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Mat Blocks
The healing tips of a spike mat
Ever heard of a spike mat? Nor had I. Sounded a bit scary. And in fact it's actually based on the original ‘bed of nails'. Only, of course, there are no nails any more, they're more like tips. Soft and rounded. And the idea is, as you lie back on them, these tips work like acupressure on the acu points down your back.
What does that do for you? It provides a non-invasive kind of acupuncture and reflexology, which delivers a whole bunch of benefits, from deep relaxation to pain relief in back, neck and shoulders.
A friend recommended I try one for a chronic shoulder problem. Plus I wasn't sleeping so well, and it helped with both.
The mat I bought from Mysa is about the size of a mat you might have in your bathroom and consists of a soft pad of about 75 x45 cm, coated with a total of 210 special tips.
These ‘healing tips' are placed along the mat so that, when you lie on them, they gently impose the right degree of pressure to stimulate the energy lines and body meridians.
How does the MYSA mat work?
The specially designed healing tips that cover the Mysa mat stimulate the nervous system, which sends impulses to the spine and the brain. These stimuli activate the production of endorphins and oxytocin. Those are the good guys. So you definitely want more of those.
Endorphins, our ‘happy hormones', block pain receptors and in turn produce a sense of wellbeing. The hormone oxytocin produces a deep sense of calm, which can make you feel a bit drowsy – this too is helping to relieve stress, fatigue and sleep problems.
The mat also stimulates blood and lymphatic circulation, boosting oxygen supply to muscles and organs, improving circulation and skin health.
In the first 2 to 3 minutes it wasn't all that comfortable, the first time I tried it. (They warn you of that). But after a few minutes, you start to relax and, from there, it goes deeper and deeper. After about 30-40 minutes you feel deeply relaxed and energised. It's kinda weird. But good weird, if you know what I mean. Energised.
The spike mat can help treat: back, shoulder and neck problems, insomnia, headaches and stress.
If you use it regularly enough, the mat helps to loosen tight and ‘iron out' anomalies in the vertebrae, reducing irritation of nerves in the spinal area and outwards.
You can buy these mats from various retailers, but I went for the Swedish one, Mysa, mainly because of reviews and my very good experience with Tempur.
And when you think the cost of buying a spike mat is about the same or even less than the cost of a single massage, it's got to be a good investment. You just roll it out and lie down. I'm recommending it to my sister-in-law who works part time and keeps putting her back out. She also needs to lose weight, but that's another story;)
About the Author
Nicholas Penrake is a senior copywriter, freelancing at London ad agencies. He is also an online entrepreneur/mentor, working with YourNetBiz and an affiliate marketer. Nic is a published novelist - 'Sisi & Sonia' - produced playwright, scriptwriter and writer director of film.
Introducing Yoga Block