ALL ABOUT ACUPRESSURE MATS
I know the spikes look scary. They look like they hurt. And they do, a little bit. But you do get used to it very quickly, I promise. You can always put a layer of fabric between you and the spikes to ease yourself into it if you want. But honestly, I don't think it's necessary. I wouldn't say I have the biggest pain threshold and I can handle it. Now that that's out of the way....
What are acupressure mats and how do they work? The mat is based on the theory that the body is lined with pressure points which, when stimulated, release the body's natural pain-relieving hormones, similar to acupuncture but this doesn't involve breaking the skin. The idea for the mat comes from the bed of nails concept which originated in Asia over 1,000 years ago and was used by gurus in the practice of meditation and healing. These gurus would lie on sharp metal nails with heavy blocks stacked on top of them and while this idea can be a bit shocking, it's not as painful as it may seem as the weight of the body and the blocks is distributed evenly across the nails. The same is true of this modern day equivalent, which is made up of a thin foam mattress with more than 8,000 non-toxic plastic spikes, harmless to the skin, but boosts the same numerous healing benefits, inducing deep relaxation.
In fact, the Bed of Nails website states that if used regularly for a long enough period of time their products can:
Improve circulation
Increase energy level
Reduce blood pressure
Reduce stress and anxiety
Alleviate headache
Relieve tension and muscle aches
Improve sleep and relieve insomnia
Relieve chronic neck and back pain
Activate the parasympathetic nervous system
Benefit weight loss by reducing cortisol levels
Improve heart rate variability
Revitalize and rejuvenate
Improve skin complexion
Relieve constipation
Alleviate malaise
That's a hell of a lot of benefits. I haven't used my consistently enough to see all of them, but I've found even occasional use can help. I got my mat over a year ago because I was having trouble sleeping. I've had sleeping problems on and off for years, so I'm always looking for things that can help. And this definitely helped. It's a weird sensation at first, not quite painful but you can feel the spikes. After a few minutes though, I always start to relax. I would love to be someone who meditated but I struggle with being able to shut off, however this mat helps me feel more at peace and allows me to just lie still for a while.
After about 10 minutes, I can feel my circulation start to increase as my back starts to heat up. Honestly, the experience is hard to describe but I really enjoy it. Although the sensation when you sit up after lying on it for a while is so bizarre. I'm still not sure if I love it or hate it; it's pain and pleasure all in one! Speaking of pain, I've also found the mat really helps when I have a sore back. My boyfriend's job involves manual labor and he's also used it to help reduce tension and pain in his muscles.
I only recently purchased the neck pillow because I've been experiencing pain and stiffness in my neck but I hate massages (weird, I know...). After using it 3 tries, I've already noticed a difference. I really do want to start using both the pillow and the mat as frequently as possible because I don't doubt that their products can produce all of those benefits they state on their website.
Note: Both my pillow and mat are from the company Bed of Nails. I haven't done a ton of research but I think you can find cheaper options out there, I just like the quality of their products.
Jane x
