These indulgent remedies, which function clamshells as their main therapeutic massage device, hint their origins again to the idyllic island of St. Barths within the Caribbean. And hundreds of miles away, in France, they’ve begun to achieve recognition.
What’s a clamshell therapeutic massage?
A clamshell therapeutic massage, in fact, begins with a clamshell. The shells utilized in France are sustainably sourced from completely different areas of the Pacific Ocean, says Mathilde Fillon, the lead coach on the Spa Diane Barrière.
“We deliberately goal a number of areas of the ocean to keep away from emptying complete areas. Our objective is to ensure we’re dealing with them in a accountable and sustainable method and never disrupting the ocean’s atmosphere,” says Fillon. “We then clear the shells, smoothen out its exterior and wash them totally in order that we will reuse them.”
As soon as the shells are clear and clean, they’re warmed to evoke the identical sensations as a scorching stone therapeutic massage. Earlier than the remedy, a therapist prepares the shells by placing dry minerals inside them and activating them with salted water for about half-hour. This mixture of substances provokes a pure heating of the clam shells, to which she later provides avocado oil and leaves to soak. Avocado oil is a wonderful moisturizer that improves the pores and skin’s elasticity, reduces irritation, and strengthens the pores and skin’s barrier.
Chemically talking, the shells’ pure calcium carbonate composition permits them to retain warmth, making certain a soothing and therapeutic expertise. The nice and cozy shells launch pressure and knots within the shoulders, again, and decrease physique whereas selling blood circulation and relieving stress. A therapeutic massage therapist rubs them in intentional, rhythmic, and sweeping motions.
“The therapist is educated to use the correct amount of strain on the shells to launch pressure in all the precise locations and enhance stimulation so the physique feels soothed with out inflicting any abrasion on the pores and skin,” says Fillon. “Once we work on the decrease physique, the warmth on the shells additionally has the identical impact because the lymphatic draining therapeutic massage.”
Not like different massages, that are advisable often, Fillon confirms that the therapeutic massage might be carried out day by day as a result of it is an ideal muscle relaxer. Sadly, there isn’t any solution to replicate this at house, because the heating and software strategies require severe coaching to do accurately. For instance, any overheating of the clam shells may cause slight burns on the pores and skin.
What occurred once I tried a clamshell therapeutic massage
Though the spa had a delicate aroma of lavender, my largest concern was whether or not the clam shells would scent fishy and, consequently, if that scent would linger on my pores and skin. Nonetheless, the therapist reassured me that the shells had been cleaned a number of occasions to take away any fishy odors after which hand-polished to create a superbly clean end.
As the nice and cozy clams glided throughout my pores and skin, I appreciated how the pure contours of the shells conformed to my physique—even in hard-to-reach locations!
All through the 60-minute remedy, I did not really feel an enormous bodily profit, however I did really feel psychological ease. The repetitive movement of the clams on my pores and skin, coupled with the rejuvenating sound of the waves within the background and the refined smells of the avocado oil, put me in a meditative state.
Furthermore, the expertise made me really feel linked to nature in a complete new manner. The feeling of the shell on my physique made me mirror on all the methods we have realized to harness the assets gifted to us by Mom Nature, and the profound rest that these humble mollusks had been in a position to impart on me was one thing value shell-abrating.