Never get enough of your regular massage, then its time to heat it up and get a hot stone massage. A variation on the traditional Swedish massage, the hot stone massage incorporates use of water heated hot stones and room temperature cool marble stones to give an intensive yet deeply satisfying and wholly therapeutic massage.

The hot stones are usually heated in an electric water bath. The stones are basaltic in nature and have a high iron mineral content. This chemical composition enables the stones to reduce the amount of heat energy lost to the environment. The stones are egg sized except they are a generally flat. They are usually obtained from mountainous rivers and streams which over centuries used their erosive power to smoothen them. The stones used are usually obelite and gneiss hence are dark in colour.

After an initial aromatic oil application and mild hand massage all over the body, the masseuse will place the hot stones using his hands (so scolding need not be a worry for the recipient) over the body’s energy points. These chakra points, as they are also known are the areas where tension builds up over time in the course of ordinary stressful working lives. The heat expands (relaxes) the patients muscle and deep tissue, as well as the body’s blood and lymphatic system. This quickens the pace of nutrient and oxygen exchange as well as the counter traffic of waste products and toxins.

The therapist may also want to use the stones as an extension of his arms to penetrate deep tissues. This means that he will use the stones to massage your body for a more intensive experience. This is especially helpful for those who do not like the usual hand executed deep tissue massage and prefer more superficial contact while receiving their massage.

Once the stones eventually loose their heat, the therapist will replace these with cooler to the touch marble crystals that are said to rejuvenate and revitalise your energy points. In reality the crystals dissipate the heat energy faster in preparation for the next application of the hot stones. This is a fast-forward button for your body’s system as stress will be gotten rid off in half the amount of time it would take a usual massage.

The therapist will continue to interchange the hot stones with the cooler crystals until the end of the session. He may use the intervening periods to manually massage the recipient’s body for that complete relaxation effect. When the stone and crystal application is done with, the therapist will usually take the opportunity to again apply essential oils to the patient’s skin. The after effect on most first timers for a hot stone massage is usually a calmer and highly relaxed individual after all is said and done.

The hot and cold stone massage should not be administered to people who have blood clotting ailments or are pregnant. The stones should never e applied to an open wound or a region of recent fracture/ breakage. This is because the massage has been shown to be highly effective in increasing overall blood and lymphatic system circulation. IT is therefore highly recommended with people with liver or kidney ailments or those with high stress levels.

Author Bio: Sara regularly writes for AML Stone Source, the leading hot stone massage supplies provider. They carry such products as hot stone massage kit and massage stones, as well as many other many other accessories for hot stone therapy.

Category: Wellness, Fitness and Diet
Keywords: hot stone massage kit,massage stones