A hot stone massage is a rejuvenating treatment where heated rocks are placed on different parts of your body, for a pleasant warming effect. The masseur will use the hot stones to gently massage your skin to soothe and relax your muscles. Hot stone therapy is wonderful for alleviating tense and injured muscles and soft tissues throughout your body.
For our hot stone treatments, we use polished stones made from basalt, a type of volcanic rock which retains heat. The dark gray stones are flat so that there’s a large surface area available to place on your skin. They feel lovely and smooth against your body, helping to melt away any stresses or strains you may have brought with you.
Using hot water, your therapist will heat the basalt stones to around 120°F. He or she will then set them down on different parts of your body, such as your spine, stomach, chest, face, palms of hands and feet, and toes.
Your massage therapist will apply a light oil to your skin to facilitate the massage, then use the rocks to make long and circular movements over your body. They’ll often use the narrower, sharper edge of the rocks to gently stroke and tap your skin.
Placing hot stones on your muscles is an effective way of alleviating tension and pain. This type of massage can:
Increase blood flow