Basalt stones are popular for hot stone massage and have a high lead content. Practice hot stone massage therapy with this free massage video.
Nicole has seven years of experience practicing massage in various modalities: deep tissue, myofascial release, prenatal, and Swedish relaxation. She now works at the Maxim Day Spa in Clearwater, FL.
I'd like to talk to you about the stones I use for hot stone massage. I use basalt stones and they come in all shapes and sizes. They are called igneous stones because they come from molten lava that has dried. They have a lot of lead content, so it helps retain the heat during the massage. They're very smooth in touch. They're considered to have fine crystals inside the stones so that there are no ridges, no scratches. And they're almost impossible to break. So when you're working, it's going to happen. Stones are going to fall off the table. So don't get too worried about them breaking. I have different sizes here. The larger stones retain heat the longest and they're used to place on the various parts of the body like the back and the leg. The medium size stones are used in my hand while I'm massaging the person. And I can use them for effleurage and petrissage. And I change out the stones frequently because they will cool. The smaller stones are for the facial massage. And the smallest stones are for the toes. I place the stones in my roaster before my session and place a towel on the bottom of the roaster to help keep the stones in place. And the stones I'm going to use last are the smaller stones for massaging the body, and the first ones I'm going to be using, excuse me, the larger stones for placement. So I put those stones on top. So the smaller stones go in first and then on top the larger stones. And then I turn up my heat.
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