Closing of the Bones Ceremony

Postpartum Sealing · Sacred Swaddling

A Ceremony of Transition and Integration

The Closing of the Bones Ceremony is an ancestral bodywork and ritual practice that supports women during times of deep transition.

While this ceremony is widely known as a postpartum ritual, its essence goes far beyond birth. Traditionally, it is a rite of passage — a way to honor and integrate moments when life changes us.

Transitions can include:

• after giving birth
• after miscarriage or pregnancy loss
• after major life changes (career, home, identity)
• during times of grief or transformation
• entering a new stage of life
• or simply when a woman feels the need to close one chapter and step into another

In these moments, something within us opens — in the body, in the heart, in our inner world.

This ceremony offers a way to gently close, gather, and return to yourself.

It creates a space where a woman can pause, be held, and reconnect with her body, her story, and her inner ground.

Roots of the Tradition

The practice of Closing the Bones exists in many traditional cultures around the world.

One of the most recognized forms comes from Mexico, where midwives use the rebozo — a traditional woven shawl — to gently rock, massage, and wrap the body.

Rebozo bodywork offers deep somatic relaxation and support to the nervous system, while the closing ritual helps restore a sense of containment and balance after opening.

Similar practices of wrapping, warming, and restoring the body have long existed across cultures, supporting women through birth and other significant life transitions.

My approach to this ceremony has been shaped through learning directly from traditional midwives and women’s practitioners from Russia, Mexico, Guatemala, and South America, who have preserved and passed down these practices through generations.

This work honors the lineage of women who have long held space for others in times of transformation.

What the Ceremony Supports

Women are often drawn to this ceremony for:

• postpartum recovery
• emotional closing of the birth experience
• support for the pelvis and internal organs
• nervous system relaxation
• grounding after intense life transitions
• reconnecting with the body
• feeling held, supported, and nourished

Many women experience this work as deeply restorative, calming, and integrating — a return to themselves.

How the Ceremony Unfolds

Each ceremony is unique and unfolds slowly and gently.

The full journey lasts 8–10 hours, allowing the process to deepen gradually through different modalities and practices.

This spaciousness is essential — it allows the body to soften, the nervous system to settle, and the inner experience to unfold naturally.

The ceremony includes:

Opening conversation & intention setting
We begin by walking through your story, your experience, and the intention you bring. A safe and comfortable space is created for you to arrive fully and be received.

Cacao ritual
We prepare and share ceremonial cacao, allowing the body to soften and the heart to gently open.

Gentle somatic warming practice
The body begins to warm through a soft practice that invites circulation, presence, and relaxation.

Art therapy practice — Herbal Mandala
You will create a small mandala using herbs and natural elements. This intuitive process allows emotions to be expressed without words and supports grounding.

Herbal bath
A deeply warming herbal bath softens the body and prepares it for touch.

Rebozo massage
Using traditional Mexican rebozo shawls, the body is gently rocked and held. This brings profound relaxation to the muscles and nervous system.

Bodywork
Nourishing touch supports circulation and release, with special attention to the belly — a center of deep transformation.

The Closing Ritual
The body is wrapped and gently tightened with rebozo shawls at seven points.

This creates a sense of containment, support, and completion — a feeling of being gathered back into yourself.

Integration and rest
The ceremony closes with a gradual return and time to rest, reflect, and integrate the experience.

Throughout the ceremony, food and herbal teas are provided to nourish and support the body.

A Gentle Note

This is a wellness and traditional care practice.

Closing the Bones is not a medical procedure.
No diagnosis or medical evaluation is provided.

It is a form of care rooted in warmth, presence, and deep support.

Duration

8–10 hours

The ceremony unfolds slowly and intentionally, allowing space for the body and emotions to move through stages of relaxation, release, and integration.

Investment

$900 — ceremony held at my space in Brooklyn

$1,300 — ceremony held in the client’s home
(Brooklyn or Manhattan)

I can travel to other areas as well — pricing will be adjusted accordingly.

Food and herbal teas are included.

Booking

If you feel called to receive this ceremony or would like to learn more, you are warmly invited to reach out.

This work is offered with care, respect, and deep honoring of traditional women’s wisdom.