Hot Stone therapy and massage

You should always feel comfortable during a Hot Stone therapy. You can apply warm stones directly onto the skin, where they can transfer the stored heat gently into the body over time. This is an ideal treatment for people who feel the cold, or who would like to relieve tension, by using heat. A massage with warm stones stimulates the circulation and relaxes muscles. While flat stones are well suited for placing onto the skin, the more rounded stones offer a better massage tool. Massaging with stones is easy, since the pressure from the weight of the stone is, in itself, sufficient to massage areas of tension. Thus, it is enough to simply roll the stone back and forth over the skin without any additional pressure being applied.

If you want to try a Hot Stone therapy or massage for the first time, have a look at the instructions here first. Regardless of whether you are using Hot Stones for yourself, or for treating or massaging somebody else, you should consult with your doctor immediately if you feel any pain or discomfort. For some ailments or diseases, cold is more helpful than heat or vice versa.

In order to conduct Hot Stone therapy you will need stones. The best types of stone to use are those that are able to hold cold or heat well, such as basalt stone or soapstone. These stones also feel pleasant to the touch. If you want to find stones yourself, rather than buying stones that are specially chosen or designed for the Hot Stone therapy - such as Hot Stone sets by Hukka - you should make sure that the stones are circular and flat, or round like a ball, to be suitable to be used for a massage. You can simply place the stone in your palm and massage the part of your body that needs it. With only a slight movement of your hand, the stone provides a pleasant massage as it rolls across your skin. Flat stones can be easily placed onto the skin after preparing them by heating or cooling and they won't roll away. When it comes to the size, you are looking for stones that are as big as your palm as a maximum. If you have the chance to search for stones in nature, for example, by a river, you can try the Hot Stone therapy even with small river pebbles. They can also feel good however they do not store the heat for as long. If you want a longer lasting heat or cold effect, the Hukka Soapstones would be a better choice.

How can you warm up the stones? For most stones you can heat them up by placing them into hot water for around an hour. This can be achieved by simply using a saucepan and boiling the water. Place the stones carefully into the simmering water and leave them for 30 to 60 minutes. After this, allow them to cool to about 60 °C (140 °F). In the meantime you can prepare your location and atmosphere for the massage and Hot Stone therapy. You can choose a bed, a couch or a yoga mat for achieving a relaxed position during the massage. You will need enough towels to lie on and to cover the body. It is also important to have a pair of tongs or a ladle with drainage holes for safely removing the stones from the water. If you also want to combine the Hot Stones massage with oil, you could use some cooking oil or coconut oil.

Before applying the Hot Stones onto the skin or massaging with Hot Stones, it is important to note that you should never place the Hot Stones directly onto the skin (only warm stones). You should always place a towel over the skin and then place the stones on the towel. Pay attention to how it feels, or ask for feedback from the person that receives the Hot Stone therapy.

It is especially nice to start with a massage and end with placing some warm stones on the back for a while. Thus, the massage will end with pleasant relaxation (hot stones you can place onto a towel or warm stones can be placed directly on the skin). Flat, small warm stones can be also placed between the fingers or toes, which is nice and a special experience. The stones can remain on the skin for 10-15 minutes.

To begin with you should take the appropriate stones out of the water and leave them to cool down to a suitable temperature. In the meantime, you can, for example, put some oil on the back or other part of the body. Place your hand on the stone and simply move the stone in a circular motion over the skin. The stone will essentially act like a massaging thumb, palm or wrist and exert the necessary pressure, while you just gently move it around. Do not remain on a single spot for too long to avoid unpleasant sensations or burns. Instead, the movements should always flow over the skin. You should avoid the spine, or massage it very, very softly and cautiously with a small stone.

It is especially relaxing to begin on the neck, where tension is often found, and then to move slowly along the shoulders and down the back. If you are using a Hukka Palm Stone, the stone will roll almost by itself. When massaging the legs, it is recommended that you start on the outside, go down the legs and then up the inside of the legs. If you want to massage the front of your body, only apply a very light pressure and consider the weight of the stones. Small stones are particularly good for a facial massage. You can even include the soles of your feet in the massage. For this purpose, you could use the Hukka Solejoy stones: a combination of two massage balls made of soapstone and a cork "tray" to keep the stones from rolling away.

Cold stones are great for achieving a cooling and relaxing effect. Marble, for example, has outstanding qualities for this purpose. When using a marble stone, you may not even need to chill the stone as the naturally cool temperature of the stone might be sufficient. If not, you can just place the stones, for example river pebbles, in the fridge for a while. When applying cold stones or using them for massage, the treatment should always feel comfortable. Cool stones that are suitably shaped and weighted to be placed on the eye sockets, can provide a very special invigorating effect. The Hukka Orbits are perfect for this purpose.

Once you have finished with the hot stone therapy or massage, you need to clean the stones. When it comes to cleaning some stones have better qualities than others do. For example, stones that are made one hundred percent of Finnish soapstone, as is the case with the Hot Stones by Hukka, feature a very low porosity. This means that the stone gathers no dirt or dead skin cells and can be cleaned very easily - even in the dishwasher.