ROCK YOUR SELF CARE
Cool , Warm, Light or Dark Basalt Rocks
It’s hard not to pick up a stone. They’re intriguing, easy to hold, and exude an ephemeral value that reaches into our primal soul.
Perhaps it’s a memory of what a powerful tool a stone once was — whether as a weapon in itself or a crafting hammer. Perhaps it’s our innate understanding that stones are ancient and have experienced so many changes, holding the impressions of creation, the building blocks of all that we are and know.
It’s little wonder that stones are used as a grounding cord and a reminder of the earth’s strength.
As ancient as they are, we’ve only recently seen them used for massage in the mainstream, but they are known within the wisdom of 6,000 year-old Ayurveda. The use of basalt rocks as a tool of lymph movement as well as relaxation is called “snehana”.
These can be used hot or cold, to cool or warm the tissues. The darker the rock the more heat it holds and the lighter the rock, the colder it can get.
They will warm up quite easily if taken into a sauna, left in the sun, put in an oven after baking, dipped in a pot of tea, or placed at the drain of a shower.
Cool a light-colored stone by placing it in cold water or a refrigerator.
Where to Use Basalt Rocks
A stone is a great companion for relaxation in the tub. Place one on your body and feel it ground even as that area floats in the water.
Use as a massage tool for rubbing down the muscles, like a gentle gua sha. You can also place stones over your eyes (make sure they’re a comfortable temperature), between your toes, in your palms, or on any part of your body that needs grounding or fortification. The weight of the rock allows you to surrender the tension in your body.
Tapping the rocks can support releasing wound-up tension in your muscles and allow breathing to expand. Tap a stone against another stone that is placed upon the body to allow the vibrations of the stones to penetrate your tissue.
If you’re able to find a large stone, about the size of a grapefruit, utilize this as a grounding weight to place upon your abdomen. It can calm anxiety as well as help release the psoas muscle in the pelvis, where trauma is held.
Add Oils
When using stones for massage, adding both carrier oils and essential oils up the effect. Oil itself also holds heat, so this is an added way to keep warmth on the body. If you know your elemental constitution, choose a carrier oil for all-over massage that suits your purpose:
Warming (for cold bodies): Choose sesame oil
Cooling (for overheated bodies): Choose brahmi alkalizing oil
Cleansing (for heavy, stagnant bodies): Choose neem medicated oil
Nourishing (for dry, depleted bodies): Choose ashwagandha bala medicated oil
For any body: Choose sunflower oil
If you know of essential oils you’d like to add into your chosen carrier oil, add 1-3 drops per cup of oil. Those oils are potent — respect the drop! We recommend getting a custom blend from DeAnna that you can use drop by drop for your abhyanga self-massage.
Smooth your stones over your skin after oilation and feel how your self care can rock your world!