- 560 Kingsway Vancouver
- (604) 620 - 6560
- booking@loongwellness.ca
Heated basalt stones used alongside hands-on technique, so tight muscle lets go with warmth instead of force. Delivered by a Registered Massage Therapist on Kingsway — which means an insurance-eligible receipt, not a spa bill.
Smooth basalt stones are warmed in water, then used two ways: placed and left resting on specific areas, and held in the therapist's hand as an extension of their palm to glide along muscle. The warmth raises the temperature of the tissue underneath, and warm muscle simply yields more easily than cold muscle.
That is the whole point — heat does part of the work that pressure would otherwise have to do. If deep tissue has always felt like more than you want, this is often the better booking. It is not a lesser massage; it is a different route to the same place.
Most people have only seen the photo version of this. Here is the practical layout for a standard 60-minute session — adjusted every time to what you actually need.
Stones always sit on a layer of towel or sheet, never directly on bare skin at full temperature, and they are moved rather than left in one spot indefinitely.
In Vancouver, hot stone massage is overwhelmingly sold as a spa treatment. That is fine — but it changes what you get, and whether your insurance will look at it.
Neither is wrong — if you want an afternoon out, a spa is a spa. But if you were planning to claim it, check who is delivering it first. At Loong Wellness every hot stone session is registered massage therapy, and direct billing works the same as any other RMT visit.
You want the muscle to release but not to be pressed into the table. Warmth gets you a long way there. See deep tissue massage if you want the firm version.
Vancouver's damp season is the busiest stretch for this treatment. Some clients book it monthly from October through March and nothing else the rest of the year.
The pace of a hot stone session is slower than a standard massage. If you find it difficult to switch off on a table, the heat tends to do it for you.
Stones along the calves and feet at the end of a session are the part people remember. Common for hospitality, retail, healthcare and trades.
Heated stones are also used in our gentle lymphatic session. See lymphatic drainage with hot stone if puffiness rather than tension is the issue.
It is the treatment most people are curious about but never book for themselves. Call and we will sort out the details rather than making you guess online.
Every treatment takes place in a fully enclosed private room, not a curtained bay.
They sit in a temperature-controlled water bath and need time to come up. This is why a hot stone appointment cannot simply be swapped in at the last minute — tell us at booking, not at the door.
Health history, medication, anything that affects how you sense temperature. Then the therapist tests a stone on your back and asks — the answer sets the temperature for the whole session.
Stones are placed on the areas above while the therapist works with hands and with a stone held in the palm. You stay draped throughout and you control what is uncovered.
Stones come off, the area is covered, and you are given a minute. Get up slowly — people are often more relaxed after this treatment than they expect, and standing straight away is not the plan.
Stones should feel comfortably hot, never sharp. If your first reaction is to flinch or pull away, the stone is too hot — and that is information we want immediately, not politely after the session.
Some people feel the heat far more than others — that is normal and it is not a tolerance test. Reduced sensation from diabetes, neuropathy or certain medication is exactly why the intake questions matter.
The stones need to be heating before you arrive, so this one cannot be added on the day. Two minutes on the phone gets it set up properly.
Two options include heated stones. Both are 60 minutes and both are delivered by a Registered Massage Therapist.
We direct bill:
Heat changes what is safe. Tell us before you book, or check with your physician first, if you have: diabetes or any condition affecting sensation in the skin; neuropathy; a known or suspected blood clot; heart disease or uncontrolled high blood pressure; an active infection or fever; a skin condition, sunburn, rash or open wound over the area; a recent injury with swelling; or you are pregnant.
Several of these simply mean we lower the temperature or leave certain areas out — they are not automatic refusals. But we need to know before the stones come out, which is why intake happens first. Massage therapy supports comfort and mobility; it is not a substitute for medical diagnosis or treatment.
We are at 560 Kingsway in East Vancouver — a short trip from Main Street, Fraser Street, Mount Pleasant, Commercial Drive, Riley Park and Kensington-Cedar Cottage.
From our East Vancouver clinic.
Best massage I've ever had. King is an absolute king, and Yi is amazing. Their massages are targeted and intentional — I always leave feeling like a new person.— Lesley Stokes
I typically get massages at least ten times a year, and I can confidently say that Tony is one of the best RMTs I've ever had. Highly recommend!— Jay Jeong, Local Guide
Lovely clinic. I've recently started going here and love that you can get in quite quickly. My sessions with Harrison have been absolutely excellent, with ample care and skill.— Sheena R
At Loong Wellness it is $145 for 60 minutes, plus GST. The lymphatic drainage session that also uses heated stones is $160 for 60 minutes. Both are delivered by a Registered Massage Therapist, so both produce an insurance-eligible receipt. All current prices are on our rate page.
When it is delivered by a Registered Massage Therapist, yes — most BC extended health plans cover it and we direct bill most major providers. This is the thing worth checking before booking anywhere: a lot of hot stone massage in Vancouver is a spa service delivered by someone who is not an RMT, which means no receipt and no coverage.
Comfortably hot, never sharp. They are heated in a controlled water bath, tested by the therapist on their own forearm before touching you, and always separated from bare skin by a towel when resting. If a stone makes you flinch, say so immediately — the temperature changes, and that is not a complaint, it is the system working.
It is a full massage. Stones are used two ways: resting on an area to warm the tissue, and held in the therapist's hand to work along muscle. The hands-on work is the treatment; the heat is what lets it be effective at lower pressure.
Usually not. The stones need time in the water bath to come up to temperature, so this one has to be booked in advance rather than swapped in at the door. Call (604) 620-6560 and we will find a slot that works.
No. The idea that massage flushes toxins out of the body is a long-standing myth, and it is not why this treatment helps. What warmth does do is raise the temperature of the tissue and increase blood flow to the area, which makes muscle easier to work with. That is measurable and it is enough.
Hot stone if you want the muscle to release without firm pressure, or if deep work has felt like too much in the past. Deep tissue massage if you know where it hurts, you want it worked specifically, and you are comfortable with sustained pressure. If you are unsure, call and describe it — we will tell you which to book.
Less often than after deep tissue, because the pressure is lower. Some people feel a little drowsy or light-headed for a short while — drink water and get up slowly. If your skin looks red where the stones rested, that settles within an hour or two and is not a burn.
Whatever is comfortable. You stay draped throughout and you decide what is uncovered. Oil is used with the stones, so avoid anything you would be upset about getting a mark on.
RMT · Registered Acupuncture and TCM
560 Kingsway, Vancouver, BC
Phone: (604) 620-6560
Email: booking@loongwellness.ca
| Monday – Thursday | 10:00 – 20:00 |
| Friday | 10:00 – 19:00 |
| Saturday – Sunday | 10:00 – 18:00 |
$145 for 60 minutes, delivered by a Registered Massage Therapist, with an insurance-eligible receipt and direct billing. Call ahead so the stones are ready when you arrive.
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