetic field felt purified and cleared. I knew that I was onto something. I stopped having the yeast infections and I felt so relieved. To learn more about Yoni Steams, please see my letter, the wisdom of the womb.
Healing the uterus with herbs is an ancestral practice that has been stripped from our memories and consciousness through colonization and patriarchy.
In her renowned feminist work Caliban and the Witch, Silvia Federici argues that the medical industry's inception and success in Medieval Europe hinged on the complete eradication of herbal and plant medicine. Unfortunately, this also led to the demise of community healers, who were predominantly women at the time.
I believe that healing the womb is also hinged on women returning and reclaiming herbalism and plant medicine as their feminine and ancestral birthright.
This is what I am sharing with you today. Nature is specifically formulated to support women with maintaining a healthy and balanced menstrual cycle, shrinking fibroids, and preventing bacteria, toxins or abnormal growths to occur.
What is perceived as menstrual imbalance?
Fluctuations in your mood where you feel agitated, frustrated, annoyed and pissed off
Chronic lower back pain
Frequent urination
A period lasting more than 7 days
Losing more than 80 ml of blood per cycle
Changing tampons or pads every hour
Needing to double up on period protection products
Having to change your tampon or pad during the night
Planning your day around your heavy period
Large blood clots
Waiting your period to come for more than 40 days
If any of the above symptoms describes your period then it's time to listen to your body. She is speaking to you and letting you know that she needs your attention and care. She is signaling that it is time to tune in and drop down into your sacred container. She is inviting you to journey deeper into self-love.
Indigenous peoples have been trusting the wisdom of the plants to heal and purify their bodies for generations. Specific Herbs contain certain properties that either tone, cleanse, or strengthen the vagina and uterus.
For example, “the Vitex plant has been known as a medicinal plant and used as herbal medicine in the past, where it was recognized and noted in many health practices, including Ayurveda, Unani medicine, Chinese traditional medicine, Malay traditional medicine, European medicine, and ancient Greek medicine1”
These herbs help with relieving period symptoms and balancing hormones. Reconnecting to our ancestral wisdom is how we heal our wombs and live peaceful pain free lives.
Below are the properties found in certain herbs:
Antihemorrhagic - stops bleeding
Antiseptic - cleanses any bacteria or disease causing microorganisms
Anti-bacterial – prevents the growth of bacteria
Anti-fungal - prevents fungal growth
Antimicrobial - kills bacteria, fungus and microorganisms
Anti-inflammatory - reduces inflammation
Antispasmodic - reduces and soothes contracting or cramping of menstrual muscles
Now that you know the agents we are working with, it's important to note that when drinking your herbal teas to only use dry or fresh plants, preferably organic. What you have in your spice rack is perfect or you can go to your neighborhood apothecary.
Below are common plants used to relieve menstrual issues: