Tag Archives: Wellness

I began lying on an acupressure mat and 1/2 bolster in late Dec ’23, for 20 minutes a day. Not for the faint hearted! When first laying down the sharp points are surprising and can be temporarily painful. However within minutes my back softened and the points no longer caused discomfort. The only time the points caused any temporary uncomfortable moments when lying on them was when shifting my weight. For example, bending my knees and standing my feet to put more pressure into the small of my back. I also raised my lower back and began putting bolster under neath for more pressure into shoulder blades and lower back. This mat is long enough to target the length of my spine beginning at the top of my shoulder blades and down to the bottom of my sacrum. With the 1/2 bolster I can apply the points to my neck. 

I began to use this acupressure mat to test it for softening the muscles along my vertebrae from my neck down through my sacrum. As a Feldenkrais® Practitioner (since 2007) I am all too well aware of the common restrictions causing limited mobility through contraction of the muscles and soft tissue along the spine, ribs and into the pelvis. This restricts flexibility and limberness. that ultimately can cause injury and pain. What I wasn’t expecting was the increase in blood circulation when lying down on these points. It was immediate and the whole area warmed up. I quickly recognized the value in warming the organs up as well in these areas. Read more below on the benefits I have noticed in just a few days.

Here is an affiliate link to the same acupressure mat on Amazon:

Noticeable benefits of lying on acupressure mat in a few short days

• Release of TMJ joints inn lower jaw with angling the 1/2 roller. This was unexpected and increased the benefits for me. I hold tension in my TMJ joints naturally and I could feel them let go and my jaw drop. Due to TMJ stress myself I have taught a workshop since 2007 on how to shift habitual patterns through the facial muscles, neck and shoulder muscles to lengthen and tonify them to increase the flexibility of the jaw. Feeling this deeper release was tremendously rewarding to experience. If for only this benefit I would recommend lying on an acupressure mat! Upcoming TMJ workshop in March ’24
• Increase in vitality the first day after lying on the mat for 20 minutes. There was an inner vitality that emerged motivating more activity throughout the day. Luckily I have chosen the morning to test it out.
• I have noticed a deeper quality in my sleep even through I have chosen to lay on the mat in the morning. The articles I have read mention an increase in sleep when lying on it at night. I am too active right to bed time to lay on it at this time, yet still seem to have the same benefits. 
• Each additional day I lay on the mat for twenty minutes I am noticing more benefits not immediately experienced. After a few days I began to notice a softening in my arm and leg muscles even though they are not on the mat. It seems to be coming from the ribs and vertebrae release. My fingers are more flexible and soft. The tightness around the bone has dissolved even through I haven’t actively focused upon functional movement patterns with them during this time. 
• Today I experienced increased points of energy release along my lower back, beginning in my sacrum. At the base of my sacram I sensed a release, a pulsation and warmth that immediately increased sensation in my lower extremities. I likened it to a release of a tight muscles or constriction blocking the energy in this region of the spine. 
• Generally overall I am experiencing a softening of tension through my whole body with increased sense of relaxation and wellbeing. 

For all these benefits I am experiencing I would recommend trying an accupressure mat. Yes it may be uncomfortable for the first few days, however, that quickly disappears and the benefits outweigh the initial discomfort. 

Here is an affiliate link to the same acupressure mat on Amazon:

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by Renee Lindstrom, GCFP @ Inside Awareness,  

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