Product Review: The Acupressure Mat
Product Review: The Acupressure Mat
If you struggle with feeling overstimulated by day’s end…
If you feel like some days your nerves are so fried…
If you feel irritable, tense, and tight for no discernible reason…
This might help you.
I truly love this thing.
I lay on it nearly every day, some days for over an hour.
There are many variations of this mat available and I suggest buying something inexpensive to try out. If you like it, you can upgrade to one made with sustainable materials like coconut fiber, linen and buckwheat hulls.
This is the one I have because it’s extra long; if you’re over 5’8″ and want to include your legs, look for an extra long mat, or a mat with a separate leg piece.
All Acupressure mats including branded mats like Shakti Mat and Pranamat, are thin mats covered with plastic, spikey discs. The plastic discs stimulate, but do not pierce the skin.
I have not found a good explanation from science as to why they are so effective. They also are not for everyone. If you read Amazon reviews, they seem to be either loved or hated.
They claim to boost circulation, reduce anxiety, promote well-being and relieve pain of all kinds.
Here’s my experience.
After about 10 minutes of laying on this, I can feel my pulse/heartbeat radiating out to arms and legs. Sometimes I can feel my pulse in my left wrist. A profound feeling of relaxation and relief comes over me. It’s better than meditation to be honest.
I find laying on an Acupressure Mat to be profoundly restorative and relaxing.
If you are trying one out for the first time, follow the recommendations and wear thin clothing. You might also try it draped over a mattress, versus the floor, as that will be less intense.
I don’t have sensitive skin so I use it wearing underwear only, while being covered in a yoga blanket. DO NOT DRAG your body off it; that will hurt. I also recommend always wearing underwear because the skin on your buttocks is likely more sensitive as compared to your legs, or back.
TRY:
My favorite thing to do is Yoga Nidra + The Acupressure Mat. Yoga Nidra is a type of guided visualization deep rest. There are many YouTube videos about it. You can learn more about Yoga Nidra and Non Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR) here.
The Yoga Nidra recording I am loving at the moment is this one by Ally Boothroyd. It has an OM chorus in the background that is AWESOME.
I also use the Acupressure Mat while listening to past life regression audiobooks.
Finally, I use it at the end of the day to wind down, and also late afternoon when the setting sun can hit my 3rd eye if I lay a certain way in my yoga studio.
Have you ever tried an Acupressure Mat?
I’d love to hear what your experience was.
Namaste,
Catherine & Satya
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Catherine Tingey
Entrepreneur, yogini, designer, award-winning filmmaker, personal trainer and former marathon runner. She left a career in finance to start her own business and along the way, became a yoga teacher. She has been practicing yoga for 33 years and teaching privately for 13 years.
About the Author
Catherine Tingey+ Entrepreneur, yogini, designer, award-winning filmmaker, personal trainer and former marathon runner. She left a career in finance to start her own business and along the way, became a yoga teacher. She has been practicing yoga for 33 years and teaching privately for 13 years.
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