30-days: Tuning-up Using the Shakti Acupressure Mat

Two tries to roll onto the mat. The sensation was different this time. The initial pain quickly dissipated into a prickly feeling. By now, it is familiar, and there is no discomfort.

I set a 30-minute timer before lying down, just in case 😉. The voice-led guided meditation is excellent. There is no reminder to lie down, to adjust yourself, and no prompt to get up. Instead, the instructor assumes you are building on previous lessons. This is a good teaching technique as it keeps you mindful of your previous experiences and trains students to build on what they have learned.

This is a journey you cannot take with other it is all very personal. The video instructor offers no congratulations for completing a lesson or making it thus far. Again, an excellent teaching technique; your reward is your own. 

During the session, I felt the spikes, and at this point, they are familiar and constant reminders that they are there, nothing more. I was calm and relaxed. The mental lessons gave me an outside perspective as I reviewed my day’s events. I will share my more specialized research findings exclusively on my Discord server. No charge to join.

Lessons learned and outcomes. 

• Focus and build upon previous physical and mental lessons. Build the skills internally to achieve this. No one can or will do it for you.
• The reward is the journey. Self-confidence built on your success versus the praise of others is a robust foundation to build upon. Savor it.
• A much looser and more relaxed body. The difference between before and after sessions is measurable.
• A deeper and more relaxed mental focus after the session.
• A continuing and pleasant journey.

Onward.

Someone on LinkedIn asked me about my experience and pain management. I had no outstanding pain. I feel looser, with a better range of motion and broader and deeper mental clarity.

The pricking sensation is there, and there is no discomfort. Letting go and relaxing on the mat enhances your experience and the benefits. For me, this was a combination of breathwork and mental discipline. It is very easy to fall into the trap of wanting to resist and tense up. Your most important asset is being ready to let yourself “fall” into the mat and relax.

The mat becomes a hub of your experience. Taking care of your body is holistic. Some thoughts on what else you might add to this practice.

• Make the practice a ritual. Something you do on a routine and consistent basis.
• Hydrate. It cannot be overstated. This article provides some guidelines.
• Diet. You know your needs and body best. I am vegetarian for ethical, environmental, and general health reasons. You should do what is right for you and with appropriate professional guidance. 
• Meditation and mindfulness. Simply being more aware of your impact on your surroundings and how they impact you is key to well-being. These are habits you can develop. I’m a big proponent of formal meditation practices. There is much mental clutter in everyone’s life. How you clear, organize, and manage it affects your quality of life. 
• I’ve incorporated all these things into my Shakti experience.
• Some experiences
• A higher degree of comfort and flexibility.
• Using mat time as a meditation supplement and focus.

Fyi, I’ll continue the daily updates until I have completed the 12 videos that come with the Shakti mat. 

After that, I’ll move to a weekly format until the end of the 30 days.

The physical outcomes from the mat manifest themselves in increased flexibility and a continuing warmth in movement. I feel like I do after kettlebell weight training and stretching. I am not saying this is a substitute for the training itself. 

I have the same feeling in my body. There is good progress after only six days, leading me to…

The videos continue to be very well done with excellent guided meditation. Day six’s video is a body scan meditation. It’s a mid to advanced technology that is used for pain and body awareness management. This is a technique I teach after meditation, students have more “clock time” doing the work. The video gives the basics of body scanning (“check in with your lower back”) and goes through 61 different points. The video doesn’t take you into any of the management techniques, and we’ll check back after each of the next six videos.

Have you reached day six? Leave your experience in the comments.

I’ll continue the daily (including the weekend) updates until I have completed the 12 videos that come with the Shakti mat; after that I’ll move to a weekly format until the end of the 30 days.

Onward.

I use the mat at the end of the day to test the benefits of sitting for eight hours with short breaks. The spikes on the mat continue to relieve my muscle tension and promote relaxation throughout the night and morning. 

Someone commented that laying on spikes for relaxation seems counter-intuitive. All massage involves mild to aggressive strategic pressure on the body or intrusion with acupuncture spikes. There is clinical evidence for pain management with those techniques. The amount of clinical and hard scientific evidence is limited for NSP (Needle Stimulation Pads). The research on NSP has much history but needs clinical research to provide evidence that supports some or all claims. This eleven-year-old study was one of the few scientific ones I found published on the National Library of Medicine website. Articles on media websites use meditation as a complement to the mat. 

The benefits are continuing looseness and flexibility throughout the day. I know when my back is tense and not.

These last six videos are techniques. I had hoped for a continuation of the body scan. Instead, it was a new breathing technique. While the instructor doesn’t call it chakral breathing, it is the same technique. You draw up breath through the body as you until you reach the heart and hold it there. 

