Discover the Healing Power of Closing the Bones Postpartum Ceremony

Birth is a threshold.

It changes a woman in ways she often cannot explain to anyone around her.

Her body has opened, her hormones are shifting, her sleep is broken, and emotionally she may feel tender, raw, or strangely different from before.

Yet very quickly the world moves on.

The baby is celebrated, visitors come and go, and the mother is expected to continue — while still carrying the experience of birth inside her body.

This is why I offer the Closing the Bones ceremony.

It is a time where the attention gently returns to the mother.

What Is Closing the Bones ?

Closing the Bones is a traditional postpartum care practice found in many cultures and midwifery lineages. After birth, a woman’s body is naturally open — especially the pelvis, abdomen and chest. This openness is necessary for birth, but afterwards the body also needs support to settle again.

During one part of the ceremony I use woven rebozo shawls to slowly wrap and hold the body. Each part is supported one by one with gentle pressure and stillness.

Women often describe a feeling of:

• being gathered

• grounded again

• back inside their body

It is not forceful and not a massage.

It is a deep physical reassurance to the nervous system that the intense experience has finished and it is safe to rest.

It creates a space for deep holding — one where you are gently gathered back into your body, rhythm, and self. This postpartum healing ceremony fosters deep rest, integration, and emotional closure for mothers.

The Importance of Acknowledging the Mother

Modern mothers rarely receive real postpartum care.

In many traditional cultures a woman is cared for around 40 days after birth. She rests, she nourished, and she surrounded by other women. Today many mothers are alone within a few days.

Because of this, women often experience:

• pelvic heaviness

• back tension

• emotional overwhelm

• difficulty processing the birth

• feeling unusually open or sensitive

Nothing is wrong with them.

Their body simply has not been supported to close and integrate.

The Closing the Bones ceremony allows the body and emotions to settle gently.

What Happens in the Ceremony?

Each Closing the Bones ceremony unfolds through seven sacred, intuitive stages:

1. Conversation: We begin with a warm conversation. Here, you are encouraged to share your story — whether it's about pregnancy, birth, loss, or simply your current state. This is a safe space where you can land without needing to explain yourself.

   
   

2. Mandala Making: Next, we create a beautiful, intentional design using flowers and herbs on white muslin cloth. This personalized prayer reflects where you are and what you desire. The chosen herbs and petals are later infused into the sacred water of your ceremony.

   
   

3. Rebozo Massage: You will receive a deeply relaxing rebozo massage — an anti-gravity experience using traditional shawls. This therapy opens your body, releasing stored tension and emotion while gently supporting your nervous system.

   
   

4. Water Cleansing Ritual: Following this, indulge in a nurturing water cleansing ritual. This is a candlelit bath where the herbs and intentions come together. The water becomes sacred and soothing, softening and renewing your spirit.

   
   

5. Aromatherapy Massage: Here, you will enjoy a sensory experience with an aromatherapy massage. A blend of essential oils, chosen specifically for you, awakens your body gently and gracefully.

   
   

6. Closing and Opening the Seven Locks: Moving forward, we perform a ritual that symbolically and energetically closes what you are ready to release. Each “lock” symbolizes a part of your body and a doorway. This part of the ceremony allows for new possibilities to emerge.

   
   

7. Sound Healing: The ceremony concludes with sound healing. Soothing frequencies support your integration and calm your mind while anchoring the experience within your body.

   
   

You rest. You are held. You are honored.

Who Is This Ceremony For?

You are welcome if you are:

• New mothers in the days, weeks, or even years after birth

• Women healing from miscarriage, stillbirth, or abortion

• Those feeling emotionally open or physically depleted

• Mothers who never received the nurturing postpartum care they needed

• Any woman who longs to be gently held and witnessed in her healing journey

  
  

  There is no time limit on postpartum healing.

Receiving Closing the Bones in Winchester

I offer Closing the Bones ceremonies from my peaceful healing space in Winchester.

The intention is simple - warmth, quite, and a place where you do not need to hold anyone else for a while.

You can also read more about my postpartum rebozo support here - Rebozo massage.

Why women come

Often women arrive unsure what they need.

They only feel tired, emotional, or not fully themselves since birth.

After the ceremony many tell me:

they slept deeply for the first time

their body felt calmer

or they finally felt a sense of completion.

Birth changes a woman forever — but she does not have to carry it alone.

You are welcome here.

With love,

Angelika Ocean