Hot Stone Massage

The holistic massage that treats body and mind

The therapeutic effects by stones on the body are known since ancient times. Today it's famous thanks to an american therapist who recovered it.

Hot Stone Massage

The stones' therapeutic effects on the human body were known since ancient times by many peoples. La Stone Therapy was in fact practiced by Sumerians, Egyptians, American Indians, Indians in India, Japanese, Greeks and Romans in the famous Thermae, but it was a therapist from Arizona, the masseuse Mary Nelson, to recover and disseminate , from ancient traditions, the use of massage with hot stones uniting it in Ayurvedic techniques and traditional Chinese medicine's concepts.

The term "hot" means warm and heat, and there are many forms: The heat of eternal love, of a home, of the sun, of a hug, of a caress or in our case, the heat of the stones.

The stones are the Gaia's bones , the Great Earth Mother , and transmit its energyas bearer of stability and solidity.

This massage is now very fashionable, but it is often trivialized and reduced to mere placement of stones or a little more. The real Stone Massage however, does not renounce to healing hands' power .

It use the heated stones for their energetic power and its muscle relaxant action (due to heat), but then returns on the treated area with their hands, to enhance and complement the effect. In fact, even to the present day the heat is used for the treatment of pain and muscle stiffness (thermotherapy) and with the use of the stones, the thermal effect is achieved by conduction or by direct contact of the skin with hot stones, influencing the energy centers (chakras) and rebalancing the mind and the body.

 

The stones for Stone Massage

Energy comes to us through breathing and feeding but is also present in the minerals .. it is obvious that we can not ingest a mineral, nor could we metabolize it; However, we can introduce it directly into our Energy Field, simply by placing it on the body.

The natural ability of certain minerals to release or remove heat is at the stones' and crystals' use's origin in Stone Massage. The stones that are used for this massage are of different forms and origins depending on the body area to be treated and the type of massage to be performed.

Marble is a white stone useful for treating cold and has a tonic effect; stimulates blood circulation, metabolism and promotes fluid retention.
It is indicated for those who, due to capillary fragility problems, can not get a massage with hot stones and is particularly suitable for athletes because the cold, stimulating circulation, causes a blood vessels narrowing by promoting cell oxygenation and recovery muscle faster, speeding up the elimination of toxins and lactic acid.

Basalt is a black volcanic rock produced by the lava solidification . The natural black basalt stones are rich in minerals and have a very smooth and velvety surface.

The stones absorb heat, holding it longer and smoothly than any other, and releasing it very slowly on contact with the skin.
They are heated in the appropriate warmers, water bath in water at 65-70 ° C, they are collected, dried and to facilitate the massage and the stones sliding on the body, are applied massage oils, often with the addition of specific essential oils that thanks to the heat will be absorbed better by the skin.

These two types of stones, black and white, can be used alone or in combination between them since the alternation of hot and cold stones is recommended for the treatment of muscle injury and inflammation, since it stimulates vasodilation and vasoconstriction, in addition to have a sedative effect on the nervous system.

 

Hot Stone Massage Benefits

Therapy with hot stones in addition to being used for relaxation is indicated to combat stress, insomnia, to relieve muscle and joint pain easing tensions in the joints and in particular those of the vertebral column.

It may be beneficial for the lymphatic circulation, fluid retention, blood circulation and venous return.

With this technique the heat given off by the stones creates a vasodilation that the body tries to compensate by activating the thermoregulation mechanisms: blood vessels dilate by pumping more blood to the skin surface for extract heat from the body.

However, it is not recommended for those who suffer from capillary fragility. In the latter case, it is preferable to use the massage with cold stones, which instead have a vasoconstrictor effect.

The skin benefits from this treatment, as it is softer, smoother and more elastic, especially if the massage is done with essential oils.

Do not underestimate also the beneficial effects that massage has on the muscles, which relaxing and decreasing its voltage causes a sedative effect on the central nervous system.

It is highly beneficial for those who suffer from respiratory diseases such as bronchitis and sinusitis and promotes the skin regeneration processes .

From the spiritual point of view this massage also gives a general feeling of well-being, physical and mental relaxation with consequent improvement in mood.

In summary we can say that this type of treatment is recommended for:

  • improve blood and lymphatic circulation ;
  • loosen stiff muscles;
  • improve joints mobility and relieve spinal column tension, the main cause of painful and disabling back pain;
  • detoxify the body, unlocking the metabolic exchanges;
  • smooth the skin.