Cocooning - relaxing with stones

What I call Cocooning is within LaStone called Castle-building. I think Cocooning better covers what it is actually about. To be cocooned within stones and emerge revitalized and relaxed after the treatment.

It is in essence a very simple treatment that even children can receive and be part of. Heated stones, and cold ones as well, are placed randomly under, beside and on a person lying on her or his back. Intuition guides where the best position is for each stone. The client lies under a towel, and as the stones are placed it begins to feel like getting one warm long gentle hug.

The treatment is based upon an American Indian ritual, called Bury the Soul, which originally lasted days. Within LaStone it has become a gentle and reviving treatment, especially suited for those who're stressed or who can't receive a normal massage.

Cocooning can easily be combined with other treatments. While the client lies cocooned, the feet can be massaged for 20 minutes, the hands can be manicured or massaged, the face and scalp can get a go as well. Reiki and other energy work will work really well with Cocooning as well.

Combining cocooning with coaching or psychotherapy could prove very interesting. You feel very safe, relaxed and comfortable as you lie there covered by warm stones, which in return would allow you to open up for emotions that you feel threatening or painful.

Why not try a Cocooning next time you want to relax and see what in particular it gives you.

Effects of hot and cold

Physiotherapists and medical professionals have long used both hot and cold for treating injuries and pains. Sports people apply cold packs on muscles after heavy exercise, they use hot packs to reduce tightness and pain in muscles. Hot and cold is a very effective treatment method of muscles and the body.

The effects of heat:

• causes blood vessels to expand, increasing blood supply
• increases circulation, bringing fresh blood to the heated muscles
• helps the body get rid of waste products (increases the lymph function)
• increases the metabolism
• makes muscles and tissue relax as they expand
  

Too much heat isn't good either - and I'm not talking about burning - as it makes the body try to get rid of the excess heat, including taking blood away from the central organs and the brain. This leads to a feeling of being relaxed, woozy and light-headed, just wanting to sleep so the body can recover and find its balance again.

The effects of cold:

• causes blood vessels to contract, sending blood and fluid away from the cooled area
• the body's pain relievers are released, numbing pain
• constricts blood-flow to areas exterior to the cooled area
• stops muscle spasms and relaxes the muscles

Too much cold makes the body send warm rich blood to the area that's cold, eventually taking heat from the internal organs.

Combining the two and alternating between hot and cold creates an even more powerful reaction. The effect is something called vascular gymnastics, a sort of roller-coaster effect between the two different effects. The outcome is greater than the effect.

What is LaStone Therapy

LaStone Therapy is the original hot and cold stone massage. It is a massage and therapy form that includes the use of hot and cold stones, both passively and actively. Some stones are placed to heat and cool muscles, while other stones are used as a massage tool instead of the hands. The stones do a lot of the work, which can give a very deep and profound massage.

The therapy was created by Mary Nelson in 1993 where she started to implement hot and cold stones into her massages and it quickly grew from there as it was shown to be very effective. Not only did the clients experience increased benefits, the therapists did too. Their hands and fingers were spared during massages and work related injuries drastically reduced.

Hot basalt rocks are heated in water, normally to a temperature between 52-55 degrees Celsius. The cold marble stones are normally kept on ice. For more deep tissue and therapeutic work, more extreme temperatures are often used, especially colder stones. Sardonyx can also used as cold stones which can be very beautiful.

LaStone is not a routine or specific way of massaging, but rather an implementation of hot and cold stone routines into any massage given. This makes LaStone a very broad and varied massage form, which can be tailored to any need a client has; therapeutic, sports massage, well-being and relaxation. There's room for a tender, nurturing touch, emotions and energetic work that revives and revitalises you.

A typical 50 minutes Lastone spa routine will include both active and passive work with the stones. First you'll be asked to undress and lie on the table, draped under a towel. You sit up with the sheet and towel around you and the therapist places hot and cold stones which will lie under your back while your legs and arms are massaged. More stones are placed on your stomach and chest, which aids you in relaxing completely.

As you lie there on and under hot and cold stones, your legs are massaged with hot stones, which can work deeply into the muscles. Cold stones can be used as well, which makes the experience invigorating and refreshing. Once the legs are covered again, your arms will get their turn. Again, using the hot to make your muscles relax completely, and the cold stone to draw out the excess heat and energizing you. During a 50 minutes treatment there's not much time for a face massage, which then generally is saved for the 1h20m massage.

When the front side is completed, you're asked to turn around the stones you lay on are removed. A new hot or cold stone is placed under your belly and you're asked to adjust it so it's comfortable. It might sound hard, but is actually very pleasant. You remain draped, only moving the towel aside as the therapist begins to massage your legs and back with hot stones, finishing with a cold stone. Your neck and shoulders also get a treatment before you're covered up again and asked to turn around.

Finishing the massage your face receives a brief cold caress which serves to energize you and freshen you so you don't feel all tired and drowsy after the massage, but instead rather ready to face the day and able to function as normal.

The longer LaStone Therapy includes more targeted and in depth work, as well as massage of the face and neck. For those interested, energy work can be implemented, making it a complete treatment of body and soul.

Massage oils blends

Image by Taunaki via Flickr

I use different massage oils depending on who I massage and what extra effects I want added to my massage. Sometimes I mix oils specifically for one client. Most often though, I use one of my standard blends and from session to session pick the one I feel will be the best in the current situation.

As a rule of thumb, only use about 1 drop of essential oil per 10 ml of carrier oil. This is more than enough to gain the benefits from the essential oils and create a pleasant scent. And by using mild concentrations, there's less risk of allergic reactions.

My carrier oil is typically safflower oil, as it's inexpensive and has a good texture which the skin absorbs easily, but not too fast. I find almond oil to be too thick and greasy to use for massage. The best oil, I find, is coconut oil, but has to be refined in order to be liquid at room temperature, making it less attractive. It is a very thin and smooth oil which gives a wonderful experience to the massage.

For normal skin and greasy skin I use coconut or safflower oil. For dry skin safflower mixed with avocado or wheat-germ or almond oil. A times I add some wheat germ oil, e-vitamin oil or avocado oil to nourish the skin. Especially avocado oil is good on very dry skin.

Some of my typical blends could be:

Relaxation and de-stressing for women:

• 1/2 lavender
• 1/2 camomile

This oil is also safe for children and people with sensitive skin, if there's no allergies involved. To make the mix more gentle and compassionate, add a few drops of ylang ylang oil to the mixture.

Relaxation and energy for men:

• 1/3 lavender
• 1/3 rosemary
• 1/3 cedar

Again, the lavender is great for relaxing muscles and mind. Both the cedar and rosemary are refreshing and helps increase the blood-flow and energy. If used on women, the cedar could be replaced by a citrus oil or sandalwood which both 'gentle' the blend.

Romantic and sensual:

• 1/3 rose
• 1/3 ylang ylang
• 1/3 jasmine

This is a very feminine and sensual blend. To make it more masculine, replace one of the oils with patchouli or sandalwood.

Generally when mixing a good massage oil, less is better. 2-3 different essential oils are usually the best. If you look less at the therapeutic aspect and more at the scent, employ some of the techniques from perfume production. Use 3-4 oils oils, of which at least one has a top-note, one a heart-note and one a base-note.

As top note various citrus scents are generally good to use. Lemon, lime, orange, neroli and so on. As heart note lavender, geranium or jasmine. Base notes are normally the woody notes like cedar, patchouli and saldalwood.

Mixing a good scent is a time-honoured science and there are plenty of resources available on the net. A good resource is:http://www.aromaweb.com/essentialoils/default.asp with profiles of essential oils and other useful information about aromatherapy.