Stone massage

A stone massage uses stones, sometimes heated, to massage the body. The hardness of the stones allows the therapist to address specific problem areas with more detailed work or deeper pressure. Basalt stones of various sizes, shapes and weights are used throughout and heated in water.

Technique

The stones are used in two ways during the massage. One is to impart heat onto the body by laying stones under the client with a layer of fabric between the client and stone (a sheet or towel) and/or on top of the client, again upon a towel. Stone layout typically will be along both sides of the the spine, or along the chakra centers on top and baseball sized stones would be placed in the hands. While these layout stones are delivering concentrated centers of heat, the therapist is simultaneously massaging the client with oiled, heated stones held in the palm of the hand with firm strokes along the muscles of the legs, arms, and torso areas.

An authentic hot stone massage is not simply the "gliding" of heated stones lightly upon the surface of the skin, but rather the stones are used as tools to deliver effective tissue and muscle massage at a pressure level comfortable to the client. The client can request light, medium or deep pressure, which is the beauty of the hot stone massage technique. It can be customized in an instant to the request of the client. The hardness of the stones makes for a fantastic deep tissue massage and is easy on the joints of the therapists hands.

A good stone massage, when properly performed, will accomplish many of the goals and benefits of other massage modalities. Many paths often lead to the same destination - and so it is with a great stone massage.

The heat from the stones relaxes muscles, increase the blood flow to the area being worked on which further accelerates the healing process. This increase in circulation and the relaxation of the muscles also aids in mental relaxation. Mental relaxation is key when a Therapist is attempting to work into deeper muscles of the body.

Stones need to be kept heated in clean, sanitized water between 120 to 130 degrees. Typically, gloves, tools, or mesh bags are used in removing stones from the hot water for sanitary reasons since hot water promotes the growth of bacteria. Alternatively, water temperatures kept too low may allow the proliferation of bacteria, algae, and mold, especially if the water has not been changed. The best way to get a safe hot stone massage is to inquire how many hours of hot stone training the therapist has received. For massage therapists who are already qualified, a one to three day intensive Stone Massage training course is usually sufficient (as long as class numbers are small). For classes with larger numbers, a five day training course may be required. While informational and entertaining, a training video is not an effective method of training.

External links

* [http://hotstone.charlia.com/ Hot Stone Massage Guide] - complete guide to the hot stone massage