Giveaway is closed. Congrats to Owen’s Mom for winning her own Yantra Mat!

You’ve seen pictures of acupuncture and if you have any needle issues, well, it’s enough to make you run for the hills. So let’s introduce you to acupuncture’s less pointy relative: acupressure.

 

The Yantra Mat

Company Website: yantraway.com (United States) and www.yantramattan.ca (Canada)

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/yantraway

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yantraway

Price: $49.00, $59.00 and $69.00 (medium, large and extra-large respectively)

Dimensions: 30” x 17” (medium) 31” x 20” (large) and 35” x 23” (extra-large)

First of all, I need to thank a friend of mine for suggesting this mat to me, she practices certain yoga postures with it and couldn’t say enough about it, even through it’s not a traditional yoga mat. Since acupressure is very closely related to yoga and other eastern disciplines, I thought we mind as well give it the old college try.

How Does Acupressure Work?

When these acupressure points are stimulated, they release muscular tension, promote circulation of blood, and enhance the body’s life force energy to aid healing. Acupressure therapy can be used to relieve pain, fortify the sexual reproductive system, detoxify the body for greater health and beauty, and tone facial and back muscles.

Courtesy of Acupressure.com

Granted, that’s a very brief overview, and truly acupuncture and acupressure could have their own articles but that’s the rationale behind the Yantra Mat. If you’re thinking the age old bed of nails concept, that’s pretty much it, in a less scary way.

Each medium sized Yantra Mat has 8,820 acupressure points, which after some internet research proved to be quite a lot. Many other acupressure mats (and there’s lots, who knew?) had less for the same size mat.

How To Use The Yantra Acupressure Mat

Now the little spikey fellas are a bit intimidating when you open the package. They are pointy. Really pointy. And they are plastic and don’t give, you know like nails.

To tell you the truth I was definitely intimidated/frightening at first and upon reading the instructions and seeing mentions of upwards of 40 minutes I was down right mystified how that was possible, beneficial or in any way relaxing.

Then my 4 year old walked across it on the way to the bathroom and giggled because it tickled her feet. Ok, it can’t be that bad, right?

To start, the directions indicate 10 minutes daily and that the first 3-5 minutes may be “uncomfortable.” Afterwards, on days 5-14, they recommend 20 minutes before bed but more is fine. Finally, from day 14 on, you can shoot for 20-40 minutes for maximum sleep benefit, relief of stress and back problems as well as increased energy. Now that’s some big claims there and I was bound and determined to lay on that bed of nails and see what it could do.

At first, as suggested in the accompanying booklet, I used a thin layer of material between my skin and the Yantra Mat. You know, for us sissies who aren’t used to poking ourselves 8,820 times simultaneously.

Very accurately, for the first 3 days, the first 2 minutes were “uncomfortable.” Not holy get me off this thing uncomfortable, but you are very conscious that you are laying on pointy spikes. However, it does not hurt – at all.

After those 2 minutes, you stop feeling the spikes completely. You just feel very, very relaxed.

I followed the plan outlined with the mat to the letter, and even took the mat on a road trip with me (it comes with a great mat bag too) and used in the hotel beds and also in the car while traveling.

Did It Work?

Being a very logical, tangible results sort of gal, I took notes! I wanted to see if there were quantifiable way, I could see results from the mat.

The first 4 days I didn’t notice a big difference in my overall energy level or stress unless I was physically on the mat. During the time I was actually on the mat, I was relaxed and was able to mediate and let my mind go blank (that’s a feat in and of itself.)

After the first 4 days, I started to fall asleep on that little spikey mat and often woke up many hours later without rolling, what no tossing and turning! That’s very rare for me, I’m terrible for taking awhile to fall asleep and often toss and turn for what seems like hours.

Not only did I start falling asleep faster after just 4 days, I actually sleep great at a hotel which is pretty much the strangest thing to happen since using this mat. Hotels and me are just not very compatible even when I bring my own pillow and other sleep accessories. Until now that is.

I had no trouble falling asleep, staying asleep and waking up refreshed at a hotel for the first time in, well, ever. That right there is worth the price of admission for me!

Over the course of the following weeks, I found myself really looking forward to mat time.  I often would use it while watching TV or while at my computer.

The mat does leave small marks and the more “fleshy” the body part the darker the marks were but generally they disappear quickly.

Final Thoughts

I was pretty floored at the difference in my sleep after a few days of using the Yantra Mat, really just floored. For someone who’s mind does not shut off at bedtime, this mat acts like a much needed OFF switch before bed. It has also become a valued part of my mediation practice which was another unexpected benefit.

I can’t attest to the back pain claim as I don’t suffer from that and although I did have more energy (less afternoon nappy time) that may have been due to the improved sleep and not a direct result of the acupressure. However, I would say increased energy was definitely a welcomed side effect of using the Yantra Mat.

And the Giveaway…

If your life could benefit from some improved Zzz’s or you want to try out the Yantra Acupressure Mat for any other of it’s great health benefits, just follow the directions below to enter to win your very own:

How To Enter:

1. Like Yantra Mat on Facebook.
2. Leave a comment below that you’ve done so. Only one comment per person is needed to enter.

One entry per person. Open to residents of US and Canada only. Contest closes Friday, June 3 at 8p.m. MT. You will be emailed if you win so please ensure you enter your main email address when leaving a comment, it is not displayed publically.

Good luck and be sure to enter our other giveaway as well!