The Power of the Stones - Why using stones is so much more than a massage.
I take lots of pretty pictures of stones, arranged in mandalas, on the couch or the body and yes they look great,
But why are stones so amazing?
And why do they add the wow factor to any massage?
Therapeutic stones are very much under sold the world over, and we seriously under-estimate the power of this treatment. I am guilty of advertising this treatment as beautiful, luxurious, deluxe, the icing on the cake. The stones glide effortlessly calming, soothing and relaxing but, underneath all that, they have the potential to soften muscle tension, release physical discomfort and promote healing without the natural pain associated with deep work.
The natural stones contain amazing minerals, and certain stones emit a natural ultra sound when activated, whilst others release a natural infrared light energy. The alternating temperatures help to release that ‘stuck’ feeling in a muscle where there are areas of chronic tension.
The magic of going deep…
Over the years, I have found myself working with clients who suffer from emotional pain held in the body. If you think of a tension headache for instance, a lot of tension has built up causing a really painful headache, super tight neck, and even clunky shoulders; the headache can be so severe it is often mistaken for a migraine. Therefore, to gain any release from this grip, we need to encourage the muscles to let go. Using the stones helps to relax the nerves and muscles to do just that. So for people suffering from aches and pains associated with chronic conditions, it can be really helpful, because the physical discomfort is not only addressed gently but deeply. It also has an effect on the mental fatigue, stress and anxiety of living with a chronic condition.
The stones sing their own song…
All objects have an energy/frequency that they naturally resonate at, and you’ve got yet another level. Some call this energy the life flow or ‘chi’.
By adding that natural energy onto the energy of temperature, can you imagine the beautiful magic that would be weaving its way through your body! The natural ‘chi’ of the stone resonating gently, helping to release tension and raise your vibration !
Vascular gymnastics
Using a heated stone is a game changer… it allows for a much quicker and deeper approach to warming the area, the body draws that energy deep into the muscle, where you can almost feel the body sigh…
The heat radiates like a ripple in a pond, expanding, enveloping the area in warmth; the blood vessels dilate and the blood bathes the area with its precious cargo; oxygen, nutrients etc; but, it isn’t simply a drop off service, the blood will also collect debris from cellular activity, (metabolic waste i.e. lactic & uric acid, carbon dioxide etc). And with all this beautiful warmth the body opens up, relaxes and allows us to work even deeper. We can sculpt, move and stretch with little discomfort. The body feels safe and it switches into healing mode.
Heat followed by a delicious strike of the cool stone - just one brief moment, excites the nervous system, contracts the blood vessels drawing debris (metabolic waste) into the blood stream, and it doesn’t feel cold, in fact you are not sure if its warm or cool, either way it doesn’t matter, because your mind is immersed in the feeling; and you start to feel a trickle… is the stone wet !? No…. its not wet, it’s the feeling of cool blood running through a hot muscle refreshing, cleansing and energising as it goes - it feels like raindrops on a summers day!
This ‘vascular gymnastics’ is just one aspect of the intense dimension geo-thermal therapy can have on the body, this treatment almost goes beyond measure, but if you want some kind of insight: one stroke of a hot stone is equivalent to 6 strokes of my hand, and just one stroke of a cold stone is like 9 strokes of my hand… now that’s a deep massage!
And best of all….
They are all natural; no gels, no plastics, no waste - just 100% Mother Natures’ tool box.
It’s quite a thought isn’t it !
So far, I’ve spent over 150 hours in a classroom studying the magic of the stones, and probably a thousand more delivering their therapeutic touch to clients. Understanding how to balance the body with temperature and encourage the mind, body and spirit to heal has been a wonderful journey for me; beautiful, powerful and multi-dimensional, like a massage in full HD with built in surround sound and I positively love it. I hope you will too….
Jilly xx
If you would like to experience this treatment simply click here,
or
if you would like to learn how to deliver this treatment please get in touch, I run regular training courses at The Retreat. (Pre-requisite A&P and massage qualification)