So stoned: Hot stone therapy session review

At Vidya Tikari Studio, besides other therapies, hot stone massage treatment is a big draw

Towards the middle of my hot stone therapy session, I find myself struggling to stay awake. My therapist has deftly cleaned my feet and massaged them in a rhythmic motion and allowed me to rest and enjoy the process of what is called hot stone massage therapy.
It’s only the beginning and I’m already comfortably – and happily -- numb at Vidya Tikari’s studio in Delhi’s Lajpat Nagar while Nancy, my therapist, begins to scrub and clean my feet. It starts bang on time and lasts for almost two hours and all this while I’m enjoying the comfort and luxury of a therapy which dates back to centuries and involves the use of basalt, a black volcanic rock that is supposed to absorb and retain heat well.
If you’re getting a complete body massage done through hot stone therapy, the stones – after a traditional Swedish massage – are placed on the “chakra” points of the body. However, I opted for hot stone therapy for my feet and found myself instantly relieved of stress when Nancy started applying pressure on certain points with the stones on my soles. This she does after she has cleaned my feet thoroughly, applied a sugar peel to “scrub away the dead skin” and then slathered and rubbed my legs with an orange-flavoured body lotion – strangely called “body wax” – from one of the very reputed brands called Oligospa. That helps. The stones, it is believed, should not come in contact with any regular cream for fear of losing their properties. No wonder then that, it’s critical to ensure that the creams used for massaging are of supreme quality.
While the main aim of the therapy is to allow the tense muscles to loosen up, the massage – though referred to as “hot stone” therapy – actually revels in the philosophy of the yin and yang. This essentially means that the “hot” therapy session includes a segment where stones dipped in cold water too are applied before ending on a “warm” note. Put simply, after a round of session with hot stones, the therapist uses a cold rub and completes the session alternating it – towards the end – with another warm massage with stones. Note: Usually therapists will not apply hot stones (they are soaked in water that is at a temperature of 120°-130° F) directly on your body. They will warm their own hands and then gently massage your body before proceeding to rub the stones directly on the body. “Your body cannot take the temperature change suddenly,” explains Nancy while applying pressure on my soles with the warm stones.
Experts suggest that those with high blood pressure and also with extremely sensitive skins should avoid hot stone therapy. If, however, you like the massage but not the high temperature at which its set, request — at the outset — to have the therapy done at a temperature that’s convenient for you.
Personally speaking, I love the heat that is generated on the soles of the feet and on the legs once the therapist starts massaging them in rhythm with the stones. I feel like I’m diving in and out of a hot spring water stream and easing all the tension away. The stones that glide in a to-and-fro motion set forth a tidy tempo that’s so critical in massages.
The grand finale includes a foot-pack powder that’s mixed generously in rose water and applied on the feet which, in turn, is encased for 15 minutes in a cling wrap! It felt a little weird initially - she even puts little stones in between my toes - but after Nancy unwrapped it, I felt a surge of freshness and coolness.
Would I recommend it? Yes. In fact, at Vidya Tikari Studio, between 11.00 am-3.00 pm, you’ll be given a 40 per cent discount too. It takes time to undergo this therapy so make sure you’re in no rush.


Price: Rs 1,000 (including taxes)
Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes
Where: Vidya Tikari Studio, New Delhi
Contact: 011-416-30940/416-35074