A Month with an Acupressure Mat

My gorgeous purple Yogi-Bear mat* arrived today. It was a cheeky present to myself for my latest birthday (lucky for me I also got some other lovely treats from other people too). A sign of getting older is surely getting excited about how much pain you can inflict on yourself in the name of health and beauty, right?

During the last 12 months, my social feeds have been punctuated with ads for brand name acupressure mats. No matter the name (Shakti, Spoonk, or any of the other varieties), the concept is the same: a thin foam mat, with hundreds of spiky disks attached, to be used in a similar way to a bed of nails. In theory, doing this should increase blood flow to sore muscles and reduce inflammation and pain. The general instructions include "Lie down with as much skin and muscle touching the spiky bits as possible, take a deep breath and relax."

No Pic-I-Nic Baskets Here....

What am I expecting?

Well...the reviews are mostly good. I'm anticipating a bit of pain while I get used to the mat, but after that I'm hoping for better sleep, a reduction in soreness and stiffness of the back, legs, and neck (which I'm anticipating having more of as I start my long, overdue comeback to fitness and nutrition) and hopefully some spiritual enlightenment on the way? Am I asking too much?

What Am I Not Expecting?

Immediate weight loss, the sudden desire to do yoga, the growth of a third eye, or anything else that so many health and wellness products allude might happen. Let's be realistic here, team.

Week 1:

I spend about 10-15 minutes with the mat under my back and neck after sitting at my desk all day and it feels awesome. The spikes take a bit of time to get used to...In fact, the worst part of the whole experience is the mounting and dismounting—it's usually not very graceful! After just two days of mat time, I've noticed I fall asleep faster and wake up feeling more rested.

I also remembered one time when I tried a mat at a family member's house a few weeks back I ended up putting a hole in my favourite pair of yoga pants. Made myself a mental note to wear as little clothing as possible... Actually, this makes sense anyway, as part of how this works is that the spikes create just enough pain on your skin that your body has a reaction and sends blood and feel good hormones to the area. So as close to naked as you can tolerate is best.

Later in the week, I came home late two nights in a row and missed out on some acupressure time. This led me to sleep badly, but it could also have been due to the wine and cheese I consumed in the hours before bed? Let's not rush to make any judgements!

To make up for my missed sessions, I do two short but oh-so-sweet mat sessions during the daytime over the weekend. Both were relaxing and left me feeling warm and fuzzy, if not a little sleepy.

Finally, on day seven, I try using the mat under my feet but they're too sensitive to stand on. I sit down and apply a little pressure which feels just right!

Week 2:

Its been a week already and my husband has (*just*) stopped rolling his eyes at me while I produce the mat before bedtime.

One evening I used the mat specifically on my glutes—not something the Yogi-Bear people included on their handy-dandy fact sheet and I quickly understood why. Ouch! Biggest muscle in the body + Sharp pointy bits directly in contact = Sore! In fact, I think I may have even bruised my behind a little bit. That'll teach me! I've been reading about other bloggers' experiences and some say they love sitting on their mats. I'm still skeptical. Worth another visit later in the month.

A Short and Sweet Fact Sheet

Week 3:

I'm starting to find that I get grumpy if I don't have my 20-minute acupressure session in the evenings. I've taken to doing it before bed, while I read my kindle* as it's the least intrusive way of bringing it into my life, and the place where I can get away with wearing the fewest items of clothing, therefore maximizing the skin-to-spiky-disc ratio.

I'm also becoming a massive fan of the mat under my feet. The sensitivity is starting to wane and the enjoyment is increasing... Unlike my back, which feels great the whole time I lay down, my feet can only manage a maximum of four or five minutes before the feeling becomes too much to bear (get-it? Like Yogi-bear!).

Now that I've managed getting my feet used to the mat, I want to try the recommended 'pillow' version, where you use the mat on your face and jaw, but I'm nervous...

Week 4:

This week I finally took the plunge and joined the gym. That means my muscles are extra sore, which should be a good test for the Yogi-Bear mat.

A week in, it turns out that really tight and sore muscles feel extra good on the mat, even if it is increasingly hard to get on and off in a graceful way. The flood of warmth that the spikes induce is not only extremely welcome, but also quite addictive.

I also tried the pillow idea, without much luck. My ears kept getting in the way and I just couldn't get comfortable. So, face? No. Glutes? Maybe. Legs, neck, head, and back? Heck yes!

So, do I recommend an acupressure mat?

Absolutely. But (and it is a pretty big but)...keep your expectations low. This thing is unlikely to fix chronic pain, or replace your chiropractor, or anything like that, but it's a nice (and affordable) addition to your self-care toolbox. It has helped me:

• Sleep better
• Recover faster from DOMS,
• Increase blood flow to my muscles,
• ...And probably more, but nothing that I can put into words.

Has it increased my sense of overall well-being? Yes.

Namaste, team.

*This is an affiliate link. If you go on to purchase Amazon will reward me without charging you any more. It's win/win!