Closing of the Bones Ceremony: The Ancient Healing Ritual Every Woman Should Know About
- Feb 26
- 6 min read
What Is the Closing of the Bones Ceremony?
The Cierre de caderas, also known as La Cerrada Mexicana or The Closing of the Bones Ceremony, literally translated from Spanish as "closing of the hips", is a sacred, centuries-old postpartum healing ritual rooted in Latin American and Mexican traditional medicine. Practiced by parteras (traditional midwives) and sobadoras (healing massage practitioners), this ceremony is designed to physically and spiritually "close" the body of a woman after she has given birth or experienced a loss.
During pregnancy, a woman's pelvis, hips, and sacrum gradually open and shift to make room for a growing baby. Hormones like relaxin loosen ligaments and joints throughout the body. After birth, whether vaginal or cesarean, the body is left in an open, vulnerable state. The Closing of the Bones Ceremony is the intentional act of guiding those bones, joints, tissues, and energy back together, signaling to the body that the journey of pregnancy has come to an end.
This ritual is not just physical. It is deeply emotional.
The Origins of the Closing of the Bones Ceremony
The practice of closing the hips after birth is not unique to Latin America. Variations of this postpartum closing ritual can be found across cultures worldwide, from the bengkung belly binding tradition in Malaysia to the Moroccan tkhayet, and the Ayurvedic sutika protocols in India. However, the cierre de caderas as practiced throughout Mexico, Guatemala, and Central and South America holds its own distinct form, carried forward through generations of midwives and healers.
In these traditions, birth is understood as a profound opening — of the body, of the spirit, and of the energetic field of a woman. What opens must eventually close. Without that closing, a woman may remain in a state of physical imbalance and emotional rawness that affects her for years.
What Happens During the Closing of the Bones Ceremony Ceremony?
A traditional Closing of the Bones Ceremony is a multi-step ceremony that usually takes place anytime from a few days to several weeks after birth. Many practitioners recommend the ceremony be performed within the first 40 days postpartum, a period revered in many cultures as a sacred window for maternal healing.
The ritual typically includes the following elements:
Sharing your story. The ceremony often begins with a space to share your story and hold space to honor your journey.
Warming the body. You will then be provided with warmth, whether through a rebozo-wrapped steam bath (baño de vapor), warm herbal compresses applied to the abdomen and lower back, or a warm herbal bath. Heat is considered essential because it helps relax tense muscles, promotes circulation, and signals safety and comfort to the nervous system.
Abdominal massage (sobada). A trained sobadora or postpartum doula performs a gentle, intuitive abdominal massage to help reposition internal organs, particularly the uterus, that may have shifted during pregnancy and birth. This massage also helps release fascial tension, stimulate lymphatic drainage, and reduce bloating or digestive discomfort common in the postpartum period.
The rebozo closing. The heart of the Closing of the Bones Ceremony is the wrapping of the body with a rebozo — a long, traditional Mexican shawl. The practitioner uses the rebozo to rhythmically rock, sift, and wrap the woman from her feet to her head, systematically "closing" each section of her body. The hips and pelvis receive special attention, with the rebozo wrapped firmly around them to encourage the bones and soft tissues to return to their pre-pregnancy alignment. This sensation of being held, rocked, and wrapped is often profoundly soothing.
Closing of the crown. Many practitioners complete the ceremony by wrapping the rebozo around the woman's head, symbolically closing her energetic field and honoring the transformation she has undergone as a mother.
Rest and nourishment. After the ceremony, the woman is encouraged to rest, stay warm, and receive nourishing food and drink. Herbal teas, often featuring herbs like chamomile, cinnamon, or anise, are commonly offered to support warmth and recovery from within.
Closing of the Bones Ceremony Benefits for New Mothers
The benefits of the Closing of the Bones Ceremony for women who have recently given birth are wide-ranging, touching the physical, emotional, and energetic dimensions of postpartum recovery.
Physical Benefits
Pelvic floor and hip realignment. During pregnancy and birth, the hips widen and the sacroiliac joints become hypermobile due to relaxin. The rebozo wrapping and abdominal massage help support the realignment of pelvic structures and provide proprioceptive feedback that encourages the body to stabilize.
