Hot stone massage therapy involves applying water heated basalt stones of different sizes to important points of your body. These stones give deep massage and create sensations of warmness and comfort.
Your skin becomes warm with the heat of the massage stones and allows for absorbing moisture and therapeutic oils. The heat of the stones also prepares simultaneously the body musculature so that the massage therapist can work into the deep muscle layers.
The therapist will keep the stones along the energy centers of your body for healing to take place. These stones help in uniting with energy flow for rebalancing the physical body, spirit and emotional mind as one.
Hot stone massage technique:
Once you have decided to take hot stone massage, you have to take appointment with a practitioner. Before arriving, the therapist cleans the stones and heats the stones 120° to 150° in water.
While holding the heated stone, the massage therapist uses traditional strokes of Swedish massage. Once the stone becomes cool, he replaces with another stone. The therapist can also leave these heated stones along the spine or palms or between your toes at specific points for improving energy flow in your body.
If you have any inflammation or muscle injury, cool stones are used instead of hot stones. Blood vessels are constricted, which stimulates the nervous system by drawing blood and waste products along the body by cool stones. With cool stone therapy, waste is removed from the body through lymphatic system and your body cells receive more oxygen and nutrients.
Benefits with hot stone massage:
Lying with heated stones on your back is a comforting experience that is completely different from other massages. Without any skilled professional, simple heat and rock combination produces a relaxing and soothing effect.
The direct heat of the stones relaxes your muscles as it manipulates with greater intensity than with normal massage. The blood and waste are pushed through nervous system when blood vessels are expanded by hot stones. Therefore, your body gets a sedative effect.
Hot stone massage therapy can help in relieving many health conditions such as
- Depression
- Insomnia
- Arthritis
- Sprains
- Stress and anxiety
- Rheumatism
- Fibromyalgia
- Poor circulation
- Muscle aches
- Muscular dystrophy
- Back pain
This therapy also helps to promote deep muscle and tissue relaxation, release toxins, alleviate stress, relieve pain and calm the psyche.
