"Embracing the Sacred: A Journey into Postpartum Sealing"

Embark on a journey of ancient wisdom and profound reverence with our Postpartum Sealing Retreat – a timeless ritual known by various names such as Cerradas, Mother Roasting, and Bone Closing, echoing through the annals of diverse cultures worldwide. These sacred ceremonies, steeped in tradition, hold the power to encapsulate the essence of postpartum care, passed down through generations like whispers of ancestral memory. Inspired by the timeless practices of my grandmothers and guided by a tapestry of oral traditions, teachings from esteemed elders, and modern insights gleaned from my studies in midwifery, this workshop is a harmonious fusion of the old and the new. Within the gentle embrace of this sacred space, we honor the profound journey of the birth giver and the newborn, acknowledging the thresholds crossed and the cycles completed. Each sealing ceremony marks not just an end, but also a new beginning – a transition encapsulated in the loving embrace of tradition and ritual. As a partera, I have witnessed the transformative power of cerradas, not only in the context of childbirth but also in moments of loss, transition, and rebirth. These rituals extend beyond the postpartum period, encompassing the myriad cycles of life – from the dawn of motherhood to the twilight of menopause, from the healing after loss to the liberation from past traumas. Join us as we delve into the heart of postpartum cerradas, where ancient wisdom meets modern insight, and the sacred dance of life unfolds in all its beauty and grace.

What is included

This 4-day immersion will be held in Wellfleet, Massachusetts, at a beautiful coastal retreat home surrounded by nature. Nourishing, home-cooked meals will be provided during your stay. Join us for intimate knowledge shares rooted in tradition and community.

  • Four days of hands-learning

  • Room, board and meals

  • Communal Learning

Who is this workshop for ?

This workshop is specifically for birth professionals or bodyworkers who are actively serving postpartum families.

I am calling in a diverse group of professionals who are deeply committed to birth givers and to the continued cultural preservation of this work. The workshop and retreat is a living, breathing circle of knowledge sharing . Everyone in our circle will have something to contribute. I will be carefully screening each applicant with this knowledge sharing circle in mind. I encourage you to be open and authentic in your application process. I have no doubt that our circle will be just as it needs to be. I'm looking forward to welcoming you there.

Wellfleet Retreat Home

our learning space

We’ll be gathering at a peaceful oceanside retreat home on the coast of Cape Cod, in Wellfleet Massachusetts — a quiet and cozy haven surrounded by salt air, coastal pines, and soft sandy paths. Just a short drive from Boston and Providence, this land invites us to slow down, attune to ancestral rhythms, and reconnect with our deepest knowing. Here, we’ll be held by the Atlantic breeze and the wisdom of the shore as we remember, restore, and root into the medicine we carry.
Visit the Retreat Website

What is the cost ?

Once you have been invited to enroll you will have these following payment options

  • Early Bird $1999

    Expires December Jan. 6th and is limited to the first three applicants.

  • Full Price $2250

    Regular payment paid between December 16th and March 31st.

  • $2500 Late Registration

    Late fee payment is applied when registration is paid from April 1st to May 1st.

How do I register?

There is an application process before you can enroll to attend. Due to the intimate nature of the workshop and the very limited enrollments (limited to 14 participants), I will be screening everyone.

  • Submit your application (may skip with invitation)

  • You will receive an invitation to enroll within a week if selected

  • You will have 1 week to put down a deposit and enroll

Online Course Materials

    1. Welcome & Details

      FREE PREVIEW

    2. Postpartum Sealing Guide Book

    3. Supplemental Forms: Please Fill Out

    4. Join the Postpartum Sealing Retreat Group Chat

    5. Terms & Conditions

      FREE PREVIEW

    1. What is the Closing of the Bones Ceremony- Prerecording

    2. Building the Postpartum Nest, Rites and Rituals of Traditional Postpartum Mexican Medicine

    3. Ventosas: Fire Cupping Instruction Handout

    4. Binding Materials

    5. Woven Faja Application Demo

      FREE PREVIEW

    6. Elastic Bandages Binding Instruction

    7. Elastic Bandage : Belly Binding Instructional Handout

    8. Uterus Palpation Demo

      FREE PREVIEW

    9. Diastasis Demo

    1. Course Reflection: Please submit once completion of the course to receive your certificate of attendance.

    1. Certificate of Completion

About this course

  • 16 lessons

Postpartum Sealing Workshop Testimonials

What former participants have to share...

Completely exceeded my expectations.

Karen Bailon

I am presently unearthing how this experience has deeply shifted my outlook on how we love and show up for each other as mujeres, mothers, and caregivers. I feel such a profound honor and responsibility carrying these seeds of knowledge I was able to gather during our time together.

Excellent Teaching

Angela Leon

The workshop is a thoroughly experiential and sensuous training! For me, the markers of a good learning experience include telling (through theory), showing (through demos), feeling (through practice), and processing (through sharing, crying, laughing). Tema included all of these components with gracious expertise. The workshop is wonderful for both community members who are looking to support birthing people in their life as well as birth workers who have been immersed in the calling for many years.

