My sister bought me a Shakti Mat for my birthday. I had a rough idea on what they were about as I knew she had bought one to help her with migraines. A Shakti Mat is a foam mat with spikes on it. It is essentially a portable acupuncture mat. The mats are made by women in India.
For the last few months I have been slowly building up to laying on it for 20 minutes. My first few goes probably lasted a couple of minutes as it really was painful. Slowly but surely over the weeks I built up to laying on the mat for 20 minuets. I try and lay on the mat about two times a week. It really helps me relax after a busy day and switch off from work. I did do some research on the website for Shakti. I read about standing on the mat for 5 minutes at the start and end of your day. This helps you increase the flow to your feet which carries most of your weight every day. I have now incorporated my Shakti mat into my morning routine.
Every morning including weekends I do my meditation in the morning and then stand on the mat (in socks) for 5 minuets. Eventually I would like to build up to no socks. I found using the mat has really helped me unwind. When I do the mat before bed I have a deeper sleep that night. Using the mat also forces yourself to take a little bit of your day and focus on yourself. We all get so wrapped up with running around and pleasing everyone. It is good for the body to take some time out and look after yourself. I would highly recommend this product to anyone who is wanting to practice a little bit of self care.
Yorkshire Rambler 