Hot Stone Massage User Manual

Chapter 10 - Additional Info

10 Tips for a successful stone massage:

1. Creams and gels stain the stones and leave a film in the water. Use only oil during the massage.

2. Use a liberal amount of oil and apply it with your hands before starting a Hot Stone Massage.

3. Keep a towel handy to wipe excess moisture off the stones.

4. Never place a stone straight from the heater onto the clients skin. Always check the stone temperature with your hands, and flip the stone as you make your way towards the client.

5. Always inform your client when you are about to place the first stone. Do not surprise them with the weight, or heat of the stone.

6. Stationary stones should have a towel between them and the client. The exception to this is the cold stones, which should not be left in place for more than 10-15 minutes. Remember that the cold will help disguise any potential damage that is occurring, so check your clients comfort level and the area that is being treated.

7. Stones that have been placed can be kept warmer longer if they are covered once positioned.

8. Have your client remove all of their jewelry. Do not place a hot stone on the belly of a client that has a metal belly ring as it will heat up quickly and burn them.

9. Start with the stones at one end of the roaster, and as you use a stone, move it to the opposite end. This assures that you are using fresh hot stones, and not the same ones every time you exchange them.

10. You can keep your oil in the heater to warm it and add to the soothing experience for the client.

Additional Uses for Stones

Consider new ways to use warmed stones in your massage or aesthetics business. You can easily implement them into:

• chair massage
• table massage
• reiki sessions
• facials
• manicures and
• pedicures

Mobile Hot Stone Massage

Instead of carrying a roaster around with you, try using moist heat pads to heat your stones. I have successfully used Thermophores to heat the stones when mobile, and they worked like a charm!

You can even preheat the stones with the moist heat pads before you leave and put them in an insulated bag so they stay warm along the way.

You can also get an electric plug-in adaptor for your cigarette lighter in your car, and heat the stones up while en-route.

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Clients feel the heat of the stones right through their clothing, as long as you work slowly, using a press and hold movement with the stones vs. light effleurage.

Place two warmed stones under their hands on the armrest so they can rest their palms on top of the stones. These stones may feel so good, your clients won’t want to give them back!

Hot Stone Facials

First create a head wrap with a small towel to keep client’s hair out of the way.

Then position warmed placement stones – trapezius stones, chakra stones, optional hand placement stones, and toe stones.

Spread a very small amount of oil on the face in preparation for the stone massage:

Then begin spreading with the stones, from the midline of the face out towards the edges. Start at the chin, then move out along the jaw line towards the ear:

Move up the face, and spread along the cheekbones out to the edges of the face:

Then work from the middle of the forehead out to the temples:

Now try working with the edges of the stones, hand over hand:

Or do compression points along the eyebrows:

Or try drawing circles around the eye sockets with the edges of the stones:

You can use the stones as placement stones on the third eye, and on the sinuses:

The stones can be used on the upper chest, shoulders & neck in this sweeping motion:

Try holding the stones for a few moments on the temples. It feels GREAT to the client!

Hot Stone Manicures

An easy way to incorporate hot stones into your manicures is to use large hand placement stones like this:

Or to use small finger stones like this:

Hot Stone Pedicures

Try using hot stones in your pedicures as placement stones under the feet:

Or use toe cosies…

Alternate Massage Routine

This is an alternate massage routine that I use. It has the client starting out lying face down, so that their sinuses are drained by the end of the massage treatment.

Lay the client on their front, head resting comfortable in the face rest. I often will use a drop of orange essential oil, or eucalyptus essential oil on the towel hanging from the face rest. This helps relax the client and prevent their sinuses from clogging up.

Place WARM (not hot) spinal layout stones along either side of their spine and on their sacrum to heat these areas, and begin the massage at the feet and work your way up the body.

The pattern:

Start out by applying a layer of oil directly to the body part being worked, then gradually incorporate the warmed stones into the effleurage strokes.

Move quickly at first because the stones are hot, and then using slower strokes as the stones lose heat.

Make sure to turn the stones in your hands as you massage in order to distribute the heat evenly.

Do three sets of sweeps with the stones, then hands on petrissage work, then a final sweep again with the stones.

Work both legs, then remove the placement stones from the back and massage the back and neck using the same pattern.

Then ask the client to turn over, and sit up while you place the spinal layout stones on the table, to line up with the muscles along either side of the spine.

After they lie down, I put hand stones, pillow stone, trapezius stones, toe stones and chakra stones in place.

I start massaging at the feet, and work my way up the legs, to the arms, shoulders, neck, and face.

Contraindications for giving a Hot Stone Massage:

• Any condition where the client has a loss of sensation, including Neuropathy, Diabetes, Peripheral Vascular Disorder, High Blood Pressure or is post-surgery, injury, or trauma where nerves have been affected.

• Pregnancy, due to the rise in body temperature.

• Cardiac Patients.

• Anyone taking medications that have side effects to heat.

• Anyone on Chemotherapy or radiation treatments.

• Anyone with a depressed immune system, including clients with Lupus, Epstein Barr, Mononucleosis, HIV / AIDS, or Cancer.

• Geriatric clients; keep the heat around 120 degrees – any higher may be too hot for the elderly.

• Clients with Burns, Psoriasis, Skin Cancer, Dermatitis, Eczema, Acne, Shingles, Herpes, or any acute skin condition.

• Any condition in which massage in general is contraindicated.

• Above all, follow the simple rule: When in doubt – don't!


Please remember to take precautions when using hot stones.

Listen to your clients – if the stones are too hot, add cold water to the heater, allow the stones to sit outside the water for a moment, or dip them in cool water before using them on your client.


Thank you very much!

I hope you have received benefit reading this hot stone massage user manual.

Good luck to you in your massage practice, and enjoy using your stones!