# The Rebozo Closing ritual : a sacred experience for women only

I was recently looking for a “mum special” massage for a friend who has just given birth, when I stumbled across this ritual which I instantly was intrigued by and could relate to… I am not a mom, but as I have already mentioned on the blog (here), I think about it, or at least my body thinks about it, and expresses those feelings quite clearly, while my brain tells me the opposite for various reasons ; (not being ready, not sure that it is what I want, doubts etc.). So I feel stuck between a rock and a hard place and of course both sides make valid points, (otherwise where would the fun be of course :-)) Add to that some concerns, stress, sentimentality and emotional baggage and its all fun and games! In short this care came just at the appropriate time for me so I booked an appointment right away and got lucky enough to get a rdv few days latter, the 8th, a very important day for me, so there was certainly no coincidence here 😉

What is Rebozo ?.

In a few words, it is a feminine treatment, given by two women to another woman. Originally, Rebozo is a cotton Mexican weaving which accompanies the woman during her life (to carry the baby against her for example, or in a belt to support her pelvic floor, whether she is pregnant or not). Rebozo is present during pregnancy, childbirth, and afterwards in everyday life with the baby..

In South America, Rebozo ritual is done to honor the wife as mother. It is specially designed for woman who have been pregnant or gone through childbirth: the young mother receives this ancestral ritual approximately 40 days after giving birth.. But the Rebozo is also perfect for women going through an important stage in their personal or professional lives (menopause, mourning, breakup, moving, abortion or miscarriage, a change of career, conception of a baby).. During this feminine ritual, we use the famous Rebozo fabric to envelop the body, which has given its name to this treatment.

Rebozo, a rituel of passage //

Rebozo is a kind of ritual of passage which we can do at any time of our lives to reunite the whole being on a physical, mental and emotional level .. To sum up, Rebozo allows us to:

Out with the old and in with the new .. It helps us going gently trought the change over from Child to Adult, from Woman to Mother, from Mother to Woman, closing a wound or a chapter in our life,
Close the bones and close in us what need to be in order to open new doors and welcome a new chapter in our existence..
turning over a new leaf, saying goodbye or mourning loved ones, or moving on to the next level in our life…
Receiving feminine energy, being surrounded, nurtured, nourished, and loved by the sacred feminine flow…
Opening to Oneself, as Girl, a Woman, a Mother, a Soul.
Let go, grounding, releasing tension, refocusing, relaxing and confirming our boundaries.

Step by step //

Rebozo massage lasts approximately two and a half hours and takes place in three phases :

Holistic massage in essential oils to become aware of out body and relax.
Mini sweating hut, hot bath or hammam with herbal plants, which allows us to return to a cocoon of wet heat like in mama’s belly (especially the one I did that was in the pitch black witch allowed me to really be alone with my self and my own inner being.. )
The wrapping of the body with the Rebozo fabric in seven key points of the body to refocus the body and spirit, to return the scattered energy and close the bones.

My experience //

Just before the Rebozo ritual, we define its intention, in a simple and positive sentence, we specify what we expect from the care, why we are there.. My intention: I intend to give birth in full conscience (at first I said I am no longer afraid of giving birth, but I had to change this as it was a negative sentence with a “no” in it 😉

The treatment begins and the 4 hands massage is very pleasant, peaceful, soft, I fell asleep.. After this comes the sweating passage in the hut : plunged into darkness, sitting cross-legged in the small portable tent, I let the heat and vapor envelop me. It is rather pleasant. It reminds me of the Temescal which I did in Mexico a few months ago (cf the article on Temescal, Mayan ceremony of reconnection to oneself and Mother Earth.) During this stage of the treatment, we are really face to face with our fears, thoughts, positive or negative it is a return to oneself but also to being in our mothers uterus. It can be both pleasant and less so..for each individual. In my case it was rather serene. I do not know how long I stayed there the notion of time is rather strange and the minutes seemed to be longer than they actually were…

After the hut, I lay down again on the massage table and the 2 women covered me with blankets to keep me warm while they were preparing the tightening with the Rebozo tissue.. They began by enclosing me from the head, then shoulders, stomach, pelvis, thighs, knees and feet.. Once they reach the bottom they do the same but starting with the feet and going in the opposite direction…

The tightening does not ache, it is just strange, reassuring, enveloping, rather pleasant, and it is an unknown sensation, especially for somebody like me who was born by caesarean section and not naturally. According to my 2 therapists, this treatment is particularly recommended when we are born by caesarean section because a child that has been born naturally, is marked by an imprint, its body has an outline, a frame, whereas during a caesarean, there is neither this famous passage, nor this imprint and it can generate centering and boundaries issues for example (which is definitely the case for me so this came just at the right moment in my life) When the tightening process is completed, we return gradually to reality quite smoothly before going back to normal activities 😉

And afterwards ..

15 days since I did the Rebozo and to be honest, I noticed nothing remarkable the days that followed, except a physical relaxation and a more peaceful mind.. But I realized today that things have in fact made it different on every level and especially mentally, spiritually and emotionally since the ritual…. As if everything was setting up, smoothly, gradually.. My fears have become blurred, my reluctances also, I trust my body, its capacities, life, and especially my capacity to welcome life, it is very strange. I suppose that it depends on each person and that the effects of the Rebozo depend on the barriers that we have to cross. In any case, I feel that this care calmed down certain things inside of me and really helped me to cross over a personal border, peacefully and smoothly..

I really recommend this to all of you, whatever you are experiencing in your lives !

Kisses

Notes ..

Where to do a Rebozo treatment? Either at home or in a professional office. As for myself I did it here (they do it in Paris and Bordeaux) but according to where you live, you can find practitioners in this directory.(in france ).. If you have any adress abroad, feel free to share under this post !
Price ? It is necessary to count between 150 and 250 euros for a treatment of 2 to 3 hours