The use of aromatherapy in massage practices has become a popular practice among massage specialists. Incorporating the use of essential oils during a massage has far reaching effects in the overall wellbeing of the client. Combining aromatherapy with hot stone massage is an effective way to enhance the massage experience for the person being massaged.

Hot stone therapy is the use of smooth stones in a massage. There are different kinds of stones that can be used but the stone preferred by a lot of massage specialists is the basalt stone which is a volcanic rock that is particularly known for its heat absorption and retention. These stones are heated up and placed at pressure points for relief of stress and tension.

Aromatherapy is the use of essential oils and herbs to enhance natural healing and health. It is an accepted fact today that the scents from oils and herbs actually have therapeutic and healing properties. When used in massage, even though the benefits from the smells alone are immense, they properties in the oils have healing and soothing qualities and are invaluable when massaging tense and injured muscles.

In combining both therapies, the secret lies in the essential oils that are used for the hot stone massage. Essential oils can either be a mixed blend or a single blend and are known for their healing and soothing qualities. The essential oils can either be used alone or mixed with the massaging oils. Essential oils alone are not aromatherapy even though they form the base of aromatherapy. Aromatherapy is being intentional in the use of essential oil and that is using it in a way that it will effect positive change in the person either mentally, physically, spiritually or emotionally.

Essential oils like lavender are used for their soothing qualities and are used to treat depression and stress. Oils such as myrrh, rose and tea tree are used as anti-inflammatory agents and act to diminish pain. These come in handy for people with arthritis. Others like chamomile, frankincense and lavender are used to cure insomnia. Bergamot, cardamom and ylang-ylang have been found to contain antidepressants.

Hot stone massage is usually used on clients whose injuries or muscles are too delicate for other more common types of massage such as Swedish massage or deep tissue massage. Whenever for some reason or the other, other forms of massage would not be effective in relaxing the tense muscles of a client, hot stone therapy coupled with aromatherapy will work wonders on those tense or injured muscles.

Not all essential oils can be used on the skin so before using any essential oil for hot stone massages, it is important to read the labels and be sure that the oils you plan to use can actually be used on the skin.

There are many synthetic oils in the market that smell like the natural oils they are emulating but do not contain the healing properties associated with the original essential oils. If you intend to incorporate aromatherapy in your hot stone massage, it is important to make sure that you are using massage oils that contain the natural product and not the synthetic one. Though this would be more expensive, it is worth the results you will see in your clients.

Author Bio: I write for TIR Massage Stone, the leading hot stone massage supplies provider. They carry products such as hot stone therapy products, as well as many other accessories for hot and cold stone therapy.

Category: Wellness, Fitness and Diet
Keywords: Aromatherapy,stone massage,basalt stone,hot stone massage,essential oils