Posted by Meredith Spears on June 04, 2010 12:50 p.m.
I don’t lead a particularly stressful lifestyle in comparison to some, but like just about everyone else, it certainly does have its moments. As we all know, stress does bad things to your body, affecting your weight, your mood, and your sleeping patterns, to name a small few.
A fan of all things relaxation, I’m constantly interested in new ways to wind down, ease my mind, relieve pain, and sleep better. I love massages, but a professional massage can be quite expensive and often difficult to get one right when you need it – most spas are appointment-only. Thus, I’m on the hunt for cheaper and more easily accessible ways to relax. Enter the Yantra Mat.
When this first arrived at my door, I was a tad bit skeptical. I was looking at a small purple mat covered in rows of white circles, and from those little white circles rose tiny spikes. Yes, spikes. When I discovered that I was supposed to lay on it, images of ancient torture methods instantly rose to my mind, and I was a bit skeptical, to say the least. However, I searched for some information regarding this object, and was intrigued by what I found.
The Yantra Mat was created as a gentler version of the Indian nail bed. It’s the original acupressure mat (www.yantraway.com) that utilizes 8,800 non-toxic plastic spikes. The spikes feel very sharp to the touch, almost uncomfortably sharp, but when the body’s weight is evenly distributed over the mat, the initial shock of the sensation of the spikes dissipates into a flood of warmth that spreads through the body and forces it to relax (www.prnewswire.com). The brain releases hormones that promote tranquility comfort. With repeated use each night, users should find that their stress levels decrease and the quality of their sleep improves, with aches and pains reducing.
I suffer from lower back pain occasionally, as well as a few other aches and pains in my muscles from time to time. I also tend to be a restless sleeper on occasion, and find it difficult to relax and unwind even when I’m lying in bed. When the opportunity arose for me to improve my overall well-being and increase my relaxation levels, I definitely wanted to try it out.
The Yantra Mat website, www.yantra way.com, suggests that newbies to the Yantra Mat start out by utilizing this for about 10 minutes a day for the first four days. Effects of the mat can be felt almost immediately and produce results from falling asleep to feeling an energy boost. In the first two weeks, users are recommended to increase their usage to 20 minutes before bed, and to avoid watching the clock. The goal is to drift into a peaceful sleep that will leave you refreshed and energized (www.yantraway.com). After two weeks, users should experience the full breadth of the positive effects that the mat has to offer.
I decided on a night to try the mat out for the first time. When I lay down on my back, I couldn’t really feel much of anything. Then it occurred to me that the thick sweatshirt I was wearing may have had something to do with that, so I changed into a thinner top and tried it again. I felt the shock of thousands of tiny pin pricks in my back, but before I could take in a breath, a deep, tingling warmth flooded through my body, and the gasp of surprise that was at my lips came out as a quiet exhale of relaxation.
Over the course of the next seven nights, I used the Yantra Mat for varying lengths of time. On several occasions, I did fall asleep on the mat, only to be woken up by my husband to actually get in bed to go to sleep. Out of all the potential benefits the Yantra Mat claims to offer, the one that I experienced the most of was better, longer, deeper, and more relaxing sleep. My restlessness was pretty much eliminated, and when I combined increased exercise with the Yantra Mat, I slept like a log through the entire night, not waking once.
Overall, I found the Yantra Mat to be a wonderful tool to assist in reducing my stress levels, promoting increased relaxation, and helping me get some energizing and satisfying rest. My only question is, do I really have to give it back?
To experience relaxation like never before, head to www.yantraway.com and pick up one of these fabulous mats. They’re available in different sizes and colors starting at $49. The folks at Yantra are also offering an exclusive discount code to LVCMag readers as well – take advantage of it here!