1. Warm the Stones
To engage in stone massage therapy, you must begin with the right kind of stones. The stones typically used are small basalt river rocks that have smooth surfaces that trap and hold heat effectively. Many spa supply stores and even drugstores carry hot stone massage kits. If you want to use your own stones, experiment with various shapes, sizes and temperatures until you have eight to 10 stones. There are a number of ways to heat the stones. Some therapists place the stones in slow cookers turned on high until the stones are hot, but not too hot to place on bare skin (test them by placing them on your inner forearm). Once the rocks are the right temperature, turn the slow cooker to low and keep it close to your massage table or floor mat. Another way is to heat stones in a pot of water on a stove or electric heating element, and then simply dab the stones on a towel before placing them on the body. Some hot stone kits even come with their own heating elements.
2. Place Stones on Pressure Points
Although years-long study is undertaken by massage students in China to learn the body's pressure points, many of them can be learned intuitively. For instance, hot stones placed on the arches of the feet will have a therapeutic and relaxing effect, simply because nearly every spot on the foot is close to nerve endings that radiate pain or relief throughout the body. Also, the area between the shoulder blades is an almost universal "hot spot," as is the lower back a few inches to either side of the spine. Communicating with the client is a powerful way to customize a hot stone massage. One person may respond to warm stones placed gently along the spine from his neck to his sacrum, while another may only want the stones on the soles of his feet and cupped in your palms. Asking the client about her typical spots of discomfort is a good place to begin.
3. Cup the Stones in Your Hands to Work the Muscles
Another way to use hot stones is to hold them in your hands while you engage in a fluid, Swedish-style massage. Without pressing the edges of the stones too firmly into the client, move the warm stones along the muscles and around the joints just as you would use your hands in a traditional massage. No matter which style of hot stone massage you choose, you will need to replace the cooling stones with warm ones as the originals lose their heat. Massage clients are so relaxed that their blood pressure drops and they can become cold more easily. Keep the body covered, except for the area you are working on, and replace cool stones with warm ones from your pot without dropping or banging the stones. It takes practice to become expert at hot stone massage therapy, but clients love it and it can be a powerful healing tool.
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