10 Tips to Enhance the Benefits of a Hot Stone Therapy

Stress is one of those things we wish did not exist. A world with no work overload, no deadly deadlines, no monstrous boss, no traffic jams, and no tiring household chores certainly looks like an ideal world. But at the same time, it seems boring too, right ?

If you really think about it, stress does spice up our lives and somehow makes us stronger individuals. That is of course, once we conquer it and learn to live with it. But how does one learn to live with stress? One good answer to that question is massage. Because we can not run away or hide from it, we can use a relaxation technique like a hot stone massage to rid ourselves of stress even just for a few hours (what you may not know is that a few hours can make a big difference in your state of well-being).

Now to help you maximize the relaxation properties of a hot stone therapy, here are some tips:

1. Hire a professional hot stone therapist to do the massage for you. To save you from further stress, get recommendations from family and friends who have tried the same kind of therapy. You may also browse online for therapists or spas that offer this treatment.
   
   
2. Drink water before and after the therapy to help your body get rid of unwanted toxins.
   
   
3. It's best that you don't eat a full or heavy meal at least an hour before your therapy. If you are really hungry, snack on light biscuits only.
   
   
4. Play soft music (or your favorite relaxing song) in your mp3 player or disc man while you get your massage.
   
   
5. Conceal unwanted noise and disrupting rackets by listening to relaxing sounds like water dripping from a fountain, soft rain or birds humming.
   
   
6. Light up some scented candles that have aromatic oils. This can enhance the benefits that you will get from the massage by enabling you to relax and calm your mind.
   
   
7. Make sure that the massage area is comfortable for you. Add padded cushion on the table or use pillows to add comfort.
   
   
8. Keep stressful thoughts out of your mind. Try your best to calm and relax your mind. A good way to do that is to focus on the pleasurable sensation of the massage and to imagine only serene and calming thoughts.
   
   
9. Loosen up your muscles. Tensed muscles are much more difficult to relieve so it is recommended that you relax your body when getting a massage.
   
   
10. Don't bring your children to the massage session. This is a time for yourself. Do not subject yourself to further exhaustion by having them run around while you get your massage. Besides, it is not safe for them to be in the massage room while you get a hot stone therapy.
    
    
11. Turn off your cellular phone. There is nothing wrong with ignoring the outside world for a few minutes or hours of relaxation.

A hot stone therapy is indeed an excellent way to deal with stress. And with these simple tips, you will be able to have a blissful massage experience that will make you look forward for more.

How to Give a Romantic Hot Stone Massage ?

There is nothing more romantic than giving a gift that you have personally handcrafted or done. A scrapbook, a handwritten card, a painting or a shirt you have sewn yourself - whatever it is, when it comes from the one you care about, it inevitably becomes a priceless gift. But if you've already tried all these and you are running out of ideas for the upcoming birthday of your loved one or any other special occasion that the two of you share, why not try giving him or her the best kind of romantic hot stone massage that will never be forgotten? Yes, you have to undergo legitimate training to be a professional therapist but to give it as a personal gift, a license will not be necessary. Instead, what you need are these tips and a little creativity and romance.

Here are the steps in giving a romantic hot stone massage:

1. Research about the process of hot stone massage. There are many available resources online that you will find useful in your quest to give your loved one the best hot stone massage ever. You can also consult a professional therapist and undergo an informal training.
   
   
2. Prepare the massage area. Make the massage table comfortable by putting a padded cushion and pillows. You can also use the bed if there is no massage table available.
   
   
3. Create a relaxing ambiance. To do this, you will have to dim the lights, light up some aromatherapy-scented candles, and play soothing music in the background. It's a good idea to play your romantic theme song if ever you have one. You can also play relaxing sounds like water fountain and nature sounds if you like.
   
   
4. Prepare the hot stones by immersing them in hot water. Make sure that they are not extremely hot. Make it a point to touch the stones first before putting them on your loved one's skin.
   
   
5. Let him or her take a relaxing bath before the massage as you prepare the hot stones.
   
   
6. Help him or her cool down and relax by giving sweet kisses and some cuddling.
   
   
7. Make use of what you have learned from your hot stone therapy lessons and research. Begin by putting the hot stones on key points of the body and then applying Swedish strokes on the parts of the body where the stones have been placed.
   
   
8. Don't forget to use massage oil to make relaxing the muscles easier.
   
   
9. Lie down next to your loved one after the session. You can either engage in some sweet talk or join him or her doze off to dreamland.
   
   
10. Give him or her souvenir to remember this occasion by. Either a romantic note saying how much you love him or her, or a box of chocolates (which can only be eaten a few hours after the therapy).

