Heatwaves and Hot stones? 🔥🥵Cold stones!❄️😎

Are you someone who loves hot weather, or someone who struggles to cope with it?

 I love blue skies and sunshine...

  But I am more of a 'coper' when its as hot as we've had it lately! 

 I have had a surprising (to me at least!) number of people over the last few weeks booked in for Stone Therapy: Hot and Cold Stone Massage - a massage and treatment primarily with HOT stones.

I've done a bit of research, and while I didn't find any very helpful information or guidelines re specifically Hot Stone Massage in hot weather - the World Health Organisation recommends a maximum comfortable working temperature of 24°C, and Trades Union Congress (TUC) and the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy recommend a maximum indoor working temperature of 24°C. Maximum safe temperatures are also suggested in the range of 25-27C. Discomfort and safety are also impacted by humidity levels, with higher humidity on top of heat being less comfortable and more dangerous.

This has lead to me reviewing my policy and practice in terms of wellbeing and safety for both my clients and myself for having added heat when the ambient temperature is already high. Safety in heat waves is something we all have to start considering as the climate continues to heat up and become more unstable.

I am lucky in that due to its thick stone walls and overshadowed North-West facing back windows the temperature in my room has almost always stayed under 24C.

However, Hot Stones are heated in a water heater (like a crock pot) at around 120-135F or 49-57C - which heats the room up some and raises the humidity. Lovely in winter! Not so great when its already close to uncomfortably hot!

Use of the hot stones for placement and massage can raise not just the skin temperature but potentially the core temperature of the client. If you are going out then into a hot day, or a hot car, or to a hot office or house (and lets face it, not only do most of us not have air conditioning, but our houses and buildings are designed to stay warm, not to keep cool!), there is a safety issue as this may put undue stress on the body (especially the heart and circulation) and its ability to cool down and regulate core temperature.

With that in mind I have contacted the clients who have booked for Hot Stones recently and explained why it is safer and wiser for them - as well as more comfortable for me! - to work with Cold stones only in this kind of weather.

Going forward, for my own comfort and wellbeing, I have decided not to ordinarily offer Hot Stones in July and August in future - unless we are having a cool patch in which case I may add some availability in.

Furthermore I will keep an eye on predicted temperatures in other months and added a proviso to the forms for the booking of hot stones that in the event of predicted temperatures of 24C or above and / or of a weather warning for heat, I will review whether the use of stones is safe and advisable for client and myself, and reserve the right to only use cold stones in those circumstances, or for the session to be rescheduled to another day and time. I hope no-one will be too disappointed with this decision. 

Stone Therapy  

Cold stones and cooling oils on hot days - you can add cold stones as a £2 add on to other treatments.

Best wishes for the rest of the summer!

New Year - Hot Stone Relaxation?

Happy New Year! Are you feeling rested, relaxed and restored? Or have you been busy running around looking after everyone else this festive season? Do you enjoy the cold, dark months, or does your mood dip?

New Years resolutions tend to be all about pushing ourselves to change - and 'do better' - but how would it feel to be kinder to yourself instead?

At this time of year, I recommend trying a Hot Stone massage. Carefully heated smooth round basalt stones are placed on the body and used in the hands for massage. The relaxing and pain relieving effects of heat penetrate deeply into muscles. Great if you have fibromyalgia, arthritis, or chronic pain but also just for a wonderful experience of deep relaxation.

Hot days - cold stones and cooling oils!

Are you enjoying the sun? 🌞😎

Or feeling a bit overheated? 😩

It's a nice 21-22C here at Holistyx, between the stone walls, the window that only gets direct sun mid afternoon, and the fans on the HEPA air filters. 💙

Cold Stones

I am now offering cold stones as a £2 add-on to Swedish/Holistic Massage, Aromatherapy, or Massage and Reflexology sessions.

 

Marble and jade stones (pictured) are naturally cool, and I keep them in the fridge for extra coldness. They are used in the palm of the hand to massage with, or may also be placed on the body to really cool a particular area. Eg the smallest ones can be used on the forehead and temples. The larger ones might be used on the back, or the legs. 

• These can feel wonderful and be really beneficial:
• on painful muscles
• on injured, or inflamed areas, including arthritic joints
• on sensitive, irritable or hot skin
• on the face and neck to relieve congested sinuses or hayfever related inflammation
• on areas with sluggish lymph circulation eg tired, puffy legs
• for a menopausal woman having a hot flush

Cold stones are sometimes used as part of a Stone Therapy: Hot and Cold Stone Massage session. However through much of the year, most people prefer just the hot stones. But in this weather the cold stones come into their own!

Cooling Oils

I can also use essential oils which cool the body - either the full on menthol freshness and anti-inflammatory action of peppermint or something more subtle. This could be an uplifting citrus oil like lemon, orange, grapefruit, bergamot or petitgrain - as long as you aren't going to be in the sun afterwards - as be aware most citrus oils increase the risk of sunburn! Or lavender, geranium, chamomile, or eucalyptus are other great essential oils for cooling and calming. In terms of the base massage oil, coconut oil is the most cooling (and tips for at home - is also great as an after-sun treatment for your skin or your hair).

Peppermint is especially good for aching muscles, headaches, or itchy skin.
Lavender is perfect for sore skin (including sunburn, midge bites), stress, insomnia.
Geranium as a hormone and mood balancer is perfect for menopause, and also helps with sluggish lymph circulation.
Chamomile is a particularly potent anti-inflammatory.
Eucalyptus is great for clearing sinuses or a muggy head, and also for arthritic joints.


NB - If you are using essential oils at home - remember diffused oils can be toxic to pets, and oils for the skin should always be properly diluted. Water (eg putting them straight in your bath) doesn't dilute oil because oil and water don't mix! Ask me if you'd like to know more about using essential oils safely.

Stone Therapy: Hot Stone Massage Testimonials

Stone Therapy is something I had only introduced shortly before the first lockdown this year, and didn't yet at that time have a full page of information about on my website.

I have since created a page explaining what it is, and the benefits of working with hot - and also cold - stones. If interested, you can check that out here - Stone Therapy: Hot and Cold Stone Massage.

Its been really great to introduce this treatment to some of my regular clients and see how much they have enjoyed it.