04/27/2023
Have you heard about Closing of the Bones?
What kind of ritual did you give yourself after the birth of your baby?
Was something missing from your postpartum time?
What is your vision for healing after your baby soon arrives?
Closing of the bones was revealed to me at the beginning of my second full-term pregnancy. I was in Taos with Rachelle Garcia Seliga of Innate Traditions. She shared this medicine with me and other healers from around the country. She said I too could share this with the people that I tend to.
And so, I’ve been slowly integrating what she gave me and learning how to bring it through my own hands and practice.
I’ve selected cloths that feel good to my hands to perform the wrapping and closing and binding and re-knitting together of body. Commonly, the Rebozo is the material used for Closing of the Bones. I do have one which is crafted perfectly with wisdom but I’ve taken time to gather what feels healing to my hands. This word, Rebozo, belongs to the traditional peoples of Mexico. We are so lucky that they have preserved these practices and that they have made their way back to the people. The thing is, this practice belongs to the human body, no matter what ancestral lineage or where it dwells on the planet. I know this to be true, that this practice can be anywhere, because my hands and heart already know how to do the work. It is inside of me. Rachelle helped to wake it up and I am so grateful to her for that.
Here in Vermont, in New England, these ways of traditional postpartum body care are not so known and less understood. With Well Maiden Birth and Healing Services a Closing of the Bones ritual looks like coming together and creating a deep listening space. You find safe shelter for your children and your home and you allow yourself to go into sanctuary either alone or perhaps in circle with others. You remember your story. You tell your story and then you rest on blankets and allow the healer to lay hands. We wrap you from crown to root while singing and providing healing touch. It’s a resting place, a time of turning inward, of re-atuning to body, of remembering boundaries so as to begin to intentionalize finding yourself again. There are physical and emotional benefits to this experience.
In a 1:1 session I like to set aside at least 2 hours. In a group session, a whole day of delicious shared retreat space. You can be one week postpartum or one decade.
Sometimes I want to run from being self-employed because it requires so much tedious care. But, when I really get into the work, I remember my why. Working with clients in this way is such an honor, it is so sacred. Please reach out if you’d like to talk a little about your own journey and your own needs.