Postpartum Sealing retreat was a life changing event

Cynthia Hillocks

I was going to learn, grow spiritually, which I did, and expanded my knowledge of healing my postpartum clients. What I didn’t know was that this workshop was also an invitation to experience my own healing. Now, I not only have tools to care for my clients in a wholesome traditional way but also an understanding and the knowledge of what this caring feels like for myself.

Inspiring & Truly Magical

Anayeli Cruz Cazares

Inspiring and truly magical. I would say that its a safe space to learn and to practice and not feel judged. The practices I learned were very valuable and the content of the workshop and flow was smooth.

Brought me back to my roots

Cheryl Montour

It exceeded my expectations, I did not expect to feel such strong emotions and inner realizations.

Amazing, healing and beautiful!

Sherry Jones

Amazing, healing, beautiful and opportunity to connect with yourself and gain hands-on tools to use in your birth work practice immediately. A wonderful experience all around.

I like Tema's Teaching Style

Wendy Acosta

I like the way that tema teaches. Something that really drew me in was her teaching style. Her class has a flow to it and she makes that happen through her respect for the work along with the things that arise throughout the class such as questions, thoughts and experiences that are shared by her students. She has many teaching tools she uses such as storytelling, touch and song that allows you to pick up the material with your whole body. I loved each moment and I had the opportunity to learn from her.

I feel more connected to my ancestry and this practice

Gabriela Mote

The postpartum workshop/retreat with Tema and our incredible group was an opportunity to lean into indigenous roots and knowledge for healing practices, but also to understand our own calling to this work. Staying in the beautiful home with the group and building a safe container together was healing by itself. Each of guest teachers, as well as Tema, were genuine in their presence and each of them truly a wealth of knowledge.

Exceeded Expectations

Ariana Martinez

I have been trying to describe how life changing the workshop was for me to friends and it’s hard to put into words. So far, I have been saying that yes, it was full of hands on learning and information but even more it was an invitation into first honoring the medicine in our own lives. Our workshop honestly exceeded my expectations! I really enjoyed that the whole day was filled with learning and intention. But at the same time, we free flowed with the energy of the day.

Follow my Heart

Berenice Dimas

I am definitely integrating all that I learned in my current practice as a doula, herbalist, and bodyworker. Many people in my community are benefiting from the knowledge Tema shared. What the journey also offered me was an opportunity to reflect on my own path. Since then, I've decided to follow my heart and apply for a midwifery program. I am so grateful for all that Tema offered us at the retreat. It has literally shifted the course of my life so that it is aligned with my heart.

Workshop Facilitator

Maestra

Partera Tema Mercado

Tema Mercado is a Xicana Licensed Midwife in California and Partera Profesional Certificada in Mexico , mother to six children and a grandmother. She believes that birth work can change the world and has dedicated the last 11 years to birth and reproductive justice on the U.S Mexico Border serving families on both sides of the border. Tema was born and raised in San Jose, California and spent her adolescence in Mexicali, Baja California. Her midwifery practice and overall work in the community stems from a social justice and heart perspective. Tema is a traditional singer and story teller, these two gifts led her to share her voice as a speaker and facilitator. She believes that knowledge sharing is essential for the preservation of cultural healing arts. To find out more about Tema and her work, you can visit her website http://www.lamatrizbirth.com/ and her IG page @matrizmidwife.

Read the Terms & Conditions by clicking on the link

Retreat Terms & Conditions

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

  • Do you offer any scholarships?

    Yes, I do. For this workshop however I am only making one scholarship opportunity available. Scholarships are exclusively reserved for members of Unveiling the Journey a Mentorship for Aspiring Parterx.

  • Will this workshop be in English?

    Yes, all instruction by me will be given in English. Our guest maestras might choose to share in Spanish and I will make a translator available if the group need ones.

  • When will you have another Postpartum Sealing Retreat & Workshop?

    I hope to offer one every year. I will make those dates available to the people on the waitlist first. I will announce the dates with at least a 9-month notice. Getting on the waitlist is the best way to secure your registration. You can access the waitlist application by scrolling up.

  • Can I take my child/s with me?

    Babes in arms are welcome!

  • Can I attend and stay somewhere else?

    Yes. You may choose to rent your own hotel, Airbnb or stay with relatives nearby. However the pricing will not be reduced.

  • Is this a BIPOC only event

    No. It is open to all birth and bodywork professionals.

  • I will be newly postpartum, can I still attend.

    I do not recommend attending this workshop while you are in your 4th trimester. While it may seem that this would be a perfect place to be held, it can move and bring up so much for all of us. Each application will be reviewed and evaluated one a one on one basis.

  • My question is not listed here...

    If you still have questions please email me directly at [email protected].