Closing The Bones
Who is it for?
This ritual is traditionally designed for women in the time immediately after birth (and is ideally done in the first hours, days or weeks), but it is open to all women, at any time since having a child or children and can have wonderful benefits even decades on. It can also support women in times of transition, whether or not you have given birth at all (i.e. menopause; divorce; illness recovery; etc). It is also particularly healing if you have experienced loss of any kind, be it pregnancy loss; loss of a child or a parent; hysterectomy etc), or if you suffer from any anxiety, stress, or are a survivor of domestic or sexual abuse, or trauma.
What is it?
It is a clothes on massage using shawls called rebozos, held around the women’s hips as she is laying on a shiatsu mat on the floor. The rebozos are held and used to rock the women’s hips, arms, chest and legs. This rocking induces deep relaxation, calming the parasympathetic nervous system and putting the body into rest and repair state. It also helps to move the joints, releasing tension and stimulating blood flow. It moves lymph to aid with lymph drainage, great for any water retention and swelling.
Hand massage techniques are also used around the belly, womb area and around the hips. The massage can help with balancing the hormones and the immune system and tissues and re-aligning the uterus and bladder. The techniques help ro release endorphins and oxytocin, which promote good milk production and help with breast engorgement.
Finally the woman is wrapped in the rebozo scarves, which can feel very nurturing, powerful, relaxing and healing.
As well as the physical aspect of the massage, there is also a spiritual part. During pregnancy a woman’s energy channels from her head to her root, open up within her body. These channels may close by themselves naturally, but it might take a long time and this practice can help to speed up the process, to avoid the woman leaking energy and feeling depleted. These techniques are designed to help close all the energy channels/chakras, so that the energy returns to the woman. It provides a safe space and a ritual for the mother to feel nurtured and to release emotions associated with the birth, motherhood and being a woman.
This is a time out for the woman, a time to have silent space and connection with herself and reflect on her journey to motherhood; to make time to grief loss and to nurture herself after a difficult time, whether recent or a while ago. This powerful ritual can release emotions even many years later. Many women have found it to be very healing, even decades after giving birth or losing a baby.
What happens during the session?
Each session is personalised to the client. We will start with an informal chat and this is an opportunity for you to share your story with me. You can share as little or as much as you like. I offer a non-judgmental space to share. Then you will lay on a cushioned mat on the floor, which I will have prepared beforehand with rebozo scarves. I will smudge the room and you with sage or another incense, or if you prefer some essential oil spray.
I will start with some gentle rocking of the hips, moving the hips from side to side with the rebozo scarves.
I will then include massage of the belly, and hips, finishing with tightening of shawls and wrapping around the hips and body and covering in a blanket. You can either choose to rest in silence or have some energy healing/reiki, with or without music. You may also choose to have sound healing, drumming, visualisations or a poem, which I or you can provide. It is your time and to be used in whatever way you feel you need at that moment.
“The closing bones session with you was a wonderful experience! Very unique and it felt as if it was completely customised for me. I found it hugely beneficial and left me glowing afterwards and feeling amazing. If I could I would write you on a recipe for all the mummies as a postnatal treatment. Truly magical! Highly recommended!”
Rita