CLOSING OF THE BONES CEREMONY

60 HOUR TRAINING | ENGLISH


NEXT COHORT:
September 29 - October 4 2025
(6 days in person)
in Toronto, ON

This is the most complete and in-depth training available in Canada!
Registrations are now open! 
Intimate group of only 6 participants
I want to know more!

This in-depth, 60-hour training is designed for those who wish to learn the Closing of the Bones ceremony — a powerful rite of passage originating from Mexico.

In this training, you will learn and practice every aspect of the ceremony:

  • Rebozo massage (Manteada)

  • Herbal sweat (Temazcal Casero)

  • Ceremonial postpartum bath (Baño Postparto)

  • Closing of the bones with the rebozo (Cerrada)

You will also be immersed in the cultural cosmovision behind this tradition, with opportunities to engage in discussions on how to safely hold space, take care of yourself, and offer this ceremony with cultural respect and integrity.

By the end of the training, you will be equipped to offer the Closing of the Bones ceremony with confidence, safety, and integrity.

No prerequisites required.

To schedule a free 20 minute meeting with Andréa and ask any questions, please email: adekdoula@gmail.com

  • The training takes places in several stages:

    FOUNDATIONS (5h): theoretical part of the training, prerecorded videos to watch in your own time.

    PRACTICE (35h): five days in person to learn and practice the manteada, temazcal casero, ceremonial bath and cerrada. You will practice and receive this ceremony as a version of 3 hours and 5 hours.

    SHARING (12h): You will offer two ceremonies on your own or in pairs and write a one page reflection. The ceremonies need to be offered free of cost. Andréa or Angie will be available to do a phone mentorship before and/or after (2x30minute calls).

    RESEARCH (8h): A research project on a topic related to this practice with the objective of enriching your knowledge and that of the community. Can be in written form (3-10 pages) or can also take form of another format: workshop, video, presentation, etc.

  • Foundations of Traditional Mexican Medicine

    • Honoring tradition and duality

    • The elements and their role in the ritual

    • Concepts of cold and heat

    • Coyolxauhqui

    • Songs for the ceremony

    • Protections and using the faja

    • Introduction to traditional Mexican herbology

    • The spirit and stories of plants

    History of the Rebozo & Closing of the Bones Ceremony

    • Introduction and history of the rebozo

    • Postpartum ritual bath (Baño Postparto) in Mexico

    • The ritual in North American and European contexts

    • Stages of the ceremony

    • Precautions and contraindications

    • Health questionnaire and choosing your partner

    The Postnatal Period

    • Challenges during the postnatal period

    • Light and shadow in the experience

    • Dealing with memories and trauma

    • Care after difficult births (C-sections, hemorrhages, tears, etc.)

    • Recommended and not recommended plants for postnatal care

    Holding Space & Trauma

    • Creating and holding a safe, supportive space

    • Our role, limits, and consent

    • Providing care after abortion, miscarriage, infertility, or perinatal death

    • When trauma resurfaces

    • Transforming difficult experiences and challenging stories

    Manteada and Cerrada

    • Rebozo massage (Manteada) and precautions

    • Basic biomechanics for self-care

    • Closing the physical and emotional body (Cerrada)

    • How to welcome the experience

    Temazcal Casero & Ceremonial Bath

    • Tlazolteotl and the history of the temazcal

    • Introduction to the human temazcal

    • Precautions for the home sweat lodge (Temazcal Casero)

    • The herbal bath and the energy of water

    • The place of word, prayer, and rest

    Closing of the Ritual

    • Cacao and its role in closing the ritual

    • The story of cacao

    Reciprocity & Ecology

    • Reciprocity, cultural respect, and returning to communities

    • Accessibility and respecting plants

    • Ecological practices in the ceremony

  • An illustrated colour 40 page guide, a certificate of participation (once all the stages are completed) and all the materials during the training.

    You also get a faja as a gift!

    Accommodations not included.

  • $1750

    Possibility of doing 3 payments. Contact me if you need to set up a payment schedule.

    1 BIPOC scholarships available for each training

  • SCHEDULE
    5 hours online:
    Videos will be sent one week before the training begins
    35 hours in person:
    9h30-16h30**
    Toronto Sept 29- Oct 4
    Gatineau/Ottawa: Nov 24-28
    12 hours independent work with mentorship
    8 hours research

    **Participants need to be present for the entire length of the training to receive certification.

    LOCATION TORONTO
    Sept 29-Oct 1 :
    Studio that is 13 minute walk from Chester Subway
    Oct 2-4:
    Home that is near Dupont Subway

    LOCATION GATINEAU/OTTAWA:
    November 24-28
    To be confirmed

“Without a doubt one of the most beautiful trainings I've done so far. Angie and Andréa are gentle, open and welcoming. They take the transmission of ancestral knowledge to heart!” - Sandrine Chateauneuf

“…a celebration of life! Sharing from the heart - Collective Rebozo is simply exceptional!”

“ Highly recommended - this training enabled me to weave my deeper my connection to myself, my community and sacred spaces. I have infinite gratitude for the discovery of this medicine of the heart.”

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Although this ceremony is traditionally intended for the postpartum period — including after an abortion, miscarriage, or perinatal loss — it can be received at any point in life to symbolically and physically close cycles:

  • In moments of mourning: separation, diagnosis, illness, infertility

  • During periods of transition: career changes, moving, menopause, gender transition

  • To celebrate new stages of life: adoption, marriage, birthdays, birth

This ritual nurtures the body on physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual levels.

Join Andréa de Keijzer (Mexico/Costa Rica/Netherlands), a doula and ritualist with over 10 years of experience, to learn these ancestral tools.

This training will empower you to offer gentleness, warmth, and presence to those you love, or to the clients you support.

I want to sign up!

Reciprocity

 

Since we started working with the rebozo, we’ve asked ourselves: what does a fair and equitable exchange truly look like? How can we show our gratitude to the communities and teachers in Mexico who have shared their wisdom with us? How can we ensure these ancestral traditions are preserved and continue to flourish, while honoring the relationships we’ve built with those who have passed on this precious knowledge?

At Collective Rebozo, we donate a percentage of each training to support special projects with the Bazan/Chavez family in Teotitlán del Valle and to support our midwifery and herbalist teachers in Mexico.

This is our way of caring for the guardians of this tradition, practicing reciprocity, and circulating the energy that has been so generously shared with us.

“The closing of the bones training is an immense space of sharing and energy. Collective Rebozo offers wonderful tools to offer a precious moment to honor passages in a person's life, which is unfortunately absent in our culture.”

- Dalia Séguin, Quebec midwife