What is Stone Therapy?

Like many massage techniques, hot stone therapy is an ancient practice that dates back more than 2,000 years. The earliest practice of hot stone therapy can be traced to the Hindus in India who used hot stone therapy to relax the muscles and relieve pain roughly 5,000 years ago. The Chinese used heated stones in traditional healing practices as a means of boosting the function of internal organs, placing the stones in certain patterns on specific parts of the body.

Hot stone therapy eventually made its way to the Western world through Native American sweat lodges. While the stones weren’t applied directly to the body, the natives understood that the heat produced by the stones helped ease muscle tension and supports whole-body relaxation. Modern-day use of hot stones is varied for numerous applications. The stones are typically heated in water and replaced as they cool, though cold stones may also be used and alternated with heated stones.