The History of Steam

In a Hawaiian Antiquities book, Chapter 30 (The Medical Treatment of the Sick) page 108, Paragraph 9.  There is evidence of the use of steam by the Hawaiian Kahunas.   "The next thing was to make a hut called hale hau, which was done with sticks of hau wood and was arched on top.  The sick man was removed to this little hut and given a steam bath, after which he was bathed in sea-water and then nourishment was administered." 

Two thousand years age, Hypocrites declared, "Give me the power to create a fever, and I shall cure any disease."  The value of steam therapy is evident throughout the centuries in many civilizations - the Hawaiian "hale hau", the Greek and Roman steam baths, the Finnish saunas and the Swedena practices of India - all have touted the value of steam in creating overall health and the outer beauty of healthy, vibrant skin.

Today we have the ability to recreate the most widely valued benefits of steam therapy by incorporating modern technologies with ancient practices, providing people with beneficial, rejuvenating skin care treatment that also relax and pamper.

Lightweight steam canopies can help transform any massage table into a functional steam room.   As in the ancient ayurvedic panchakarma purification treatments, because the client is not fully enveloped in steam, the blood supply to the brain remains cool, thus allowing the focus to be on the body's removal of impurities and fluids from the skin tissue.

The Benefits of Steam

The benefits of steam can be combined with numerous relaxation and skin rejuvenation treatments.  It is important to remember that the skin functions as the body's third kidney.  Sweat and urine are not far apart in chemical composition, and the flow of these impurities through un-congested pores is important to the body's overall health.  Steam therapy enhances the body's ability to more readily break down these fluids and impurities.

During the steam treatment, the heart rate and the circulation level is elevated and most clients will experience an increase similar to that of a light aerobic workout.  This increase in circulation brings oxygen-enriched blood full of nutrients to replace the fluids and impurities removed during the steam process, and this allows the client to more readily receive vitamin and mineral enriched formulas that help maintain skin vitality, elasticity and tone.  Dilating pores through the use of steam helps remove impurities and more readily absorb products for proper skin nutrition.  Most clients understand the importance of returning vitamins and minerals to rebalance the skin's overall long-term health.  Once a client feels and sees their vibrant skin tone, the treatment goes from being luxurious pampering to a necessity.  For those incorporating a portable Hawaiian Steam Canopy, this means repeat customers.

Enhance Treatments

Traditional seaweed or mud treatments call for an application of the product followed by the client being wrapped in plastic and a cocoon-like series of blankets, sometimes heated, to bring about the gradual heating of the body and increased absorption of the product.  With this technique, the overall heating often is uneven, and usually takes 30 minutes or more to achieve the full effect.

Using steam allows for immediate, even heat over the client's entire body.  An added benefit of the steam is that the product remains moist, making it easier to remove.   Also, that product's ability to detoxify and penetrate is much greater than a product that begins to dry and crack on the client's skin while wrapped in the blankets.  A more pliable product allows for a deeper, more even, absorption of nutrients.

Aromatherapy

Perhaps the most interesting example of modern technology meeting ancient therapy is in the use of steam and essential oils to create aromatherapy treatments for stress relief, increased energy or respiratory decongestion.  An aromatherapy steam treatment will leave clients feeling rejuvenated, relaxed and refreshed.  Ask each client about immediate needs in order to customize an aromatherapy steam treatment.  Is the client seeking stress relief?  Allergy or cold relief?  Does the client want more energy? Or perhaps, to sleep better at night?  Based upon the feedback you receive during the consulting process, it is easy to create a customized treatment for that individual.  Have a client select a pleasant essential oil.   This essence will help induce the type of mood or enhance the treatment being sought.  Instruct the client through a deep-breathing exercise, such as the Divine Breath, have the client inhale the aroma and then, add the essential oil to the water generating the steam to envelope the whole body and proceed with the steam portion of the treatment.  During the steam therapy, these same oils can be used with Satin Body Lotion (Young Living's lotion without harmful chemicals) to massage the head, neck and shoulders. 

Cellulite Reduction

Cellulite reduction treatments can be enhanced with steam.   Essential oils, which boost circulation and decongestion, are used both for the massage and in the steam water which envelopes the body.   A series of at least three treatments is recommended to achieve maximum results.

Body Milk Moisturizers

After a steam treatment, wipe down the client's body with hot towels or if convenient ask the client to shower to remove any excess oils, mud or masks and to keep purged toxins from being reabsorbed into the skin.  This is a perfect time to massage a vitamin-enriched moisturizer into the skin, (I use Aroma Silk Satin Body Lotion from Young Living) because the steam therapy has opened the pores.  In the Midwest, after a long winter of heating homes with little or no humidity, body-moisturizing treatments become more of a necessity than a luxury service.  Revitalizing dry skin from long winters or summer sun exposure makes this a popular treatment.

Cost Benefits

The use of the Hawaiian Steam Canopy in treatments allows for a variety of day spa services.   Steam keeps the product being applied pliable and easy to remove with hot towels.  The towels leave the client's skin vibrant and clean, eliminating the need for further cleansing.

Any salon, spa or massage practice can adapt its current menu to include steam therapy.  The secret to success is to combine what your salon, spa or practice does best with the benefits of steam.  Whether you practice emphasizes massage, aromatherapy, cellulite reduction, stress relief or facial, any service can be enhanced with the addition of steam. 

In my personal practice, the use of the Hawaiian Steam Canopy and the essential oils are part of the LomiLomi session.  I CHOOSE NOT to work on a body that has not been steamed and softened.  With the exception of paraplegic people who cannot sweat.  During the steaming process, I work on the head, neck and shoulders.   The use of steam before continuing the LomiLomi on the rest of the body reduces the amount of effort on both my part and the part of the receiver as they have relaxed and released all that no longer serves them on not just a physical level, but also on an emotional and spiritual level.

The Hawaiian Steam Canopy therapy treatments can be incorporated with existing equipment for $950.00 plus shipping.  This is assuming you have an existing massage table and the Young Living Essential Oils.  Wonderful Oval Massage Tables can be obtained thru me also.  This is the table I have chosen to use in my practice.  This table has rounded corners and a wonderful fitted travel cover.  As my travel schedule is quite intensive, I have come to appreciate this wonderful table with its fitted sheets. The source of the tables is Creative Touch and their website is www.MassageResources.com. 

 

The table I prefer for traveling is the Pisces table. At 20 pounds this table helps me to fit in with the new airline regulations of 50 pounds per checked bag.

 

Once added to the service menu, clients enthusiastically will accept these additional options.  After all, how many clients, after 30 minutes of massage, would not pay another $20 - $30 for an additional 15 minutes of an aromatherapy steam treatment to aid in the detoxification and moisturizing of their entire body; not to mention the additional stress relief from the pure essential oils applied and steamed over the body.   As I mentioned earlier, in my practice I start with the steam and aromatherapy.

 

The popularity of any therapy can often be measured by client acceptance and returns.   These are numbers that demonstrate that steam therapy can provide profits to salons, spas and private massage practices, no matter where their location or what their size or treatment emphasis. 

 

The Hawaiian Steam Canopy is constructed of 210 Denier to keep in the heat.  The investment is $950.00.  Please allow for 2 - 4 weeks delivery (due to supply availability and shipping time as well as my travel and LomiLomi schedule)