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The first stone therapy known to be offered publicly to non Indian people came from Hawaiian tribes and is known as Lomi Lomi. This body treatment is thousands of years old. It involves heated stones and ceremonial application. The Natives of Hawaii are considered Native Americans as they are an indigenous people from a US state.

Here on the main land of America several tribes including the Cherokee, Ogallala, Assinaboin, and Santee` have used stones for Shamanic healing in a variety of ceremonies. My education is from my ancestors and other tribal members. I learned the practice as Inyan Pejuta, Stone Medicine and have studied it for over 30 years. It involves both hot and cold stones. This practice is thousands of years old.

In Central and South America some Mayan, Inca, Aztec and Peruvian tribes have ceremonies that involve using stones on the body. Some of these are specially carved (fetishes), some are heated and some are cold. A recent re-introduction of Munay Ki, an ancient Inca wellness method, using a Pi stone and crystal wand with specific initiation rites has come to the forefront of energy wellness.

Reflexology was practiced in the Aztec pyramids and often involved using stones. The name reflexology is from the modern people who `discovered` it and later began writing and teaching about it, although they seldom included stones.

Petroglyphs and pictographs from both North and South American continents attest to these ancient practices. Artifacts discovered by geologists, paleontologists and archeologists show the use of stones in many forms of healing work.

Aboriginal tribes of Australia have stone body treatments that are thousands of years old. They have recorded their history with rock art similar to that found in the Americas and often show stones as sacred wellness tools.

Ayurvedic methods of wellness from India involve heated stones and oils in ceremonial application very similar to Stone Medicine from the American Indians.

Japanese, Chinese and other Asian practitioners have a variety of stone treatment processes that date back to ancient history. Many of them involve walking or lying on special stone lay outs.

You may ask why this is not common knowledge; sadly all history is written by the winners of wars and they are not interested in recording anything of cultural significance that would be considered positive about the indigenous people they have conquered. When a culture is taken over some of the first changes are to replace the calendar and language of the people and of course remove all religious and spiritual practices that might lend support to their independence. Therefore many of the rituals, spiritual beliefs, healing modalities and legends are lost to modern civilization. Much of the history of geo-thermal therapy (hot and cold stones) has been passed on by word of mouth through legends and stories as it was a form of health and wellness involving spiritual beliefs for many indigenous people.

The main reason much of this information has been hidden in the US, is because until 1977 when then President, Jimmy Carter signed the Freedom of Religion Act, it was illegal for Native people to offer ceremonies. Many of them were outlawed even on reservation lands. Ceremonies such as Inipi known as Sweat Lodge, Sun Dance, Peyote, Wakan Chanupa known as Sacred Pipe, Henblanche known as Vision Quest and Inyan Pejuta known as Stone Medicine were all outlawed religious practices. Because of this, very few non Indian people experienced traditional Inyan Pejuta known as Stone Medicine, the ceremonial geo-thermal therapy process.

It is time for wellness to reach the mass population of the dominant society. Our Ina Maka (Mother Earth) is threatened by modern civilizations poor ecological practices. To save our planet, people must find re-connection to her and what better way than through the stones, which Native people believe are the bones of Mother Earth.

Modern professional education systems are offering CEU course to the massage industry that follow the traditional processes of geothermal therapy while incorporating modern science as proof of the healing abilities of hot and cold temperatures on the body applied with specific stone strokes.

Some of the highest quality education can be received from the following:
Stone Medicine
LaStone Therapy
Sacred Stones
Desert Stone People

Blessings on your Journey with geo-thermal therapy practices
Ska Mato Pejuta Winan (White Bear Medicine Woman)
Jenny Ray
Stone Walkers World Wide Association™, SWWWA™, SWA™