Hot Stone Massage in Belfast
This is one of our lead therapists’ favourite treatments. It would be the treatment we are most likely to need to wake people up after their session!
During a hot stone massage, your therapist will heat shaped basalt stones to around 40/50 degrees. This massage is then completed with a combination of hot stones and the therapists’ hands.
This treatment is great for tension that has been sitting in the body for a long time. After a while, the body develops muscular kinesis, aka muscle memory. Possibly related to bad posture or jobs that require you to be sat in one position, or making repetitive movements.
This muscle memory means that the body is used to being a particular way, and can want to go back to that state after your treatment. (One of the reasons why massage gets better results after a few sessions). The heat from the stones helps the corrections from your treatment last longer.
Also, as the stones are wider than our hands, they allow your therapist to use firmer pressure (if needed) than you would be able to handle if it was just our hands. An easier way to think about it would be you can stand on a balloon, as your feet are wide, but a pin would burst it.
During your Hot Stone massage treatment your therapist will begin by opening up the body with some light massage, checking for your tensions and ensuring they know which area to focus on.
Then they will introduce the stones. Using the stones to warm and relax they muscles and eventually working firmer into the tissues.
During your Hot Stone massage treatment your therapist will begin by opening up the body with some light massage, checking for your tensions and ensuring they know which area to focus on.
Then they will introduce the stones. Using the stones to warm and relax they muscles and eventually working firmer into the tissues.
The therapists at Willow Massage Centre have all been trained in how to incorporate the hot stones into their other massages.
I.e. if the desired outcome requires a sports massage technique, the therapist may use the stones to warm up the area, reduce the tension slightly, then apply the sports massage move with their hands and back to the stones.
Following your massage take it easy, your muscles may feel sore for a day or two. Particularly if you have needed a deep tissue treatment.
Never put strain on muscles that are already feeling tender.
Take a warm bath and ensure you get adequate rest.
Drinking water after a hot stone massage is very important.
As the heat from stones can dehydrate you further than a massage without them.
Frequently asked questions
Pictures of hot stone massage treatments are lovely. But the benefit of the stones is in using them work out the tensions.
The heat alone (whilst nice) is not going to give you relief from tension and pain. So this does not happen during a hot stone massage treatment.
Hot stones, like any other treatment, should not hurt you. Whilst we can usually go a bit firmer than other therapies with the stones, we don’t necessarily need to.
So make sure to let your therapist know if you are experiencing discomfort and they can ease off the pressure or avoid certain areas if needed.
One of our favourite treatments to do is the hot stone back, neck and head massage treatment.
It is the treatment we would have to peel people off our table for the most. It is a 45mins in which we use the hot stones to massage the back and neck.
Once completed we wrap you up in a comfy towel, place hot stones up your spine, and then do a head massage treatment. It is like having a hug with rocks.
