Introduction
Massage is perhaps the oldest form of practical healing known to humans, easily predating written records. For millennia, people of virtually all cultures have used a combination of touch, heat (thermotherapy), and stones as therapeutic tools. It is pretty safe to say that almost all cultures have used heat and / or stones to have some kind of healing effect on the body, either by using stones directly on the body as we do in a hot stone massage, or indirectly, similar to a structure like Stonehenge that affects the body energetically.
Most therapists who incorporate hot stones into their massage routine agree that the Chinese, Native Americans, and Hawaiians have played an important role in the way stone therapy is applied today (although they also Egyptians, Ayurvedic medicine, Pacific Islanders, and many other cultures are said to have also used stones in their healing arts.)
Traditional uses of stones
One of the earliest recorded uses of stones for healing was by the Chinese. Before the invention of metal acupuncture needles, ancient practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) regularly used various sharp and shaped stones to treat diseases. These stones were known as ‘Bian Stones’ and were used to puncture, pierce and bleed various points on the body (in addition to puncturing boils and performing other superficial procedures). The Chinese also used heat, in the form of ‘moxabustion’ (burning ‘mugwort’, a dried herb, on acupuncture points), to increase the yang / heat in the body and have a healing effect on patients. Almost all TCM practitioners still use moxabustion.
Certainly, both Bian Stones and moxabustion were used together in the same treatment; however, there are divergent opinions when it comes to the specific use of stones to massage the body. TCM practitioners ‘scraped’ various muscles and meridians with jade tools (and other hard objects) to treat various diseases. This was / is known as ‘Gua Sha’, and is still practiced today.
Native Americans had many rituals that involved the use of stones. One of the best known rituals consisted of placing hot stones (usually basalt) in a structure similar to a tipi, also known as “Sweat Lodge”. This practice was used to cleanse and heal the body and mind. Several other cultures, including the Romans, had a similar idea, which led to the development of modern saunas. Another Native American ritual used a hot stone wrapped in cloth / bark. This warm stone was placed on the lower abdomen of a menstruating woman to relieve cramps (women today employ this same principle when using a hot water bottle).
Heated stones were used perhaps more frequently in traditional Hawaiian healing practices. Common uses included wrapping hot stones in ‘ti leaves’, a special type of leaf with therapeutic properties. These wrapped stones were then placed on sore areas of the body to reduce pain, similar to using a heating pad or poultice. Hot stones were also placed in shallow wells and covered with these same sheets. The patient would then lie on the leaves, allowing the healing properties to infuse the body.
It is also said that volcanic stones were rubbed on the body after a traditional Hawaiian Kahuna / Lomi-Lomi massage (in the Hawaiian language, Lomi-Lomi simply means ‘knead / rub / massage’). Due to the roughness of the stones used, this was perhaps less of a massage technique and more of an exfoliation. Hawaiians are one of the cultures most closely associated with stone therapy today.
There are also endless references to the use of gems, crystals, and other types of stones by many cultures throughout the history of healing.
About Today’s Hot Stone Massage
Today’s stone therapy, a truly unique style of massage, has been gaining popularity around the world after being ‘discovered’ in the United States in 1993. The story revolves around a masseuse named Mary Nelson, who suffered from repetitive use injuries. on the shoulders / wrists. She was taking a sauna with her niece who was about to get a massage and was ‘called’ to use the stones. Mary chose some of the softer stones and used them in massage. It felt great (for both the client and the therapist) and thus Stone Therapy as we know it today was born. This early style of stone therapy today was / is called ‘LaStone Therapy’.
Mary ‘channeled’ much of the information on LaStone Therapy from her Native American spirit guide. This is one of the reasons many spas / salons and journalists think that stone therapy is a “traditional” Native American treatment. Although LaStone Therapy is based on Native American culture, it is much more accurate to say that today’s Stone Therapy is a combination of Chinese, Native American, and Hawaiian healing principles (as well as many other cultures that somehow used heat and / or stones in their healing arts).
What to Expect During a Hot Stone Massage
A modern day hot stone massage (also sometimes called a hot stone massage) will generally consist of the therapist placing hot stones (usually basalt stones) of various shapes / sizes on the client’s body (for safety, most Of the times these ‘placement’ the stones will not be in direct contact with the skin, but will be placed on a towel to cushion the heat). These stones are placed at different points (chakras, energy points, muscle aches, etc.), depending on the style of hot stone massage or stone therapy.
While these setting stones heat and activate specific areas, the therapist will take other hot stones and begin to massage a different area of ​​the body. The heat from the stones is released deep into the muscles, greatly enhancing the massage. It is said that one stroke with a hot stone is equivalent to ten normal massage strokes! Some therapists will also incorporate cold stones (usually marble) into their treatment which, while not as relaxing as hot stones, do have a role to play in many conditions. A typical hot stone massage will last 60 to 90 minutes.
Most people who undergo a hot stone massage will be impressed by the level of relaxation achieved. Some clients will have vivid dreams or even “out of body” experiences. It is usually a very comforting, relaxing, and healing experience. In addition to the deep level of relaxation, the Hot Stone Massage is also ideal to incorporate into the Remedial or Deep Tissue Massage. Not only does the client receive the benefits, but when practiced correctly, the therapist will reduce the stress on their hands and wrists.
Virtually all spas in Europe, America, and Australia offer hot stone massages or stone therapy on their menu. However, the number of different styles is almost as varied as the stones themselves.
As with all forms of massage, it is important that therapists undergo professional training in hot stone massage. Check with the spa, salon or therapist prior to your treatment to ensure that you are receiving the best massage from the most qualified therapist.
