Hot Stone Relaxation Massage — heat that reaches deeper

Smooth basalt stones, warmed to a comforting heat, glide over and rest on the tight places while slow, deliberate massage works the tension loose. The warmth relaxes muscle before the hands even ask it to — a craft carried over from twenty years of sauna culture. Deep, sink-into-the-table calm.

The techniques

Warm stones are used two ways: placed — resting on the back and shoulders to soak heat into the muscle — and gliding, used as an extension of the hand for long, slow strokes over warm oil. Between and around the stones come the classic relaxation strokes (gliding effleurage and slow kneading), so the heat and the hands do the releasing together. The warmth means less pressure is needed, so it stays gentle throughout.

What to wear

Warm oil goes directly on the skin, so you undress to the level you're comfortable with — draped with a towel throughout, only the area being worked on uncovered. For a first visit, fitted underwear or swimwear bottoms are an easy, comfortable choice.

When to skip or adapt it

The heat is optional and screened first. It's comfortable for most people, but please tell us when booking if you have a cardiovascular condition or uncontrolled high blood pressure, reduced skin sensation or neuropathy, diabetes, a blood clot or circulatory disorder, a contagious skin condition or open wounds, or if you're pregnant — in those cases the session is adapted or the stones are skipped — and we'll refer you on if a physician would serve you better.

What it does for you

Especially good for stubborn tightness across the back and shoulders, a mind that won't switch off, cold hands and feet, and the deep tiredness of a long week — a favourite in an Ottawa winter. You leave warmed through, loosened and calm.