Often people ask me what is different about LaStone, “…isn’t it just another stone massage, surely they cannot be that different?” Yet they are different, in many ways; not only is the treatment itself different but the way in which LaStone is taught stands alone from the Other Expressions of Hot Stone Massage.
LaStone methodologies are based in ancient practices of energy work and thermal therapy, blending the two principles together and coupling this foundation with various forms of body work such as Swedish massage, Reiki, Deep Tissue, Shiatsu, Reflexology and more.
Thermal therapy is the science of LaStone and is the focus of all of our workshops; we stress the importance to our students that the client’s health information will determine the degrees in which the stones are offered to the body. A LaStone treatment has the capabilities of being personally designed to fit the client’s needs at that particular time, no two people are the same, nor are they the same from week to week; therefore when temperature is the focus for a stone session, the temperatures must be adjusted to fit the needs and goals of the client for that day’s treatment.
Energy work is the spirit of LaStone and is the foundation of all our workshops; we offer a form of energy work that blends easily with the rhythm of the stones and how they are applied to the body in various forms of body treatments. The form of energy work we share in our workshops has been around for many decades; coming to Mary through Spirit Guidance in the early nineties and to other such as Brough Joy in the mid seventies and some forms even as far back as 700 years to the Hopi Nation.
We open the door for all energy work to be blended with your personal stone dance and strive to help each student/therapist embrace the importance of balancing the science of the stones with the spirit of the stones in all LaStone sessions.
Within our training courses we convey great importance on how to sanitize, disinfect and proper sterilization of the stones and equipment used within a LaStone session. Since we teach around the world the proper procedures for the stones and equipment may vary a bit due to local regulations governed by laws in the area. We take all necessary steps to insure that our students/therapists fully understand the proper procedures for sanitation, disinfecting and sterilization as it applies to their local laws.
In our courses we also offer further insight for our students in how to care for the stones on a vibrational level or energy level. For eons there have been Stone Walkers and Crystal Healers around the globe, they bring with them ancient understanding of the Stone People and have passed down for generations the proper way in which to show respect for the “Record Keepers, The Ancient Ones, The Stone People”. We open doors for our students and wet their curiosity about their ancestors and how ceremonial practice was a way of life long ago and can still be in today’s busy world of high tech philosophy.
LaStone offers over twenty-five different courses on our methodologies as it applies to stone work, we have a certification program that honors our students/therapists and stands them apart from Other Expressions of stone massages; our students/therapists have the opportunity to study with us for an average of 27 hours to 180 hours or more in our certification program.
LST is LaStone Therapist
ALST is Advanced LaStone Therapist
MLST is Master Level LaStone Therapist
LaStone has been taught in over 45 countries, with a data base of over 30,000 students and 53 instructors across the globe, Mary Nelson is the founder and she is based out of Tucson, Arizona.