Massage tools date back thousands of years. During the Shang Dynasty (circa 2500 to 1500 BC), the sophisticated Longshan inhabitants of China used the oldest massage tool recorded in history, the jade ritual blade. This jade blade was used either hot or cold on tired, sore muscles. A variation materialized within the Hopi Native American medicinal arts, called stone massage. Basalt river stones, smoothed naturally by the quick-flowing river waters, connect the body, mind, and spirit. Both of these temperature-based stones may be used either on the face or the body. The heat helps lengthen and smooth muscles, creating a deep sensation within the fibers of the muscles. The cool temperature performs the opposite function by constricting the blood flow into the area they are applied, assisting with decreasing inflammation and shrinking pore size appearance within skin.
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Creator of The Spa Composer, a spa consulting business to elevate spa services. Amra Lear is a licensed massage therapist and licensed aesthetician working in the spa industry since 1997. She is trained in advanced aesthetics and alternative massage modalities.
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