I published my book, Why postnatal recovery matters, to encourage a movement towards returning to a nurturing postpartum. 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.

A nurturing postpartum boils down to 4 pillars: social support, rest, food and bodywork. Bodywork is the most neglected aspect of the 4 pillars.

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 is the investment required?

• The course costs £119.

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.