We offer two different types of massage at Images: Swedish or Hot Stone.
Swedish Massage is the most commonly offered and best known type of massage. It was developed by a Swedish physiologist, Henri Peter Ling at the University of Stockholm in 1812. It uses a firm but gentle pressure to improve the circulation, ease muscle aches and tension, improve flexibility and create relaxation.
Swedish massage employs five different movements:
The therapist generally uses massage oil to facilitate making long, smooth strokes over the body. Swedish massage is done with the person covered by a sheet or towels, a technique called “draping”. One part of the body is uncovered, massaged, and then covered up before moving on to another part of the body. This keeps the body warm and cover both prior to and after each area is massaged.
Specialized movements are used to deepen massage movements, to enable deeper muscles to be treated. If muscles are sore, tight or swollen even gentle massage can feel very strong or “deep”.
Swedish massage is the foundation for other types of Western massage, including sports, deep tissue and aromatherapy massages.
The stones are used in two ways during the massage. One is to impart heat onto the body by laying stones under the client with a layer of fabric between the client and stone (a sheet or towel) and/or on top of the client, again upon a towel. Stone layout typically will be along both sides of the the spine, or along the chakra centers on top and baseball sized stones would be placed in the hands.
The second way is while these layout stones are delivering concentrated centres of heat, the therapist is simultaneously massaging the client with oiled, heated stones held in the palm of the hand and uses the stones with firm strokes along the muscles of the legs, arms, and torso areas. the stones can also be used to work deeper into small problem areas.
An authentic hot stone massage is not simply the “gliding” of heated stones lightly upon the surface of the skin, but rather the stones are used as tools to deliver effective tissue and muscle massage at a pressure level comfortable to the client. The client can request light, medium or deep pressure, which is the beauty of the hot stone massage technique. It can be customized in an instant to the request of the client.
The hardness of the stones makes for a fantastic deep tissue massage and is easy on the joints of the therapists hands.A good stone massage, when properly performed, will accomplish many of the goals and benefits of other massage modalities. Many paths often lead to the same destination - and so it is with a great stone massage.
The heat from the stones relaxes muscles, increase the blood flow to the area being worked on which further accelerates the healing process. This increase in circulation and the relaxation of the muscles also aids in mental relaxation. Mental relaxation is key when a Therapist is attempting to work into deeper muscles of the body.
Massage is not recommended for certain people:
| Treatment | Massage Time | Swedish | Hot Stone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full Body | 90 mins | $130 | $150 |
| Body | 60 mins | $85 | $100 |
| Back & Legs | 45 mins | $60 | $80 |
| Back | 30 mins | $50 | $60 |
| Headache | 15 mins | $35 | Not Available |