A Sacred Space for Postpartum Recovery

In our ongoing series spotlighting the incredible services in our Not Another Onesie village, we spoke with the heart and hands behind Kavanah Care,  a wellness sanctuary offering postpartum support and bodywork that feels like a warm exhale for mothers in their most tender chapter.

Could you tell us a little about the story behind Kavanah Care? How did it begin?

Kavanah Care began from a deeply personal and professional place. Throughout my early career, I saw mothers craving support beyond the clinical – a nurturing space where their body, mind, and spirit could be held with kindness and understanding.

Drawing from my background in massage therapy (both clinical and spa environments) and mental health, as well as my intuition and many healing modality principles, I created Kavanah Care as a sanctuary for women to reconnect with themselves during one of life’s most tender and powerful chapters- and all through womanhood. 

It’s a place to be truly held and supported and allows women to come back to their true selves.

Why is postpartum bodywork so crucial in your eyes?

The postpartum period is a time of immense physical and emotional change, yet it’s often overlooked or rushed through. 

The body has just experienced a profound transformation both physically and energetically- from birth itself, hormonal shifts, and the adjustment to our new role as mothers.

Gentle, intentional bodywork supports healing on all levels: it eases tension and discomfort, restores balance, helps regulate the nervous system, nurtures emotional wellbeing, and fosters a deep reconnection to the body and its power. 

It’s not a luxury, but a vital form of care that empowers to heal, rest and return to their own intuition. 

What does a typical session at Kavanah Care look or feel like?

A session at Kavanah Care feels like a warm exhale.

A grounding, nurturing pause. 

Your session will begin with a gentle check-in to understand your unique needs, creating a safe, sacred space. 

The bodywork itself is a blend of soothing touch and a range of massage techniques, and intuitive healing practices, all adapted to the mother’s current state and preferences and all designed to rebalance the body and calm the nervous system.

We focus on physical dysfunction, pain and imbalance due to birth, breastfeeding and your changing body and also focus on the mind and creating peace and calm. 

It is deeply relaxing yet revitalising. 

You will feel held, listened to, and cared for on a holistic level. 

What techniques do you use to support the nervous system in postpartum? Can you share what that process feels like for a mama?

Supporting the nervous system postpartum is central to our work at Kavanah Care. 

We use gentle touch, slow rhythmic massage, and nervous system stimulating techniques to shift mothers out of fight-or-flight and into rest-and-digest. 

This process feels like a softening, a gradual unwinding of tension and overwhelm. Our clients report feeling lighter, calmer, and more grounded and present in their bodies after sessions. 

Babies respond so easily to the energy and environment they are in so a well supported and grounded mumma is important. 

How do you approach bodywork when a mother has had a cesarean birth or traumatic experience?

Birth trauma is unfortunately very common. 

For mothers with cesarean births or other traumas, It is recommended to either start their healing with a restorative postnatal massage for the at initial body balance and nervous system reset. 

We then highly recommend our mummas visit one of our womb healing practitioners for a transformational session releasing tension and also energetically healing.

What does a womb healing massage entail?

Womb healing massage supports the release of blockages and stagnant energy held in the tissues of the body, while helping to restore balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems.

This deeply nurturing treatment encourages healthy blood flow to the uterus, creating a nourishing environment for the reproductive organs and supporting the body’s natural healing processes. It can also aid in:

• Releasing emotional stress or trauma stored in the womb space
• Balancing the sacral chakra, which is linked to creativity, reproduction, and feminine energy
• Supporting hormonal regulation and overall well-being

Womb healing is a sacred and powerful practice that allows women to connect with their womb space, process their pregnancies and births, and honour the profound strength and wisdom of their bodies.

Many new mums are hesitant to take time for themselves, what would you say to them about why this kind of care matters?

I completely understand how hard it is to make space for yourself when you’re caring so deeply for your baby. I was the mum who was too afraid to leave my little one with anyone else and if I did leave I was constantly thinking about him. 

That’s why Bub is welcome to join you for your sessions. 

We make it work. We’ve had mums breastfeeding on the bed, bubs playing or asleep in their pram or mum and Bub cuddling and relaxing together on the table. Please feel free to bring them along. 

If you prefer to come alone but can’t find the time or feel too indulgent, just remember, when you nurture yourself, you recharge your wellspring of energy, patience, and love, not just for yourself but for your whole family. 

Taking this time supports your healing, reduces overwhelm, and helps you show up as the calm, grounded mama you want to be. You deserve to be cared for just as much as your baby does.

What are some of the most common physical symptoms or discomforts you see in postpartum clients and how does your work help?

Common concerns I see are lower back pain, and shoulder pain due to breastfeeding positions and the natural rounding of shoulders which comes with holding newborns. 

I see a lot of sleep deprivation, anxiety and stress as well as emotional weight like overwhelm and disconnection from their bodies. 

Our treatments help by releasing physical tension, improving circulation, encouraging lymphatic flow, and providing nervous system regulation. 

We are the perfect combination of clinical care with that spa and grounding environment. 

What’s your dream for every woman who walks through your door?

My dream is that every woman who comes to Kavanah Care feels deeply held, nourished, and empowered and feels a true sense of care, love and sisterhood. 

I want her to reconnect with her body’s feminine wisdom, feel supported beyond what she expected, and leave with tools to nurture herself long after our sessions end.

“Kavanah” means intention. It is our intention to care and so, I hope she feels and knows she is worthy of tender care through every phase of womanhood.