We will rock you! Hot stone massage- therapy or trickery?
Hot volcanic rocks and serious massage seem an unlikely combination for the biggest revolution to hit massage in decades. The new wave of stone therapy that has swept America in the last 10 years is now taking the UK by storm. Most luxury spas and resorts in the world, now offer stone therapy in one form or another. And more and more therapists are adding it to their menu of individual services. The idea of "melting your cares away" captures the imagination of therapists and clients alike and everyone wants to know- is it true therapy or mere trickery? Serious therapists, such as ourselves, who once may have laughed the idea off as a mere fleeting fad, have discovered the treatment to be one of the most powerful and popular techniques they can provide, and without a doubt, one that is here to stay. It is good for the mind, body, and the soul and is great for business. Clients feel the warm nurturing and healing effects long after the treatment is over. Therapists find it adds an exciting new dimension to their practice. It enables them to re-discover their passion for bodywork; have more fun, attract more clientele, save their hands and not least of all, earn more money.
What is hot stone massage?
Hot stone massage is just what the name suggests - a bodywork technique that uses hot stones to massage the body. One of the most common misconceptions is that the stones are merely placed on the body and left. The reality is that special iron rich basalt stones are heated in water to a safe but effective temperature (between 100-120 degrees) and the therapist, holding the stones, actively massages the body. The magic of the stones lies in their high iron content, which helps them absorb and transmit the heat of the water. Warm oil is applied directly to the body before the stones are used, so the stones can easily glide over the contours of the body. The result is a highly nurturing and therapeutic effect. The stones are able to harness the healing power of natures' elements, which have been used for thousands of years in a beautiful and poetic approach. The treatment is a blend of nature's therapy and medical science. The use of heat (fire), water, stone (earth), metal (iron content in the stones) and wood (apricot oil) corresponds to the Eastern concept of the 5 elements. Western medical practioners such as physiotherapists, chiropractors, and osteopaths regularly use moist heat to relax the muscle tissue.
What is Hot Stone Fusion?
Hot stone fusion is a specialized blend of hot stone massage techniques pioneered by Rachel Fairweather and Meghan Mari, co-founders of Jing Advanced Massage Therapy and training. Hot stone fusion takes traditional hot stone massage one step further, integrating the stone work with a blend of advanced techniques using hands, forearms or knuckles. The result is a unique seamless dance of hands on, stone work, energy work and holistic medical massage principles. The modality takes its name from the innovative and exhilarating "fusion" of principles of Swedish massage, Eastern massage therapies, holistic medical massage, trigger point work, stretching, energy work and myofascial unwinding. You will be taught how to use the stones to achieve both supreme relaxation and to treat medical conditions such as chronic neck or back pain.
Hot Stone Fusion as taught by Jing is a highly dynamic treatment. A competent Hot Stone Fusion therapist can execute all the basic massage strokes including effleurage, friction, petrissage, and muscle stripping using stones rather than the hands. The heated stones melt tension away by increasing the flow of new blood and oxygen to the area, enabling the therapist to work more deeply and effectively with less effort. Adding the element of stones enables the therapist to create exciting new strokes, which feel totally different to anything the client may have experienced before. As heated stones can be left in different places on the body, not just on chakra centres, you can feel you are being massaged by several hands at once. As you can imagine this is a sensation that brings clients back for more!
The unique aspect of the Jing approach to stone work rests in our belief that the magic lies not in the stones but in you , the therapist. The stones have a wonderful enchanted nature but they are essentially tools for the bodyworker; their healing qualities do not exist in isolation of the therapists' skill; a poor massage will not be transformed by the addition of stones. This is why our goal is to teach you to be the best bodyworker you can possibly be, with or without the use of stones. There is no such thing as a standardised Hot Stone Fusion massage- we teach you how to use the stones in a range of advanced modalities, give you the confidence to integrate that with your own creativity, intuition and distinctive style and send you out to literally rock the world.
With cold stones too?
As moist heat has many healing properties, so too does cold. Cold is an excellent treatment for acute injuries and is highly effective in reducing swelling and inflammation. The contrast bathing of hot and cold immersion and application is one of the greatest tools available to rehabilitation therapists and can have its place in many massages depending on your intent. We will teach you the scientific principles of hot and cold therapies, how to use the stones to perform a beautiful blend of these techniques and the confidence to decide when and how you want to use them.
What about my hands?
Save 'em!! Many students are concerned that once they pick up the stones they will loose their most valued asset: their hands. It is just the opposite, Hot Stone Fusion is a blend of both stone work and hands on. The blending allows your client to remain at a comfortable healing temperature and for you to make each treatment unique and beneficial to your individual client. You learn to save your hands for when you need them most.
Advantages of Hot Stone Fusion
We are often asked whether Hot Stone Fusion has any advantages over traditional massage. The benefits are boundless, here are just some:
• Enhanced relaxation: The nurturing and therapeutic effect of heat is like a delicious combination of a sauna and a massage encouraging a deep and lasting relaxation.
• Earn more money. Therapists can charge up to 50%-100% more than for their regular bodywork treatments.
• Increases blood supply to damaged areas, facilitating faster healing.
• Effective relief of chronic pain conditions.
• More effect with less effort. You can work deeper with less strain on your body. More and more therapists are shortening their careers through unnecessary injury to hands, wrists, fingers and thumbs that can be easily avoided. Learning to use the stones appropriately, in conjunction with attention to body mechanics can easily remove this threat to your career.
Types of Stone Massage Trainings
Currently there are many different varieties of stone massage training being offered, which can be bewildering to the student. At Jing, we firmly believe the student must find the training that will resonate with them best, as each has something different to offer. The Jing approach has several unique qualities, which we feel are of direct benefit to our students:
- Length of training: Our course is 6 days long, so that you leave the training feeling competent and able to give a professional treatment. At Jing we believe in value for money. This is the minimum time you need to master this new technique and there is no need for further expensive add on courses.
- Practical Approach: As with all Jing courses, the Hot stone fusion training is extremely hands on. You get as much as you give! You will receive valuable constructive feedback from your peers and tutors enabling you to continually refine and improve your approach throughout the course.
- Learn with the experts: Currently all Hot Stone Fusion courses are taught jointly by Rachel Fairweather and Meghan Mari, pioneers of this approach. Rachel and Meghan have a exceptional expertise in this area, unparalleled in the UK - as former therapists and trainers of the internationally celebrated New York City StoneSpa, they have clocked up approximately 5000 stone massage treatments between them. They are highly skilled in many forms of massage. They keep the training down to earth and grounded in the medical basics of hydrotherapy and advanced massage.
- Marketing: Learning how to be a great massage therapist is only half the story, you also need to successfully market your skills. The course involves time dedicated to your own personal marketing plan, for stone therapy as well as your practise as a whole.
- Course Costs and supplies: Because you are able to charge so much more for the treatment you are able to recoup the costs of the course quite quickly and start making big profits. One of our recent students made her course fees back before the course was even over! We offer students a comprehensive stone set and method that enables you to get started in a professional manner at a reasonable cost.
About Jing
JING Advanced massage + Training is an organisation dedicated to excellence in all aspects of postgraduate massage training. .In addition to Hot Stone Fusion, their unique range of courses include Holistic Medical Massage for treatment of pain, Advanced stretching techniques, Amma Fusion and Pregnancy Massage. Based in Brighton , we offer courses around the country. Please phone for information: 01273.628.942. or e-mail info@jingmassage.com or check out our website www.jingmassage.com