First you get strange. Then you get used to it. This is how you can briefly describe the hot stone massage, very suitable for those looking for serenity and inner peace and at the same time, the relief of tension and muscle pain!
Placed on strategic points to redistribute energy, hot stones improve circulation, calm the central nervous system, and promote muscle relaxation. For this reason, they are at the top of the list of the world's most relaxing massages. Come check it out!
Hot stone massage is a blend between massage therapy and thermotherapy, which, as the name implies, uses preheated stones instead of the hands. What for? To contact energy points in the patient's body (chakras), improve the flow of vital energy, and increase the sense of well-being.
By warming the muscles and stimulating blood circulation, massage or hot stone therapy also promotes great relaxation and relieves tension and pain.
Massages with hot stones are indicated for stress relief, muscle pain, chronic tension, muscle atrophy, menstrual cramps, constipation, poor blood circulation, fatigue, insomnia, anguish and depression.
Essentially, volcanic stones, such as basalt, with different shapes and sizes depending on the area of the body where they will be placed. Volcanic stones, besides absorbing and retaining heat for longer, are rich in mineral salts and iron, flat, smooth and soft!
Because they result from lava, they retain the energy of the fire element, and therefore have the ability to eliminate negative energies.
Even if you look for information in Roman mythology, you will discover that Vulcan, son of Jupiter and Juno, was considered the God of Fire and of Metals, the symbol of protection and strength, because he created weapons and armor for warriors. Now, volcanic stones also represent the strength of nature.
As a consequence of the human being's interest in the energy of stones! An interest mentioned in several cultures since ancient times: there are records of the use of hot stones in indigenous teachings, shamans and ancient healers and indications of the use of the technique in the civilization of Egypt, Japan, Russia and Tibet, where monks placed hot stones on the abdomen in periods of fasting, to provide a feeling of satiety and control anxiety.
In China, the technique has been used since the Shang Dynasty (2000/1500 B.C.) to relax muscles and cure disease, and is featured in the book "Yellow Emperor's Principles of Internal Medicine" on acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine.
The benefits of this stone therapy took longer to reach the West. Only in the last century did the use of hot stones (also for cancer patients) begin to be registered in the USA. Today, massages with volcanic hot stones are one of the most sought after beauty and health treatments worldwide.
The technique of massage with stones is based on the use of the energetic and vibratory effects of the properties of volcanic stones at various temperatures.
Thus, therapy with hot stones involves the placement (with gentle movements) of hot stones of various shapes and sizes and an average temperature of 50ºC, in strategic points of the patient's body: feet, legs, thighs, arms, belly, face and head. These are the energy points that, according to Hinduism, capture, store, and distribute energy, promoting health in body and mind.
The temperature of the stones, bearable for both the masseur and the patient who receives them, promotes relaxation, and as soon as the stones lose their heat, they are replaced by others previously heated in an electric heater.
During massages with hot stones, vegetable oils can also be used, which help in the execution of continuous movements and in maintaining a specific rhythm capable of stimulating the production of the hormones responsible for relaxation.
Massage or therapy with hot stones provides a deep sense of pleasure, relaxation and well-being, provided it is done byqualified and experienced professionals in the technique of choosing and applying stones at strategic points of the patient's body, and at the ideal temperature to achieve these results:
Massage therapy with hot stones is contraindicated for people with asthma, cystitis, bronchitis or acute infections, with wounds, burns, bone fractures or recent surgeries, osteoporosis, skin diseases, abdominal hernias, coagulation problems, diabetes and high blood pressure. Pregnant women and people undergoing cancer treatment should also refrain from hot stone therapy.
