Hot stone therapy is one of the newest therapies offered in salons but it is based on a very ancient Egyptian technique of therapeutic massage. It was also practiced in various forms by the Hawaiians, indigenous people in the South Pacific and during sweat lodge rituals conducted by North American Indigenous peoples. It first became popular in the 1990s and it is till a mainstay in many beauty salons. Technically the beauty and relaxation treatment is categorized as a form of thermotherapy.
In essence smooth flat stones are heated and then placed on important acupuncture or muscular points on the back while a person is lying prone on the floor or a treatment table. Hot stone therapy has also been to include chakra work, which means that the stones are placed on the main energy centers of the body as defined by Buddhism.
The idea is that the heat of the stones will help relax the muscles and melt away stress. Originally the stones were allowed to warm up in a fire and then let to cool a bit before they were placed on the person’s body but nowadays they may be heated on a ceramic plate or in water. For the stone to be hot enough the water is usually heated to 122 degrees Fahrenheit (50 degrees Celcius)
The stones used are usually made of marble but many other types of stones are used as well. In Hawaii the stones used are basalt. The stones can range in size to the size of your thumb to the size of two palms. The very large stones are usually placed in the small of the back. As the person is lying face down with palms up, two large stones are also placed on the palm of the hands which are considered to be important energy centers in the body. Often the therapist takes the stones and massages the area where they are to be placed before settling them on the skin. Aromatherapeutic oils are also often used with the stones to help the therapist work them on the skin and relax the customer.
Sometimes iced stones are used in conjunction with very hot stones in order to produce a particularly relaxing effect. The treatment is similar to using hot/cold therapy to help heal injured muscles.
More than just a fad this treatment is now available in all kinds of different beauty salons and often you can find it offered as a therapeutic treatment on its own.