back to articles home

Bone Closing Ceremony: What it is and Where it Comes From

The Bone closing Ceremony has been used all over the world to aid in the new parents’ healing process.
by 
Karla Lina
photo credit:  

The Bone closing Ceremony has been used all over the world to aid in the new parents’ healing process with the purpose of closing cycles, energetic fields and returning heat back to the body.

In several Latin American, African and Asian countries similar ceremonies are still widely practiced, yet in the USA we seem to have lost them. During pregnancy the birthing person’s hips become wider and wider. After the birth it is important that they are helped to close back otherwise parents would suffer from pelvic instability. This ceremony helps to realign the bones and muscles. It guides the bones back into place, helps the pelvic organs shift and the uterus to shrink back down and stimulates blood flow. The adjustment of the pelvis aids in milk production and the body relaxes and releases tension from the muscles.

Along with the physical benefits this is a very spiritual ritual. This is a time when the mother or parent can process everything they are feeling and thinking and can heal emotionally and gain strength. It helps a parent find closure to their birth story and their own self and center again and to connect to their new body so that they can have the confidence as a Women, Mother, Parent. During this time the parent will feel nurtured, at peace and can release emotions associated with the birth and motherhood.

In Mayan Culture it is said that during labor the Mother’s spirit is traveling in the universe to find and collect her baby’s soul and then birth together. It is said that during the bone closing ceremony the spirit is called back to the body and the ritual encourages a new parent to close energetically. Birth is a rite of passage and a deep transformational journey and it continues into motherhood and parenthood.

In traditional Mexican cultures, La Cuarentena or the 40 days after giving birth are regarded as a sacred time. This is a time for Mother to heal. During these 40 days is when the Bone Closing ritual is typically performed but can be performed even many years after the birth itself with the same amazing results.

This ceremony is deeply healing after the loss of a baby, a hysterectomy, or where fertility problems present themselves. It can be done at any point in life, with people who haven’t given Birth but wish to close something else in their life.

This ceremony is not exclusive for birthing mothers, parents, or women. The Bone closing ceremony is for anyone who is going thru or went thru a traumatic or life changing experience such as marriage, divorce, separation, loss of job, moving homes, going into menopause, etc.

The hips are known to be the area of the body where unresolved emotions and trauma are held, this causes blockages of energy channels and closing the bones can help to release these emotions.

The energetic closing of the bones done with the Rebozo helps to calm the mind, align ideas and energies and to feel prepared to continue in this new reality.

Karla Lina | She/her | @agapelovedoula

Karla is the mother of four wonderful children and a Certified Holistic Doula. She has a Bachelors in Biology and 10 years’ experience in hospital based patient care. She has a passion for natural holistic health and remedies and ancient healing practices.


This post was previously published, with more explanation of the steps in bone closing ceremony, here.

Join us!
Become a Patron

of reproductive health ed
Help us create and curate more of the inclusive content we've become known for, grow our team, and create more ambitious projects throughout the year.
PLUS, as a patron, you'll have access to exclusive content, peeks behind-the-scenes, and more!
become a patron
The Educated Birth
HomeAboutStoreMembershipChildbirth EdApparelBlogDirectory