Holding you, Mumma

Closing of the Bones 

Closing the Bones is a way to support a woman's recovery following childbirth; a way to celebrate the amazing abilities of her body; and a way to create a moment of quiet, of meditative peace and reflection in the rollercoaster of emotions that we experience in motherhood.

It is an ancient postnatal ritual to celebrate new life and close the circle of fertility. It is a massage with warming oils and the nurturing, cocooning use of a shawl or scarf.

Beyond the physical element of closing the bones, there is an emotional and spiritual element to the massage, which provides a safe space for the mother to feel nurtured and release emotions associated with the birth and motherhood.  

Most cultures around the world have an innate understanding of the vulnerability of a new mother and the need for her to be cared for and nurtured to recover from growing and birthing her baby. Many of the postpartum traditions include nourishing foods and a period of confinement, and some kind of bodywork technique, ranging from massage, to binding with a cloth, helping the new mother regain her strength and energy.

Closing the bones is such a technique, with its origins dating back to Mexican, South American and Egyptian civilisations.

In traditional cultures, the 40 days of the postnatal period represent a sacred time. In Ecuador, women are given this massage within hours of the birth, and receive it again at least 5 or 6 times during the first 40 days postpartum. The massage stimulates blood flow which in turn; cleans, renews, moves fluids (it may also help with milk supply/lochia), stimulates hormones, stimulates the immune system, and helps tone muscles and tissues. 

According to some belief systems, our hips also support the weight of the spine and head and they are therefore the seat of unresolved emotions and trauma, which can be felt upon the hips as crystals, that need to be popped and released during the massage.

The Closing of the Bones treatment involves the use of a traditional shawl called a Manta (also known as a rebozo in Mexico) to rock and stimulate the mother's hips, followed by a complex abdominal and pelvic girdle massage using warming oils. The ritual is then finished by tightly wrapping the cloth around the woman's hips, drawing in the bones of the pelvis, realigning both the physical structures and the energy systems. 

The mother is then allowed to rest a while in the warmth and comfort of the wraps, a quiet, contemplative state. When she is ready to be unwrapped, she will be offended cleansing herbal teas and the opportunity to sit awhile, or to share her experience as she prefers. 

The ritual is held in sacred space and sessions are available on the closest Saturday to the New Moon in hour of this being a renewing experience that marks the start of new beginnings. 

2.5 hour ritual retreat experience £249