I’ve had a little too much fun the past few weeks with summer booze, friends, late nights & early mornings in full swing. So when the Acushakti Mat came to my doorstep, I was all about rejuvenating myself in to a normal human-being again, even it it means sacrificing (insert sarcasm here) 10 minutes of my day for some good ol’ laying down.
The Acushakti Mat is honestly one of my new favorite organic health fads. It may look a little Ripley’s Believe it or not, but it’s proven to provide relief from stress, back pain, neck pain and insomnia while boosting metabolism. All from laying down for 10 minutes a day. I had to give it a whirl.
A little about it:
Relaxation: The ACUSHAKTI mat features dozens of small, plastic pressure points or “flowersâ€. When a user lies on the mat, these flowers stimulate certain acupressure points, which increase bloodflow and release the ‘feel-good’ hormones oxycotin and endorphin. These hormones are known to induce a blissful feeling of well being and relaxation. Strong emotions—such as euphoria—may also be felt, but are soon replaced by feelings of warmth, harmony and sublime relaxation.
Pain relief: The endorphine and oxytocin hormones released when using the ACUSHAKTI mat are also known to be natural pain relievers. So the ACUSHAKTI mat is good for those suffering from chronic back pain, temporary neck or back pain, headaches and general body fatigue.
Oh, and if you’re all set in the sleep/back pain world (you don’t exist), this mat will also work on foot pain if you stand on it, posture if you sit in a chair on it, stomach issues if you’re daring enough to start downward facing doggy-styling on it, and on your neck with a rolled up towel positioned under the mat to help contour. The experts from Acushakti recommend becoming accustomed to neck and back positions for 10-minute intervals before venturing in to the more advanced moves, body parts & practices. I’m excited to become a full-blown Acushakti master.
In my couple of weeks laying 10 minutes at least 5 days of the week, I have no doubt noticed an ease in my ability to fall asleep, a deeper sleep, and a more refreshed feeling once my alarm goes off. All with a lesser feeling of neck and back pain that is a chronic issue of mine. I’m totally psyched to keep using this mat and the Vapur, aka the most portable water bottle I’ve seen this side of a Camelpak handy, during my 3-day Joulebody KICKSTART Food Cleanse, to help keep my focus on my hydration and my new zen-like feeling. The less focus I have on my cravings for cake and large bottles of wine, the better.
Acushakti Mat $59.95 Acushakti.com
Vapur Anti Bottle $8.95 each Vapur.us
JouleBody 3-Day Kickstart – info & pricing at JouleBody.com
I just used the Acushakti mat for the first time last night. You’re right, it does look a little scary, but I laid a sheet over it (helped me mentally) and 5 minutes after I laid down, my legs started tingling…in a good way. Can’t wait to try it again tonight after work!