Giving a romantic hot stone massage is a cinch with these helpful steps. Make the special occasion memorable by giving your loved one a massage that he or she will never forget.

Hot Stone Therapist: What to Look for

It is true that even if you are in the most luxurious spa in the world with the most expensive kinds of hot stones and massage supplies, without a proficient therapist, all of these are futile. Indeed, there is nothing like a professional and skillful massage therapist to give you the best kind of hot stone therapy.

Sadly, it is not a cinch to find the therapist who will give you this. Not only does it take time for you to search for one, it may also take some time for you to build a good relationship and rapport with your therapist.

To help you find a good hot stone therapist, here are some things you need to look for. A good massage therapist must…

1. …have certification or license. This is one of the foremost things you need to ask your therapist before engaging in service. This is to make sure that he or she is indeed a certified therapist that is knowledgeable on the rudiments of massage, and to avoid frauds that proliferate in the society today.
2. …have undergone intensive training specifically on hot stone therapy. It is not enough that a therapist has undergone training in another area of massage. Hot stone therapy is a complicated form of massage that requires rigorous education.
3. …have extensive experience on hot stone massage. This way, you can find out if the therapist has sufficient skills and experience to provide you the kind of massage experience you are looking for.
4. …have been recommended by family and friends. It is always a good idea to ask around people closest to you about therapists they have tried and will highly recommend. This makes sense since it is always easier to trust people you know than advertisements. You can also get a referral from your doctor since doctors often recommend massage therapy as a part of medical treatments.
5. …have a current city-issued permit.
6. …know the rudiments about this style. Ask the therapist things you want and need to know about hot stone therapy and he or she should be able to answer you with enough confidence. Do a background research prior to this so you know that the therapist is telling you the truth and not just toying with your mind.
7. …ask you about your medical history and current health condition prior to the session.
8. …discuss and explain with you the whole process of the therapy before the session. The therapist should be willing to answer any questions that you may have.
9. …check on your personal preferences and make the necessary adjustments to cater to your needs.
10. …be professional. Whether it is in the way the therapist dresses or interacts with you, decency and professionalism should be practiced at all times.
11. …have a complete set of hot stone therapy supplies.
12. …have a sanitary and orderly massage environment.
13. …always make you feel comfortable.

With these tips, it will not be too difficult to find the right therapist who will always give you a wonderful kind of massage experience.

Hot Stone Therapy: What you Need to Know

The words "hot stone therapy" has always sounded intriguing and has always made you wonder what it is all about and why so many people are crazy about it. Of course, the best way to find out is by engaging in a massage session yourself. But if you are wary about doing so without knowing anything about it, here are some things you need to know about hot stone therapy.

1. A hot stone therapy is a variation of the classic Swedish massage style that incorporates the use of hot stones that are placed on key energy centers of the body such as along the spine, on the palms of the hands and between the toes. These are also used to manipulate muscles in the body to release tension and stress.
2. These hot stones, which are basalt stones rich in Iron and are able to retain heat well are effective in relieving muscular pain and regulating the energy flow within the body.
3. Hot stones come in different sizes and shapes that cater to different parts of the body. For example, a large and flat egg-shaped hot stones are for the spine while the small round ones are to be placed in between toes.
4. A therapy session usually lasts from 40 minutes to an hour and typically costs $90 to $125. It is more expensive than the regular Swedish massage because the preparation is longer and the session is more intensive.
5. Before the therapy, the hot stone therapist prepares all the massage equipment including the hot stones, which are sanitized and then heated in 120 to 150 degree water.
6. This type of massage will require nudity so that the stones can more effectively penetrate deep into the muscles. However, if you are not comfortable about being naked, you can always be partially covered with a blanket and the therapist will only expose area of the body that will be treated.
7. The therapist touches the stone first before placing on your body so you need not worry about being scalded or hurt by the heat of the stones.
8. This therapy has countless physical and mental benefits. On the physical level, it releases toxins within the body, alleviates muscular pain, improves sleep quality, regulates blood circulation and improves health conditions such as Arthritis and Fibromylagia. Mentally, it provides a thorough relaxation of the mind and spirit, leaving you refreshed and rejuvenated. It also clears your mind and enables you to make better decisions after.
9. This therapy is invented in 1993 by Mary Hannigan who calls this LaStone Therapy.
10. Finding a proficient therapist is crucial in ensuring that you have the best kind of hot stone therapy experience. To find one, you must get recommendations from friends and family or referrals from your doctor. You must also make sure that the therapist has specialized training and extensive experience on hot stone therapy as well as possesses a current city-issued permit and massage license or certification.

