Hot stone massage? Yes please!

We've all seen the iconic picture with some lucky person laying on a massage table, hot stone arranges perfectly on his or her back.

While it's gives you a totally false pretense on what to actually expect during a hot stone session, you still feel relaxed just looking at it don't you? Heat is wonderful. So what really happens during a hot stone massage and what does it really look like? Hot stone massage started about 5,000 years ago in India, as an Ayurvedic practice; spreading to other cultures and regions. Each culture recognizing heat's powerful ability to relieve pain, tension, emotional stress, and other infirmities. Truly, it is an ancient practice for modern day stress.
During my hot stone class this summer led by John Stickel (who is an AMAZING teacher and therapist) we spent time balancing tiny warm stones in between toes, learning the flip -n- flow of a proper hot stone session and spent several blissful hours practicing this on eachother. The rocks aren't your average stones, they are basalt river rocks which are very smooth and dense. You will also find they are the perfect heaviness which feels really great when they have cooled enough to sit on your skin. They hold a tremendous amount of heat and are perfect for the job. The next key ingredient in a hot stone massage is hot oil. Yes, I said hot oil, and lots of it. The principle is to get as much oil on the client as possible to provide a nice glide for the hot stones to quickly slide over. The heat from the stones emanates a bright burst at first, and then mellows down to a nice warm radiant feeling. Your tissue literally melts under the heat (ok not literally) But one thing is for sure. It is amazingly relaxing, and you are guarenteed to drool. It's like getting into a hot tub and letting the heat suck the stress out of you. The therapist will work in a purposeful pattern suited to your needs and might even spend some time positioning stones in a particular area that needs some extra attention.
What I have found when praciticing hot stone treatment is how quickly relaxation is achieved, and how hard it can be to rouse a client after a session. I am flattered when someone falls alseep, as it assures me I have done my job well. It is also extraordinarily useful in warming the tissue for direct treatment work that may take several sessions of manual therapy (using only the hands) to achieve the same depth. What a nice way to encorporate something new in massage and a great way to be pampered.