Undergoing an intense and relaxing massage session is essential to bid goodbye to stress, anxiety, muscle pain, and joint aches. When you visit a massage clinic in Sioux Falls SD, you will find different types of body massage options. For example, you may have commonly heard about Swedish massage, deep tissue massage, Thai massage, and more. Among these various massage techniques, hot stone massage is gaining significant popularity. As the name implies, the massage has been done using specific types of hot stones for massage.
Many people perceive that hot stone massage is complex and could be painful. In reality, it is neither complex nor painful. Obtaining this massage from a professional massager can fix your chronic pains and bring a relaxing experience. You can try this at home if you cannot visit a clinic immediately. The following section of this article will simplify hot stone massage for you.
Choosing the Right Hot Stones for Massage
Picking the right stones is the most crucial thing if you want to try the massage at home. Keeping a few basic things in mind will help in this regard. For example, the stone you have picked should not be alkaline. For example, limestone is an alkaline stone, which is not suitable for hot stone massage.
The ideal stone materials for this massage are granite, slate, lava rock, marble, hematite, jade, shale, etc. Stones made of Himalayan pink salt can also be suitable for this massage. If you visit a riverside in hilly regions, you will find plenty of suitable stones for hot stone massage.
While choosing the stone, you must also consider the shapes. Ideally, the stones should be flat, round, and smooth. Finding such stones would not be difficult since stones become smooth and round due to weathering. Typically, the size of the stones should be similar to the size of your palm.
Why Should You Avoid Alkaline Stones?
You should not use alkaline stones for this massage since they can cause skin irritations. Moreover, the alkaline rocks can fall apart if heated regularly. Now, the question is how can you identify alkaline rocks? The simplest way of identifying such rocks is by using the vinegar.
Vinegar available at the marketplace is acidic in nature. As we all know acid can participate in chemical reactions when it comes in contact with alkaline. Drop vinegar on the stone and you will find fizzle if the stone is alkaline. The ones that do not fizzle after applying vinegar are suitable for hot stone massage.
Steps to Heat the Massage Stones
Professional massagers use various methods to heat the hot stones for massage. The slow cooker is an excellent and simple method of heating hot stones. You need to place a wet old rag at the bottom of the slow cooker. Typically, it may take an hour for the stone to get heated up and become ready for the massage.
At times, you may find that stones have become so heated that they are not bearable to your skin. In such cases, you can dip the stones into the water to reduce the heat to some extent. Another step is allowing the stones to cool down naturally by leaving them aside for an hour or more.
Cleaning the Massage Stones
Before using the stones for body massage, you need to clean them properly. You should use a stiff brush to clean the stones. Moreover, using hot water is recommended since hot water can kill the germs on the stone surface.
When you collect the stones at the riverside, you will find them dirty with full of bacteria and algae on their surfaces. Using hydrogen peroxide is an excellent idea if you want to clean the stone surfaces with precision. Instead of hydrogen peroxide, you can use soap and water to clean such stones. Maintaining hygiene is essential to avoid skin rash and potential bacterial infections.
Applying oil regularly is also essential if you want to keep the stone surface smooth. Rubbing the stones occasionally with coconut oil will keep them ready to use anytime. A smooth stone surface will make the massaging experience more soothing and relaxing.
Hot Stone Massage Procedure at Home
The hot stone massage is not difficult, as the steps are simple. The massager should ask the person undergoing the massage to lie on his stomach. You need to keep the heated stone on the spinal cord of the person. Typically, many massagers leave the stones on the spine and allow them to release heat gradually.
Instead of leaving the stones on the spinal cord, you can also use the stones to gently apply pressure on the receiver’s body. Besides the stones, you need essential oil and coconut oil to make the massage session more rejuvenating for your body.
Final Verdict
So, these are the things that need to learn about the hot stones for massage at home. Knowing about the stones and picking them correctly are crucial to making the hot stone massage a more relaxing and enjoyable experience.
Hope the information provided in this article helped you to learn the nitty-gritty about the stones used for the hot stone massage. It is always good to undergo a massage from the experts, though hot stone massage techniques are easy to learn. So, anyone can try this massage with their partners at home to reduce stress and chronic body pains.
