There are two ways you can start a hot stone massage - either the client can start out lying face down, or face up.
In most cases it's preferable to have the client start out lying face down, so when the massage is over, they will have been in the face up position long enough for their nasal passages to drain.
But for the sake of clarity, I'd like to show you the various stone placements first, and then move into massage with the stones. So in this description the massage begins with the client in the supine position.
**Please note - I have also condensed this information into three videos on how to perform a hot stone massage here:
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The client is helped to sit up to allow the therapist to visualize the spinal alignment for stone placement. A bolster or pillow is placed under the knees for support.
8 spinal layout stones are placed in a row on the table, about 1.5 to 2 inches apart. They are lined up to parallel each side of the spine following the erector muscles.
This allows the client’s spine to be centered between the stones when they lie down, giving relaxing heat therapy to the erector muscles.
A bath towel or pillowcase can be placed over the stones before the client lays down on them to protect the client skin from getting overheated.
**Once you become proficient at hot stone massage and are familiar with the heat of the stones, it is generally more pleasant for the client to lay directly on the stones and have full contact with them.
Once the client is positioned over the back layout stones, the chakra stones can be placed accordingly, as well as the trapezius stones, hand placement stones and pillow stone.
Chakra Stones:
Hand Placement Stones:
Pillow Stone:
Toe Stones:
Toe stones are usually kept in a bag in the heater, or a fish net, so they don’t get lost among the bigger stones. Toe stones are placed between each toe to help improve circulation.
You can wrap a towel around the foot to help these small stones retain their heat for a longer period of time.
Trapezius Stones:
Now that all our placement stones have been positioned, it is time to begin the massage.
We will begin at the top of the body, at the face. At this point, it is important to discuss the different aspects of a stone facial massage.
Stones can be used either heated or chilled, depending on your preference. To cool the stones, they are placed in a bowl of ice water, and to heat them, you simply place them in a small bag or net in your stone heater. This is done so that the small stones are not lost on the bottom of your heater, thus making it difficult to retrieve them during the massage.
Whether you have chosen to use heated or chilled stones, never use anything but cold stones over the eyes.
Take 2 cooled facial stones, place one on each eye, and either a hot or cold stone on the chakra point known as ‘the third eye’. One recommendation is to wet a cotton eye cloth, place it on the eyes, and then put the cold stone on top of it. This protects the skin from direct contact with the stone, and ensures a widely distributed cool temperature effect.
In facial massage, all strokes should go up and not down, out but not in. If the stones need a little glide, put some oil on the stone, and not directly on the clients skin. Work around the cheekbones, and place direct pressure on the sinus points, especially if the client is experiencing allergy symptoms or sinus headaches.
Then move along to massage the upper part of the body. Apply a layer of massage oil to the upper chest, shoulders, and neck area.
Then massage with the stones in the same pattern.
I like to work from the neck out to the shoulders and chest area:
And do deep tissue work with the edge of the stone:
Then I work each arm, starting at the fingertips and sweeping up to the shoulder area, and back down again.
Try cupping the stones in the palm of your hand for petrissage techniques.
The pattern I follow is 3 full sweeps of an area with the stones, then deeper hands-on massage and petrissage techniques. Then I do a final sweep with the heated stones again for completion, and move onto the next area.
After both arms are finished being worked on, I remove the toe stones from the client, and start my pattern again on the leg. I start at the tips of the toes and sweep up to the tops of the thighs with the heated stones and back down again.
I do deeper tissue petrissage work with and without the stones, then do a final set of full sweeps with the stones for completion.
Repeat this pattern for both legs.
When the front of the body is complete, I remove the placement stones and put them back in the heater.
To remove the spinal layout stones, I gently let the client know that it’s time for them to sit up, and I retrieve the stones, towel and bolster from the table.
You may notice redness of the skin, or hyperemia, on the client’s back where they have been laying on the stones. This is normal, and will fade after the treatment when skin cools down. The red color is caused by increased circulation to the area.
If the client has discomfort associated with these marks, that is not normal. If ever the client says the stones are too hot for them, then cool the stones down by dipping them briefly in cold water. Each person has a different temperature tolerance level, so it is important to get feedback from each client on what temperature is best for them.
Once the spinal layout stones are removed, the client can then lie back down, in preparation to turn over.
Turning a Client Over
To turn a client over, all that is required is a discreet draping technique. I stand on one side of the table and hold the sheet up on the far side of the table. I ask the client to turn over, and move into position so their head is comfortably resting in the face rest. Then I lay the sheet back down over the client and start my placements.
I place a bolster under the client’s ankles, and freshly heated stones on the client’s back.
You can use a towel or pillow case between the stones and the skin as a precautionary measure. If you are unsure, check in with the client to confirm they are still comfortable.
Next I place sacrum stone, and then move onto massaging the back of the body, starting at the tips of the toes, and following my pattern upwards to the top of the thighs.
I also work the bottoms of the feet using contour and acupressure stones, for deep tissue work without straining my thumbs. Let the stones do the work for you.
Then leave a large placement stone resting on the sole of the foot. You can wrap the foot in a towel to keep the stone in place, which also helps to retain the heat of the stone. This foot stone feels great to the client!
After completing the back of both legs, I move up to the client’s back.
First I remove the sacrum stone, then I apply a layer of oil to the back:
Then I start massaging with the stones. It is important to introduce the stones to the client from the top of the back, near the shoulders and neck area, rather than the small of the back.
The small of the back is much more sensitive to heat than the trapezius muscles, so start there. Then work your way downwards.
After an few initial sweeps with the stones from the top, you can move to sweeping from the bottom – up:
Then you can try using the stones on their edges…
or try wringing with them…
or cupping…
or as a deep tissue tool, using your thumb to landmark…
or use round neck stones to massage the neck…
Personally, I do not massage the arms when I am working the back of the body, I divide my time between the backs of the legs, the muscles of the back, neck and shoulders.
Then I finish off with a hands-on scalp massage, and compressions down the back of the body.
Contact
Hot Stone Massage has the unique challenge of being in and out of physical contact with the client, as you move back and forth to the stone heater for freshly heated stones.
It is difficult to maintain continuous contact with the client while you are retrieving new stones. I overcome this by leaving the heated stones on the body while I go get hot stones.
Since the heated stones don’t really feel like stones to the client (they actually feel like warm hands) it’s as if your hands are still on their body while you go get new stones. When I return with the freshly heated stones, I remove the cooled stones to the side of the massage table and begin my massaging with the new stones.
The weight and warmth of the stones provide a sense of contact, even if you are not physically touching the body.
Another trick is to uncover the next body part that will be receiving treatment prior to gathering the stones for use. This will ensure a smooth transition from the heater to the client and lets the client know which area will be treated next.
Cleaning Up
At the end of each massage, and at the end of the day, clean the stones with warm soapy water. Dirty stones will feel oily, have more drag to them, and will feel sluggish. Just like washing your hands and arms in cold water after doing a massage will clean any energy off that you may have picked up from the client, washing the stones will clear the energy for them, too.
Discard the water from the heating pan, and scrub the pan with an antibacterial soap.
**Do not let the stones sit in the water overnight.
