The First 40 Days: A Guide to Postpartum Healing & Rebirth
Plus a Yogi Tea recipe for nervous system repair and milk production
Hi hi, it’s Amy Keller here, Co-Creator of The Mothership. Earlier this week, Jeana shared the birth story of their dear daughter, Eleanor Rose — a 48-minute yogic birth!
She also gave us some insight into how she’s honoring the first half of her 40-day postpartum.
Some of you asked what exactly is a 40-Day Postpartum Practice in the kundalini lineage.
Our mission here at The Mothership is to weave conversation, poetry, guided meditations, music, movement and motivation in an effort to bring “the Village” together for present and future mothers everywhere.
We’re dedicated to bringing you a culmination of practical and mystical applications to live, love and parent with more intention, creativity, inspiration and ease.
There are many ways to “get there.”
A 40-Day practice is just one way.
Why 40 Days?
The number 40 is significant in Kundalini Yoga and other spiritual traditions — because it represents a full cycle of energetic transformation.
It’s believed that the patterns and imprints created in the first 40 days of motherhood influence the next 40 years of a woman’s life.
This practice is about honoring the postpartum period as a sacred transition, not rushing back into “normal life,” but instead using this time to heal, bond, and step into motherhood with strength and grace.
We reached out to our in-house yogi, Registered Nurse & childbirth educator, AKAL KHALSA, to breakdown the significance of this 40 day postpartum practice:
1. The 40 days sets the tone for the entire life of the child. It gives security as the mother’s aura and baby’s aura are one while the baby is in the womb. When the umbilical cord is cut, there is a slow separation of the aura of mother and infant and at 40 days the infant has their own aura.
2. The mother should not underestimate her need for rest. A woman who rests in the 40 days can get much of her energy back in 3 to 4 months post birth. Those that don’t, it can take years.
This 40 day practice gives the infant a deep trust for the parents due to the protective and understanding space they created for their transition on planet earth.
Jump down to the bottom for Akal’s Go-To Yogi Tea recipe for postpartum care.
Core Elements of the 40-Day Postpartum Practice in Kundalini Yoga
🌿 Rest & Replenishment
In the Kundalini tradition (and many indigenous postpartum care systems), a mother is encouraged to rest as much as possible for the first 40 days. This allows the body to heal, hormones to balance, and energy to be rebuilt.
Warm, nourishing foods like kitchari, soups, and herbal teas are emphasized to aid digestion and recovery.
Avoid cleaning, cooking and chores of any kind.
Traditionally, it is recommended that the mother and child stay in one room. (However, with anything in yoga (and life) you can modify this practice and extend to other rooms in the house.)
Adding the midwife’s favorite: 5-5-5 rule. This is where you spend 5 Days in the bed, 5 Days on the bed, 5 Days around the bed.
🧘♀️ Gentle Breathwork & Meditation
Specific pranayama (breathwork) practices help strengthen the nervous system, regulate emotions, and bring vitality back to the body.
Meditations such as Wahe Guru (a chant for oneness) and Adi Shakti (for divine feminine strength) are often recommended.
🤱 The Mother-Baby Bond
The first 40 days are seen as a time of deep imprinting, where baby’s nervous system and emotional health are shaped by the mother’s energy.
Skin-to-skin contact, babywearing, and breastfeeding (if applicable) are encouraged.
💫 Aura Strengthening & Protection
It’s believed that a mother’s aura is highly open after birth, making her more sensitive to external influences. Mantras like Guru Ram Das (for protection and healing) or Ra Ma Da Sa (for deep restoration) are often used.
Keep the baby within 9 feet of your aura at all times.
🧎♀️ Gentle Movement & Reconnection to the Body
Physical movement is very gentle in the early days—simple spinal flexes, cat-cow, and Sat Kriya (when ready) to slowly rebuild energy.
Around the 40-day mark, many women begin deeper pelvic floor and core work to regain strength.
Yogi Tea Recipe:
Yogi tea after birth repairs the nervous system and brings in the milk supply. It is recommended to drink at least a big pitcher a day with milk. (Drink warm)
320 ounces water. (Bring to Boil)
96 whole cloves
128 whole black peppercorns
128 cardamom pods (use mortar and pestle so they are more opened if possible)
32 cinnamon sticks
1 tablespoon black tea
ginger root (chopped up well)
Boil cloves, cardamom pods, black peppercorns, cinnamon sticks and ginger root for about 30 minutes.
Then add black tea and keep boiling for another 5 minutes. Must use black tea to amalgamate the spices together.
What are paid subscribers exploring on this topic on The Mothership?
Track 14: Separation and Sanctuary: Holy Order in the First 40-Days
Create Your Court: A Mother’s Responsibility; a conversation with Nam Satya