Even though you already know the basics of hot stone therapy theoretically, it is still best that you try and experience the wonderful benefits of this yourself.

Warm Up with Your Massage Stones before a Massage

Learn the benefits that a massage stones will bring to your life.

Can a massage with massage stones be a workout? Well, not in the sense that you get the same cardiovascular workout as running around on a sports field, or peddling for half an hour on an exercise bicycle. There is no heavy lifting. There is no heavy pushing or pulling. In fact, the most movement you will engage in during a massage, is moving from your back, to your stomach--and then vice-versa. So are warm-up and cool-down periods necessary before and after your massage? Conventional wisdom says that since a massage is not a typical cardiovascular workout, no need exists to prepare your body for it, or slowly return to your body’s normal mode. But is that correct?

More than muscles
Before determining whether a warm-up and cool-down period is needed after a massage with hot stones, we should examine some of the benefits of such massages. They include:

• Relaxed muscles
• Improved range of motion
• Lower heart rate
• Decreased blood pressure
• Better blood circulation
• Increased endorphins (improving medical treatment)

Can a therapeutic massage build muscle, as weightlifting does? No, but massages can excite muscles that have been weak and unused. This is beneficial for people who have been inactive for a while, after suffering from an injury, for example.

So while getting a massage with massage stones will not make you winded or exhausted per se, the kneading of the muscles and the use of hot stones, gives your body a "light workout." In fact, you could think of it as a warm-up stretching exercise before a cardiovascular workout—without the cardiovascular workout.

The low-down on warm-ups (and cool-downs)
A warm-up exercise is used before a workout, to start stretching the muscles, and increasing your heart rate. It is a slow transition from normal mode to exercise mode. Similarly, a cool-down activity will shift you back to normal mode. Before performing strenuous exercising, warm-ups and cool-downs are vital for preparing the body for a workout, and can even be effective in preventing injuries.

Workout without motion
Is a warm-up and cool-down activity necessary before or after your massage with hot rocks? Yes, and no. Stretching before the massage is not necessary, as the massage itself serves as a type of stretching. Similarly, there is no need to jog around the building after your massage, to allow your heart rate to drop to its normal value.

However, before your massage with massage stones, it is important for you to gradually move your mind and body into a relaxing mode. Incense, peaceful music and soft lighting are some ways to prepare you well for the massage. These elements will help to make the massage experience with hot stones, a holistic one that involves senses other than the sense of touch involved in the massage itself.

Likewise, after the massage is over, your mind and body will need to gradually return to their pre-massage state. Again, this process will be less drastic than the ones needed before and after a cardiovascular workout. Nonetheless, you will still need to "recover" from the massage. Some of the most common methods are drinking a hot cup of green tea, or sleeping. With sleeping, you cool down into somewhat of a frozen state. But even if you do not catch a catnap, resting alone will serve as an excellent cool-down.

Like a computer that needs to be booted up and shut down, your body needs a gradual transition from normal mode to massage mode—and then back again. A "warm-up" and "cool-down" period will help to make this transition smoother whenever you enjoy a massage with hot stones. Make sure that the temperature range of your body coincides with the range of the massage stone. Warm-up while the stone does!

The Historical Benefits of Massage Stones in Modern Times

Discover the benefits of the massage stones in this stressful world!

Did Xerxes, Genghis Khan, Attila the Hun, or Charlemagne ever get a massage? And if they never had one, would they have been "friendlier" if they had periodically enjoyed a relaxing hot rocks massage? Though we will probably never know for certain whether particular leaders in the past enjoyed massages, historical records provide us with some details about the usage of massages and massage stones, throughout history. Learning about how massages began and their trends throughout history, will not necessarily make our massages more relaxing. However, it will definitely help us to better appreciate the physical and mental benefits of massages, as we enjoy them today.

A healthy stone
Historians believe that massage is the oldest type of medical therapy used on humans. Various forms of accounts reveal that massage was used in ancient China, India, Egypt, Rome, and Greece. Besides positioning the stones directly on the body, people would carry stones for health and safeguarding purposes. Stones were also used to diagnosis and treat various diseases.

Even as early as 2,700 B.C., ancient Chinese used massage as a type of treatment for various illnesses, such as paralysis. And more than 2,000 years in the past, the Chinese were already using warmed stones, to improve the internal organs’ performance. Besides in China, people were using massage and healing stones in other regions of the ancient world, including India, Egypt, Europe, Africa, and North and South America. In India, the traditional medical system included therapeutic massage with aromatherapy oils and spices. And pictures of people being massaged have been found in various tombs of ancient Egypt.

