We've added to our inventory some of the more than 80 different basalt and marble stones used in hot or cold stone massage therapy. The stones we've selected we use on our own bodies and we have determined them to be the best fit for working on yourself. Some of the stones are best used by a licensed stone massage practitioner, and you will not see them available on our site. We will be adding a practitioners section to our site in the coming months, based on the feedback we get from individual's positive experiences working with exceptional therapists. If you have a great masseuse or masseur, let us know! We're looking for high-quality deep tissue, sports massage, ART, or sport-related stone massage therapists. There are a lot of "fru-fru" spas out there and the types of massages they offer are typically not the approach we're looking for. We want you to get the best recovery possible so you can get back to training HARD! Toward that end, you will need a therapist that understands the sometimes masochistic punishment that you sometimes put yourself through to reach new athletic goals. We'll guide you through how to work on yourself. You will need the assistance of a professional on certain occasions, and we want to help you find that professional.
When working on yourself, remember that your body will tend to go numb after exposure to the stones (especially the cold stones). You need to be VERY aware of your reaction to the temperature of the stones. The last thing you want to do is freezer burn or properly burn your skin! It is typically best to have a barrier between your skin and the stone such as a cloth, shirt, pants, towel, etc. Once you get familiar with the application of hot or cold, the same SMR techniques you've learned using the balls and rollers will apply to the stones. In many cases, all you need to do is lie on the stone and let the hot or cold do the work for you. Your SMR efforts can be cut from more than 30 minutes to less than 5 minutes when done correctly!
Click here to go to the stones section of our site. We will add more stones to our inventory as we determine the safe and practical application with each one.
What are the stones used for do they work for certain purposes or just relaxation. I have always been interested in them.
Zack, we will be posting articles and videos in the coming weeks for the uses we endorse for the stones. Basically you can use them in a passive state and just lie there and let the hot or cold penetrate your tissue, or you can add certain SMR movements while lying on the stones to increase the speed with which your muscles relax. The list of stones available on our site will grow over the next several weeks and months, so feel free to ask questions if you aren’t sure how one stone or another will fit into your toolbox of self therapy tools. To use the stones with hot or cold, you run hot water over them or place them in the refrigerator or an ice chest. Quick word of caution: if the stone is too hot or cold for you to hold it in your hand then it is too hot or cold to apply to your skin!