Seal Beach CA Hot Stone Massage

Hot Stone Massage is a popular spa treatment and a fun alternative to typical body massages. As the name suggests, this treatment uses warm, smooth stones, usually basalt stones, for massaging the client. Before the treatment begins, the stones are warmed in water. They are then placed on various parts of the body, and the therapist uses them to work into the muscles.

Placing these hot stones on the areas that have pain or tension can feel very relaxing and comforting for the body. The smooth, flat, warm stones help to calm the mind while releasing tension in the body. Some masseuses or masseurs who also believe in the benefits of energy healing will place the heated stones on the specific points in the body that are thought to be along the energy lines, (known in the traditional forms of Chinese medicine as meridians) or they will place them directly on top of the energy centers or chakras.

This type of hot stone massage can help relax muscles, improve circulation in the body, relieve various aches or pains as well as release stress and tension. The therapist uses the warm stones for massaging the body parts that are suffering the most from tension. For many people these areas of tension will be in the shoulders, lower back or neck.

You do not have to suffer from any specific muscular aches and pains to benefit from a massage: it can simply be used to spoil yourself and to get pampered. All massages are effective against stress and anxiety or any stress-related problems, but massage techniques together with the relaxing heat from warm stones create a special sense of tranquillity and well-being. If you suffer from sleeping problems created by a busy mind or a stressful lifestyle, try a stone-massage to calm down and to get a good night's sleep.

A massage that uses heated stones might sound like a new type of spa treatment, but there have been similar techniques in use for many centuries by the world's most ancient cultures. Native American healers as well as healers in other cultures used to get stones from the riverbed, they would then boil a pot of water over a fire and warm the stones by dipping them into this water, the warm stones would then be placed on various areas of a person's body in order to relieve pain and tension.

The original form of stone massage is LaStone Therapy and it was created by an American therapist named Mary D. Nelson. Years ago, she understood how using warm stones could help her enhance massage techniques as well as give the therapist a way of working the muscle deeper so that they can get at the actual source of pain and tension. Other stone therapies have been developed, but they are simply modern variations of this original treatment method.

Hot stone massage can be a good option for almost anyone. There are some conditions wherein it would not be recommended, such as inflammation and recent injuries, because you should never apply heat to a new injury (a better option is an ice pack). Some health conditions will be contraindicated: you should not get a stone massage when you have an open wound, skin rash, or any other type of acute skin problem, or if you suffer from a history of heart disease or blood clots. For most other situations, a massage can be beneficial in relaxing both the mind and the body.