Postnatal rebozo massage and closing ritual course
Find out more about the course below – or you can buy the course here now
Bodywork is the most neglected aspect of postnatal recovery
Everywhere around the world, there used to be a period of about a month after birth during which the new mother was taken care of completely. Members of the community used to take charge of the household (chores, older kids etc), make sure the mother rested, provided specific nourishing foods, and well as give or organise some postpartum specific bodywork. It was a ubiquitous practice in every continent (and still is in many parts of the world today). This used to be part of Western culture too.
I published my book, Why postnatal recovery matters, to encourage a movement towards returning to a nurturing postpartum. In the book I chose to distill the principes of a nurturing postpartum into four simple pillars: social support, rest, food and bodywork. Out of the four pillars, bodywork is the most neglected one in the Western world.
One of the most special forms of postnatal bodywork I know is the closing the bones ritual. Learning this massage was instrumental in writing my book. I have given this massage to hundred of women and trained several hundred professionals in giving this ritual. I also co-created a new version of this massage, called the postnatal recovery massage, with an osteopath.
These experiences have shown me that new mothers desperately need physical nurture. The massage helps new mothers feel cared for and has profound effects on their physical healing, as well as supporting emotional wellbeing, releasing trauma, and helping a return to a more stable energetic stage.
I believe that by allowing more new mothers to experience this type of nurturing ritual, we can transform the experience of new mothers, in terms of recovery, but also make it once more something that they expect to be receive post birth. I created this course to share this important knowledge and to spread the knowledge to as many people as possible.
The course teaches you how to give a full body rebozo massage and closing ceremony
What does the course contains?
- Introduction
- History
- Advantages of giving this ritual (physical/emotional/spiritual)
- Preparing (the person/the space)
- Rebozo Massage sequence (with video tutorials)
- Rebozo wrapping sequence (with video tutorials)
- Creating a ceremony and adding ritualistic elements to the massage
- Post massage care (for recipient/yourself, including energetic aspects)
- Q&A
- Conclusion
Creating ceremony, ritual and sacred space is one of the most beautiful and important aspects of the rebozo massage and closing ritual. This is something I’ve been doing for over ten years but this will be the first time that I am teaching this aspect in such depth. You will learn how to be attuned to your intuition to hold space and allow whatever needs to be expressed. This is a creative and sacred process that adds much to the experience for both you and the mother.
What is the course format?
- A set of modules that you can explore at your own pace
- Text and video tutorials
- Access to a Facebook group for ongoing support
- No time limit
- Option to submit case studies and videos to certify
Who is this course for?
- This course is for birthworkers, perinatal educators and therapists, and for anyone who support women and families during the postpartum.
What makes this course special?
I have a unique blend of scientific, theoretical and practical experience. I was a biology research scientist for 20 year prior to reconverting to being a doula ten years ago. I offer a blend of scientific, traditional, and practical knowledge.
Rather than following the traditions of one specific culture, I have extracted the universal principles behind all cultures, as well as adapted them to make them possible in today’s world. This means that you can make it work for you and your clients unique circumstances.
As well as history and science, in the class I share real stories from my clients, from mothers and birth professionals, which help illustrate each topic and bring it to life, as well as give you plenty of practical ideas to make it work.
The course was co-created with the feedback and support of 115 early adopters.
A bit of background about me, your course instructor
Having worked as a doula since 2012, I also have a diploma in antenatal education and spent several years teaching antenatal classes. I have been facilitating workshops for birth professionals for over ten year. I know how present information in a way that is entertaining, easily to follow, and which allows students to learn easily and enjoyably, as well as apply what they have learnt in the class.
Prior to being a doula, I gained a PhD in Physiology of Reproduction and spent 20 years working as a biology research scientist and I have a PhD in physiology of Reproduction, and I teach with a unique blend of scientific, traditional and practical knowledge.
What is the investment required?
- The course costs £149.
If you would like to to find out more about the thought process and history behind the creation of this course, read the Blog post about why I created this course.
Here is a video of what this massage ritual looks like.
