closing of the bones

closing of the bones ceremony

Like water, this ceremony nurtures, cleanses, and renews. We set an alter with intentions and create space for all stories and emotions to be shared in a safe space. The use of seven rebozos (traditional cotton shawls) help to "close" the body after the expansive experiences of childbirth, miscarriage, abortion, etc. The rebozos are known as “The Hands of the Earth”, bringing in the support of the home that holds us all. We imagine the grandmothers rocking us.

This ceremony creates a sacred space for emotional, physical, and spiritual healing, allowing us to reconnect with our strength, restore balance, and honor the transformation and initiations that the womb brings.

The practice involves heating up the body through abdominal massage, rocking with the rebozos, and by steaming under blankets with medicinal herbal allies. These ways bring heat, love, realignment, and fortification to the body as it relaxes and realigns. The ceremony provides warmth and care, aiding in the release of tension, rebalancing the body's energy, and facilitating emotional recovery.

Integration

It is said that during labor, a mother’s spirit travels the universe to find her baby’s soul, to then journey back down and they birth together. The Closing of the Bones ritual is not only for those who have given live birth, but also very supportive to the integration and healing after a miscarriage, abortion, hysterectomy, or any significant womb related experiences. It offers us a time to close old chapters and embrace new beginnings. The ceremony calls the person’s spirit back to their body, helping them to energetically and emotionally "close" the process they went through and integrate the rite of passage they just underwent. There is a sacred 40-day period after childbirth, a time set aside for a mother to heal. During this time, the Closing of the Bones ceremony is often performed, though it can be done many years after birth or at any time in life to address other significant transitions. It is particularly healing after the loss of a baby or fertility challenges, offering restoration and closure.

My story and mentors

Here is some important background story on my journey. After experiencing my own personal loss, I felt very drawn to not only receiving this ceremony for my own healing/integration, but also to carry this medicine with reverence and powerful love to support others to truly heal and integrate their profound experiences with their wombs.

I give so much gratitude to my teachers, Angie Yañez and Andréa de Keijzer, of “Collective Rebozo” as well as their teachers, Naolí Vinaver, Alison Bastien, and Dr. Rosita Arvigo. I also want to give so much thanks to our plant allies. This earth has an overflowing abundance of plants that offer healing beyond what we can imagine. I incorporate plants for respiratory health, reproductive well-being, nervous system support, and beyond into my practice. I am very grateful to be studying traditional herbalism under the mentorship of Dr. Nadia Ramos (Dr. Bones). I have been tending to the flame of these teachings since July of 2023 and have offered many Closing ceremonies with no charge.

As I step into deepening my studies and building bridges to communities across the globe, I ask for reciprocity now on a sliding scale to help foster abundance to travel to study further with traditional midwives around the world. Each time I work with you to create the ceremony, I contribute a portion of the money to my teachers teachers, midwifery projects in South America and Indonesia. All rebozos I use in ceremony come from intergenerational artisanship outside of Oaxaca, Mexico. This practice not only heals but also connects us to the broader network of support and tradition that spans across generations and cultures.

If you'd like to schedule a closing of the bones ceremony for you or a loved one, please reach out to me here.