Cocoon transition ceremony Zhiva

The ritual of swaddling as I offer it is called the Cocoon Transition Ceremony Zhiva.
Zhiva is an ancient Slavic word meaning life. It shares its root with the word for belly or womb and refers to vital force, embodied wholeness, and continuity of life.
The Zhiva ceremony is a long, multi-layered ritual designed to support profound life transitions. It is intended for moments of change, completion, and the beginning of a new chapter.
The ceremony lasts from 5 to 8–10 hours and includes a carefully structured sequence of body-based work, along with a guided conversation that helps articulate and anchor the intention of transition.
The ceremony includes:

• preparation of ritual cacao with spices;

• creation of a herbal mandala that becomes the base for the bath infusion;

• if desired and available, a herbal immersion bath complemented by a traditional Russian steam bath;

• rebozo massage;

• herbal bath followed by massage with a herbal pouch;

• oil massage;

• final binding and cocooning using 7–8 rebozo shawls.

Zhiva ceremony is a deep and gentle process that supports transition on a bodily level.
It offers a space to slow down, integrate lived experience, and move forward with a renewed sense of grounding, continuity, and life force.

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Contraindications:
- high blood pressure 
- claustrophobia 
- cardiovascular diseases
- psychiatric diseases
- acute form of cancer