by Edna Sousa
I’ve heard about relaxing the feet in a bowl of warm water with rocks inside. And I know it can be fashionable to use stones for the floor of your shower…you can see this technique in home design magazines or on TV. But laying down in a bed of warm rocks at the Spa? That was a new one to me, but in this treatment, called Ganbanyoku, people generally lie down on these black stones to soak up their healing benefits. They improve health and wellness through sweating because the high temperature in the stones can detoxifying the body.

Ganbanyoku means “stone bath” or “stone sauna” in Japanese, and it’s a practice that originated in Thailand and become popular in Japan. It’s basically a room with body-sized stones inset into the floor and heated. These stone beds are made of tenshoh seki, or black silica and black silica lava rock.

These black stones are originally from Japan and come from Hokkaido and some other areas. They give off infra-red rays that are absorbed by the cells of the body, thus expanding the blood vessels, increasing circulation, accelerating metabolism, and kicking out toxins from the body. Plus, they have antioxidant ions that work against free radicals, keeping you young and your immune system strong.

This treatment is said to be soothing to pains in the back and shoulders, but it also helps with low blood pressure, alergies, constipation, diabetes, PMS, rheumatism, arthritis and more. The treatments come in different temperatures and humidity levels, but it’s common to take the Dry and Wet version, where the stone is around 107 to 113 degrees Fahrenheit. The customer can lay down on each side, stomach and back. It’s recommended that you drink plenty of water during the sessions. The whole treatment takes about an hour.

The only thing is…this treatment is not available so far in the USA, but I’m sure it’s going to be catching on. Already, there are spas in Canada that offer it, including the Iyashi Bedrock Spa. If you are planing a trip you can check that out…and be healthy!