Creating closure with re-birth Rituals
In my previous blog post, I explained the physiological reasons for a postpartum person to use a method like Closing the Bones. While cocooning has physiological reasons that can be supportive to anyone, the energy of creating closure is a unique experience that deserves attention.
ANYONE WHO is feeling ungrounded or cracked open is welcome to receive Cocooning
One can feel "cracked open" after a physical or sexual violation, heartbreak, traumatic event or even a positive expansive experience like a powerful psychedelic journey. Even with a miscarriage, abortion, or stillbirth the cervix opens to allow the passage of the cells, embryo, fetus etc. to exit the uterus. Cocooning allows you to re-gather the parts of yourself on a somatic level, bringing you back to your center.
We all began life in a womb.
Our experiences of life in utero shape who we are from the very beginning. We begin to recognize the voices of our primary caregivers, and are exposed to the stress levels of our mothers. We also respond to music-and some of these responses of our babies in utero can be felt by a kick, somersaults, or other activity. To a newborn the world is so much more cold and bright and overstimulating than life inside the womb. That is one reason why swaddling can be so useful; mimicking the contained feeling provided by the uterus can be settling to a babies nervous system.
COCOONING MIMICS THE FEELING OF BEING IN THE WOMB
In a sense, techniques like Cocooning create a womb-like feeling for the recipient. Cocooning offers a soothing combination: From the squeezing & compression with the multiple layers of fabric, a weighted blanket and eye pillow placed on top, combined with a healing bath of sound, one experiences the feeling of being tucked into a gentle, cozy, nurturing cocoon. While the idea of being squeezed and swaddled may not be for everyone, I hope you consider the benefits of this deeply grounding and nourishing practice. In the case of feeling emotionally, energetically, or otherwise “cracked open” from an experience this could be just the remedy for that. Just as babies find comfort in how the swaddle mimics the confined space of their mother’s womb, cocooning creates a re-birth like experience of feeling held and nurtured in whatever emotional state you find yourself in.
For more on deep pressure therapy: weight combined with compression help settle the nervous system, read my blog post here.
