A hot stone massage is a deep massage that uses aromatic and soothing oils along with warm basalt or cold marble stones to relax your muscles. The massage works on a tradition followed in Nordic culture where people jump into an icy pool immediately after a hot sauna. The term coined for this kind of treatment is contrast bath therapy, and it essentially exposes the body to contrasting temperatures in order to increase circulation. Borrowing from this, hot stone massage therapy warms the body with oil and later relaxes the muscles with hot or cold stones.
The origin of hot stone therapy is a bit hazy. While many wellness experts associate it with ancient Ayurvedic treatments where hot and cold stones from local river beds were used to provide relief to aches, others correlate its existence to ancient Japanese and Chinese medicinal therapies.
- As mentioned earlier, the subjection to contrasting warm and cool surfaces allows the body to detox and flush out waste. The most prominent effect of the treatment is the increased blood flow to the muscles which, in turn, reduces pain and soreness. The stones are placed on targeted areas that immediately affects the blood flow in your body.
- The increased blood flow apart from easing pain also works on your mental well being; it reduces stress and leaves you feeling relaxed almost immediately.
- The kneading and pressing movement of the massage is also said to improve lymph flow which, in turn, boosts your immunity and helps fight off potential diseases.
- Ever noticed how you drift off to sleep immediately after a relaxing massage. This is based on the principle that a massage puts you in a deep state of relaxation, which has a positive impact on your body, it increases serotonin, melatonin, and helps reset circadian rhythms that help you sleep better.
You can book a massage session on whats app also.