Getting on Caesar’s nerves
Meanwhile, in the western world, several Greek and Roman heroes had massages performed on them every day, as a form of treatment for nerve pain. In fact, historical records reveal that Julius Caesar himself had such daily massages. One of the Romans’ practices combined hot immersion baths, with cold pools and marble stone.

The mother of invention
Where did the most conventional variety of massage used in Western society, Swedish massage, originate from? It was created sometime in the 1800s. Experts believe that masseuses in Sweden used several of the massaging techniques used in ancient Greece, Rome, Egypt, and China. Besides Swedish massage, various methods have been used to help create other massage methods, such as aromatherapy and reflexology.

Furthermore, several of today’s mainstream massage methods were originally used to relieve people of particular health problems. For example, medical staff would use a certain massage for wounded soldiers during the 1930s’ World War I, to treat nerve damage and to ease "shell shock."

Today, massage and massage stones are still used to treat a wide range of conditions, from lumbar back pain to paralysis, and from strokes and heart attacks, to different varieties of cancer. The secret to these "magical" stones is in the use of heat and cold during massage, to create useful therapeutic results. This stone becomes a handy, natural tool for the massage therapist, making his or her work more efficient.

Ninety eight point six
How does applying heat and cold impact the body? Back in ancient history, we learned in elementary school that the average temperature of a human’s body is 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. In fact, the body is constantly battling to sustain that precise temperature. When the massage therapist applies stones to our bodies in a variety of ways (i.e. hot, cold, local, general, short, long), the natural and beneficial therapeutic results are outstanding.

Throughout human history, therapists have used massage as a means to treat a variety of medical conditions that have plagued people since the beginning of time. Though in modern times we are more aware of the medical befits of massage than Julius Caesar was, we can equally appreciate the historical benefits of massage stones.

The Harmony between Relaxation Music and Massages with Massage Stones

Find the benefits you can get with music and a good massage.

"Without music, life would be a mistake," wrote the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. Can you imagine living life without ever experiencing rock, jazz, classical, rhythm & blues, or country music? We rarely consider how influential music is in our lives. In retail stores, music gets the shopper in the mood for shopping. Music in movies can produce emotions ranging from sympathy to elation. And music at a restaurant can affect our emotions as we eat rock ‘n roll hamburgers or a 5-star filet mignon. But how significant is the music played when getting a massage with massage stones?

Minds and music
We know from personal experience that a connection between music and emotions exists. Our reaction to a sad love song proves it. But this link is more complex than we might realize. For example, the same piece of music can cause different emotional responses in different people. Hard rock or rap music that one person may perceive as relaxing, may be disturbing, according to another person.

The same musical piece can even create different responses from the same person, at different times. A particular love song may cause you to reminisce about past romantic relationships. But right after breaking up with your girlfriend, the same music could create feelings of annoyance or even anger.

Soul music
Other sounds that include rhythms, such as the chirp of a cricket, the clicking of a train along its tracks, and even the whirling of an electric fan, can have a calming affect on us. However, music, such as relaxation music played during a massage with massage stones, affects our very "soul." We do not merely hear the music, we feel it. Like a picture that is worth a thousand words, the emotional effect of music on our very being, can be indescribable using words alone.

Can an understanding of music theory help us to better appreciate meditation or instrumental music while undergoing a massage with hot stones? Yes, it can. But is such formal training necessary? No, it is not. One of the simple beauties of music is that we can enjoy the music itself, with or without understanding its mechanics.

Calm down!
Certain music is particularly effective when providing a massage with hot rocks, because its soothing tone is helpful in creating a calming effect in people. The sound of rolling waves, chirping birds, and gentle drumbeats create mental images that have a calming effect on us. For 99 out of 100 people, relaxation music serves as the perfect music for massages with massage rocks because it was created to do just that: relax. Music with a soft melody and slow tempo tells the massage patient to take a pause for the cause. Relaxation music provides several benefits during massages:

• It lowers the odds of acquiring high blood pressure. In the U.S. alone, an average of one person dies every hour, due to hypertension.
• It assists patients who are suffering from a variety of disabilities
• It improves one’s emotional welfare. If you are feeling particularly upset or worried, soothing relaxation music can help to balance your emotional state.
• It reduces anxiety. Relaxation music itself is so soothing that your mind can shift from focusing on your concerns, to the music.
• It relieves fatigue, strain, and stress in your body. This is particularly important in today’s fast-paced world, where being "stressed-out" has become part of everyday lives.

Relaxation music serves as one of the main elements in an effective massage with massage stones. It literally clears your mind and calms your nerves, making the massage exponentially effective. Under certain circumstances, you may even fall asleep while being massaged. But it will never be from boredom!