Hot Stone Massage is becoming an increasingly popular massage form, which more and more spas and beauty salons offer. In its essence it is a massage therapy that uses heated basalt stones as a means to warm the muscles and massaging them. It is an ancient therapy form which was made popular when the massage therapist Mary Nelson introduced a massage technique called “La Stone Therapy”.
Hot Stone Massage is not just a gliding of stones around on the body, but a precise therapy form which aims at connecting mind, body and soul into one unit. The hot stones are precisely placed upon the body to heat and relax the muscles. The warm stones are also used as a tool to massage the muscles in depth, like a normal massage therapy would.
The heat of the stones effectively helps the muscles relax, and the technique is gentle on the massage therapist’s joints, which allows for longer and deeper massages. The massage style is based in old shamanistic traditions, and like the lomi lomi massage, it can become a whole ritual in itself, with energy work, meditation and self exploration.
La Stone Therapy was created by combining the old native healing method with modern knowledge and massage therapy, and is now approved by the US health authorities as a valid massage therapy along side Swedish Massage, Sports Massage and so on.
Most Hot Stone Massage you’ll find in France will only employ heated basalt stones. The La Stone Therapy also uses cooled stones and the combination of heat and cold adds a whole new dimension to the treatment. It becomes an art performance.
Further reading:
http://hotstone.charlia.com/ – a quick guide
http://lastonetherapy.com/ – the official La Stone Therapy site
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