Uterine support and involution. The uterus undergoes dramatic changes after birth as it works to contract back to its pre-pregnancy size — a process called involution. Abdominal massage during the ceremony helps support this process, potentially reducing postpartum cramping and supporting healthy uterine tone.
Reduced diastasis recti symptoms. Some postpartum women experience diastasis recti — the separation of the abdominal muscles along the midline. While the Closing of the Bones Ceremony is not a standalone treatment for diastasis recti, the abdominal massage and rebozo binding can provide gentle support and body awareness that complements rehabilitation exercises.
Relief from bloating and digestive discomfort. Constipation, gas, and digestive sluggishness are common postpartum complaints. The warming elements and abdominal massage of the ceremony help stimulate digestive motility and lymphatic drainage, bringing welcome relief.
Improved circulation and reduced swelling. The warmth and rebozo techniques used in the ceremony support circulation and can help the body process excess fluid retained during pregnancy.
Better sleep and nervous system regulation. The rhythmic rocking of the rebozo activates the parasympathetic nervous system — the "rest and digest" state — helping a woman shift out of the hypervigilance that often characterizes the early postpartum period. Many women report sleeping more deeply following a ceremony.
Emotional and Psychological Benefits
Feeling seen, held, and honored. In modern postpartum culture, the focus quickly shifts from mother to baby. The Closing of the Bones Ceremony is a ritual specifically and entirely devoted to the mother — her body, her transition, her healing. For many women, this experience of being truly witnessed and cared for is profoundly moving and restorative.
Marking the transition to motherhood. Becoming a mother is one of the most significant identity transformations a person can undergo, a process called matrescence. The ceremony de caderas serves as a ritual marker of this transition, helping a woman integrate her new identity and honor the enormity of what she has experienced.
Reducing postpartum anxiety and depression. While Closing of the Bones is not a clinical treatment for postpartum mood disorders, the nervous system regulation, physical touch, and emotional support it provides can be powerful complements to professional mental health care. Touch-based therapies have been shown to reduce cortisol levels and promote oxytocin release, both of which support emotional wellbeing.
Processing the birth experience. Birth can be overwhelming, even when it goes well. The intentional space of the ceremony gives a woman an opportunity to begin processing her birth experience in a supported, somatic way — through the body, not just the mind.
Who Can Perform a Closing of the Bones Ceremony?
A Closing of the Bones Ceremony is best performed by a trained and experienced practitioner, such as a traditional midwife (partera), a postpartum doula trained in rebozo techniques, or a sobadora. When seeking a practitioner, look for someone with formal training, cultural grounding in the tradition, and experience working with postpartum women and those who have experienced pregnancy loss.
Many postpartum doulas and bodyworkers now offer these ceremonies as part of their services, outside of Latin American communities. The ritual has grown in recognition globally as awareness of holistic postpartum care has expanded.
When to Receive a Closing of the Bones Ceremony
Traditionally, the Closing of the Bones Ceremony is offered within the 40-day postpartum window, a period honored across many cultures as a time of concentrated healing and transition. However, many women receive the ceremony months or even years after giving birth or experiencing a loss, often finding it healing regardless of how much time has passed. There is no expiration date on healing.
Integrating Closing of the Bones Ceremony Into Your Postpartum Care Plan
The Closing of the Bones Ceremony is not a replacement for medical care, but a powerful complement to it. Women recovering from birth or pregnancy loss benefit most from a holistic support system that includes medical follow-up, mental health support, nutritional nourishment, physical therapy when needed, and cultural or spiritual practices that honor the whole person.
If you are interested in receiving a Closing of the Bones Ceremony, consider reaching out to:
Postpartum doulas who specialize in traditional or holistic postpartum care
Traditional midwives or parteras in your community
Sobadoras or practitioners of traditional Mexican or Latin American healing arts
Organizations that support bereaved mothers and offer holistic grief support
Final Thoughts: The Body Knows What It Needs
The Closing of the Bones Ceremony is a reminder that the body holds wisdom, and that the transitions of pregnancy and birth in all their forms deserve to be honored with intention, warmth, and care. You deserve to be held.
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