Number 99 on my list of 101 things to do in 1001 days was “Have a hot stone massage”. Not sure what it was that made me put this on the list, except I’ve always wondered exactly one was, and it sounded quite … ok, hot!
So when I received Holistic Health‘s latest newsletter and saw that Lisa now offers hot stone massages, I couldn’t wait to book!
Typical me – I got my times mixed up and arrived twenty minutes early for my appointment, thinking I was ten minutes late – and I’d had problems parking – so I was a little stressed when I arrived at Lisa’s brand new therapy room in Witney. Lisa made me feel very welcome though, and we chatted while she prepared everything. The room is quite small but very cosy, with fairy lights, incense, sparkly walls and the obligatory new age music. I’d never listen to that stuff normally, but it does have its place, and the therapy room is probably it!
Lisa asked me to undress and lie on my back under a towel and she left the room. I thought I was there for a back massage and lay on my front so she could get at my back. Oops … turns out the one hour hot stone treatment is a full body massage, and she wanted to get at my front first! Once we were sorted, Lisa began the massage, using some lovely scented oils. I didn’t know when the hot stones would come into play, but I didn’t have to wait long – and boy was it HOT!! Initially it was quite a shock, but actually it was a very comforting warmth rather than raw heat.
The feeling of the stones is rather weird, but in a good way. They are very smooth and at times it doesn’t feel like stone at all, just an all-encompassing warmth taking over your body. Over the next hour Lisa used a combination of her hands, aromatherapy oils and a seemingly never-ending supply of hot stones to massage the tension out of my body. At times we chatted; other times I just relaxed and let the sensations wash over me. I get particularly tense in my shoulders and Lisa worked hard to get rid of some of the knots. I definitely need to go back for more treatment though … or is that just an excuse?
It didn’t seem long before the hour was up and Lisa was finished. Boo, I want more! As I stood up my limbs felt like water and getting dressed was a real struggle as my arms were so relaxed they didn’t want to do what they were told! Four hours later I’m still feeling very relaxed and chilled, like nothing can get to me, and Lisa expects the effects to last for a good 48 hours. Yay!!
So …. I loved the hot stone massage. I found the warmth of the stones really relaxing and comforting – especially on my arthritic knee. I can imagine that if you suffer from aches and pains but aren’t up for a deep massage, the stones would be the perfect answer. I’ve booked another appointment with Lisa next month – this time I’ll probably go for a back massage, to release the tension in my shoulders, but I’ll definitely be having another go with the stones sometime soon!
