Closing the Bones Ceremony – sounds a bit mysterious doesn’t it?
What Is It?
Closing the Bones (CtB) is a magical healing practice that uses various massage techniques, relaxation and meditation to remove deep seated wounds from our whole being, freeing us of past wounds, traumas, stresses and negative experiences that have become deeply stuck in our deeper muscle tissue, joints and ligaments, often preventing us from being who we need to be to live the life we deserve.
It is a deeply nourishing treatment that focuses on the hips, abdomen and upper body, incorporating Rebozo massage techniques as well as traditional massage and culminates in the whole body being wrapped or swaddled in Rebozos, to create a safe cocoon for you to rest in and heal.
The whole process allows for deep processing & healing, creating a safe space for you to let go & emerge from like a butterfly, feeling renewed, restored, healed.
The Rebozos used in the practice are woven shawls originating from Mexico or Ecuador and are regarded as deeply sacred, often referred to as “an extension of loving hands”. During the massage and swaddling, the Rebozos hold you safe, so you can allow yourself to unravel, release and emerge feeling lighter and brighter.
Who Is It For?
In short? This is a wholesome, deeply sacred practice that can benefit EVERYONE!
Traditionally created for women as a post-partum healing practice, CtB is an ancient practice that was and still is aimed at supporting the new mum at a time of intense vulnerability. On a physical level, CtB works on realigning the hips after birth, closing the gap to prevent energetic leaks.
It also works on the deep fascia, ligaments and joints, releasing tension & improving mobility.
Despite its origin, CtB is not solely a post partum treatment or exclusively available to women. It can support anyone who has a pelvis and a need to release trauma, stress, negative emotions, etc.
Recent research shows osteocalcin to be the most likely drive for stress response instead of adrenalin. Consequently it makes perfect sense to work on bones during stressful times!
Closing the Bones Ceremonies can also be seen as a way of marking major transitions in our lives, eg a girl experiencing her first period, marriage, divorce, new job, menopause, and more, to honour and support ourselves as we move through our life journey.
When Can It Be Offered?
There are so many uses and situations when a CtB ceremony can be of benefit, the list below is by no means exhaustive. In my opinion the best time for it is when you feel called to it and it feels right for you.
- during the postpartum (and the closing work can be done years or decades later still too)
- after baby loss, miscarriage, stillbirth, abortion
- to help with postpartum depression
- in cases where a hysterectomy is suggested (it can often prevent the need for one) or after a hysterectomy
- with fertility problems, or to support an IVF journey
- to help with breastfeeding challenges
- to mark the end of a breastfeeding journey
- to honour milestones e.g. 1 year post-birth
- to honour the menarche (a girl’s first period) (rite of passage to Maiden)
- around the time of marriage (rite of passage)
- to assist in the perimenopause or mark a women’s menopause (rite of passage into the beautiful state of Crone or Wise Woman)
- to help with loss such as experienced in a divorce, loss of a job, loss of a loved one, …
- to mark important changes or events (marriage, a new job, a house move, children moving out of the house, …)
- for anxiety, shock, PTSD
- for ADD, autism, or to help people with overwhelm or sensory overstimulation (also for men & children)
- to help with endometriosis, PCOS, painful periods, prolapse, diastasis recti
- for healing (physical, sexual, emotional, domestic) abuse and trauma
- for ancestral trauma or trans-generational wounding
- for women who have suffered female genital mutilation
- for women who have been trafficked
- for terminally ill people, so they can create a goodbye ceremony with loved ones as rite of passage
Our Western culture is not conducive to supporting new mother in a nourishing, empowering way that suits each one, but Closing the Bones Ceremonies are becoming more and more popular for the many reasons listed above.
Even if you are not a new mother, and you really do not need to be one to benefit from CtB, imagine giving yourself the gift of being held, cared for and supported with unconditional love, while you rest and feel safe enough that you can let yourself go and unravel all that needs unravelling so that you can finally set yourself free….
It’s truly magical & can transform your life.
There are some 900 facilitators in the UK, so you are likely to be quite close to one of us. Most practitioners have learned this ancient wisdom through the lineage of Rocío Alarcón (Ecuador), who herself was trained in traditional midwifery, shamanism and ethnobotany by her mother and grandmother, and holds a PhD in ethnobotany.
I offer this beautiful, sacred practice in Cardiff and South Wales, but if you feel called to the practice and live too far, please get in touch & I can connect you with a practitioner in your area.
Main – Image by Quang Nguyen vinh from Pixabay
About the Author: Elena Dickie
