What is Hot Stone Massage?

An ancient healing massage with deep, flowing, Hawaiian-style strokes, I believe it is quite possibly the best massage in the world. This luxurious massage uses smooth, rounded stones that are heated. Using hands, fingers, forearms, elbows and smooth, hot volcanic stones to massage your body, this can be as relaxing or as deep as you like. Heat penetrates deeply right down into your core, instantly helping tight muscles to release and relax and soothing your aches and pains. Hot stones increase all the regular benefits of massage to alleviate pain and stress more easily. Hot Stone massage is extreme relaxation therapy that completely immerses you in a warm hug from Mother Nature and creates an experience you will never forget!


Benefits of Hot Stone Massage

This holistic treatment uses both physical and grounding energies for deeply relaxing and revitalising effects. Hot stone massage adds the benefits of heat to the benefits of massage heated stones. This combination helps release toxins, relieve pain, and improve circulation. Most people who have a Hot Stone Massage will be amazed by the level of relaxation that is achieved. It is usually a very grounding, relaxing and healing experience. Apart form the deep level of relaxation, Hot Stone Massage is also great to incorporate into remedial or therapeutic massage and allows the therapist to work deeper into your muscles much more quickly and is therefore very effective sat relieving tight muscles and stubborn knots.

Massage has an incredible amount of benefits such as boosting and healing your immune, lymphatic, circulatory, respiratory, skeletal, muscular and nervous systems, encouraging production of white blood cells, reducing stress, strengthening brain functions and it helps to release all your feel-good hormones and endorphins. Plus, it feels great!


History

Hot Stone Massage Therapy, also known as Hot Rock Massage, is perhaps one of the oldest forms of hands-on-healing known to humans. Heated stones were used in ancient India, China, Hawaii and by the North American Indians. People from virtually every culture have used a combination of touch, heat and stones as therapeutic tools. Volcanic stones are also said to have been rubbed over the body after a traditional Hawaiian massage. The Hawaiians are still one of the most closely linked cultures to modern-day Hot Stone Massage and Stone Therapy.


Styles of Hot Stone Massage

Practically every Spa or health retreat in the world now offers Hot Stone Massage on their menu; however there are a multitude of various methods and styles of Stone Therapy. The massage will usually consist of the therapist massaging with the heated stones or placing heated stones onto the client’s body. The heat from the stones is released deep into the muscles, greatly enhancing the massage. It is said that one stroke with a heated stone is equivalent to ten normal massage strokes! As with all forms of massage, it is important that therapists undertake professional Hot Stone Massage training. Check before your treatment to ensure you are getting the best massage from the most qualified therapist.


Types of Stones Used

Hot stone massage uses smooth and heated stones. The stones are usually grey/black basalt of varying shapes and sizes, which absorb and retain the heat well. However, the stones can be of other types like river stones or crystals. The main thing is that they hold heat and when rubbed over or placed on the body are deeply relaxing and help to relieve pain and allow tight muscles to release. White and cold stones also can be used.

Note: This is not in any way a complete list of massage styles and benefits and is only my own opinion through research, knowledge and experience, and thus may not always be correct. Please consult with your massage therapist to be sure they are qualified to assist you with your personal needs and please see a qualified medical practitioner before engaging in massage therapy if you have any conditions or concerns about your health..

 

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