Postnatal rebozo massage and closing ceremony online course (closing the bones)
This course touched me so deeply because there are many levels you are teaching about – from purely physical to the highest, spiritual ones. Thanks for creating it! The part that I find very special is on shamanic drumming. Your scientific approach to it is stunning!
Milica Subaric, doula and aromatherapist
This course provided a thorough explanation and practice that I was immediately able to implement successfully in my existing massage practice. I look forward to taking more courses and learning from Sophie, as she has a wealth of knowledge and a beautiful way of sharing information.
Jena Weeks, Massage therapist
I had a look at most of the modules and content and what I can tell you, I looooove what I have seen so far. Your format and design of the course is very clear and easy to follow even for a person whose mothertongue is not english. I just love how you give a deep insight in your own ceremonial tools (which are beautiful by the way) and how you encourage to make our own out of it.
Marlene Tagwerker
I have completely loved every bit of Sophie’s Rebozo massage & closing ritual course. I have already had so much interest & are so excited to offer this beautiful ritual. The way that the course is delivered is manageable within a busy lifestyle but so full of guidance while being authentic & respectful to the sacredness of these teachings. Sophie has such a calm, nurturing energy; I feel very grateful to have found her courses and will no doubt enrol in her other ones.
Lana Bock, Doula
I am really enjoying it. It is beautifully presented and very easy to navigate – thank you. I listened to Anand singing Let it go about 10 times afterwards – so beautiful. Thank you so much Sophie I loved the course and I’m really excited to start practicing it on friends
Sarah Mc Cann
Have just completed the course . Thankyou so much for the learning!!!!! I absolutely loved your teaching style, videos, resources (poems and songs) and passion that came through when observing your practices with the woman who was within your demonstrations.
Kylie Coad, doula
When I heard about this postnatal massage and ritual I knew I wanted to include it in my services as a postnatal doula.
This course is very well explained and organised. It is easy to follow step by step through the videos that Sophie has made.
What I especially appreciate is that Sophie encourages us to offer this ritual in our own way. From our presence to find the best way to connect with the mother.
It is a beautiful massage where we mother the mother, rocking her and wrapping her in rebozos. Thank you Sophie for sharing your knowledge.
I really enjoyed Sophie’s Closing ritual course. She teaches from her heart and you can feel the passion and knowledge she has from many years of experience of giving this massage and ceremony to women. The course content is very detailed and clearly taught with lots of explanation from an Osteopath as to why the particular movement helps. The learning is very accessible and as it’s online there isn’t a time frame in which you need to finish it, so you can do it when the moment is right for you. It’s a really beautiful course and I really enjoyed every minute. Thank you Sophie.
I enjoyed every minute of doing this course. Everything was so well explained and clear I’ve already recommended it to others. Its actually the best online course I’ve ever done. Thank you so much.
Sophie’s course is wonderful. I feel confident and excited to start offering this to my clients. The videos are well done and it is easy to learn. Highly recommend it!
The closing the bones training from Sophie Messager is very well explained, with lots of videos of each sequence, so I learned very easily how to do it, and it gives a deep understanding around its benefits and meaning. I loved every moment of this course!
The course is detailed with bitesized videos all presented in a clear way. You have a huge depth of knowledge and understanding gained by your own own experiences and learning from different teachers. Teachers and lineages are acknowledged and respected. You give clear instructions with plenty of room for each practitioners creativity to develop their own ritual.
I LOVE this course. I love how your voice comes through as if you’re really teaching face-to-face. I love how much you share of your own work and experience to contextualise the teaching. I love that it includes ceremony and incorporates baby loss. I also deeply appreciate the magical blend of ancient culture and ritual and a sound evidence base.
Samantha Leggett
I loved the course so much and the self massage with rebozo has been a revelation. I’ve been practicing it nightly and it’s really helping with tension from feeding, carrying & co-sleeping with my baby! Thanks so much for sharing all your knowledge, it’s all so brilliantly simple yet so effective.
Ceri Elms
I found this course to be a fascinating insight into the traditional nurturing rituals for postpartum women that is somewhat neglected in our Western culture. Excellent step by step instruction on how to deliver a sensitive and nurturing closing the bones ritual. Well prepared and excellent delivery. Thank you.
Lou Slater, doula