Your focus is to instill a sense of peace and happiness through breathwork. This is a routine practice for me; it does the trick for my purposes. 

I’ll continue the daily (including the weekend) updates until I have completed the 12 videos that come with the Shakti mat; after that, I’ll move to a weekly format until the end of the 30 days.

Questions or want to share your experience privately? 

https://www.lawrenceilerner.com/contact 

Onward. 

By now, in your practice, the body is effortlessly warm and comfortable within a minute of lying down. I enjoy the sensations, and there is no recovery time after leaving the mat.

Today was a 13-minute lesson where most are in the 20-minute range. This technique is designed to provide a quick energizer. Your inhale is passive and gentle, and the exhalation is rapid and forceful. It is a pranayama (breath or life control) and is a core part of yoga practices. It is colorfully known as the “Breath of Fire.” Anecdotally there is evidence of the benefits with fewer clinical studies.  

You are always doing this on your mat, combining the techniques. I had no dizziness associated with hyperventilating because the in-breath is passive; this experience was pleasant and energizing. 

Another benefit of the mat is learning to listen more deeply to your body. I’ve found that I know where stress and internal and external forces are pressing on me from an internal and external perspective. Outside of needing to find a new leadership role, I am excellent. 

I’ll continue the daily (including the weekend) updates until I have completed the 12 videos that come with the Shakti mat; after that, I’ll move to a weekly format until the end of the 30 days.

Questions or want to share your experience privately? 

https://www.lawrenceilerner.com/contact 

Onward. 

 Today’s lesson clocks in at 49 minutes. The longest thus far is a series of yoga movements. I suggest watching the video beforehand if you are not a regular practitioner. This is the first video I recommend you see while doing the poses. I watched it a couple of times as I am new to yoga. 

The sensations are more intense since you’ll rest on your hands and apply additional pressure on your back with different leg positions. Listen to your body and know what feels right. The final pose has you put a mat under a pillow and complete a breathing exercise. I could have slept that way for hours. Instead, it was relaxing and energizing. As it happened, I got in quite late the night before; I did the exercise when I woke up. It’s the most energized I’ve felt. I will need to experiment and hold some of the variables constant. 

Video nine is highly recommended. More techniques to mix up your routines and see what is right for you. 

I’ll continue the daily (including the weekend) updates until I have completed the 12 videos that come with the Shakti mat; after that, I’ll move to a weekly format until the end of the 30 days.

Questions or want to share your experience privately? 

https://www.lawrenceilerner.com/contact 

Onward. 

Today’s video is a continuing series of targeted yoga poses. They are designed to relieve stress by using the mat on areas with a higher percentage of nerve endings. This includes hands and feet. As with the previous yoga poses, I suggest watching the video before the practices if you are not familiar with yoga poses.

I highly recommend putting these poses into a weekly routine. You will develop core strength, flexibility, and relaxation. The strengthening is worthwhile if it takes a few days, a week, or even a couple of weeks (folding arms down from a cross-leg position will require repetition, at least for me). 

For example, one pose has you lie on your belly on the mat; another has you stand on the mat.

Does it sound intense? It is. The sensations are the most intense since I started. Your mileage may vary. Are you hesitating? Are you considering putting it off? Or are you just going to “dive in?” Ask yourself, why is today different than Day One or Day Five? You have experienced the sensation, and you can step off. This is an excellent point to investigate why you might pause or hesitate. You have already accomplished much, and this is the next level. 

• You can decide for yourself. However, you are learning to listen more deeply to your body and confidence and have expanded your abilities. 
• Is there fear? Of what? If you have made it thus far, you know the spikes won’t harm you. Yes, the feelings are intense, but you have made significant progress. You build on your accomplishments, like adding more responsibility, a new process, or perhaps starting somewhere new. Continue to build trust in your accomplishments.  

If you’re reading my journey, the above is academic, but you’ve probably done some mental modeling.

Take a measured approach to this next set of practices. Make decisions based on your accomplishments and facts you know.  

If you have a journaling practice, now is a great check-in. See Journaling to start one.

I’ll continue the daily (including the weekend) updates until I have completed the 12 videos that come with the Shakti mat; after that, I’ll move to a weekly format until the end of the 30 days.

Questions or want to share your experience privately? https://www.lawrenceilerner.com/contact 

Onward. 

I’ll continue the daily (including the weekend) updates until I have completed the 12 videos that come with the Shakti mat; after that, I’ll move to a weekly format until the end of the 30 days.

As with the previous yoga videos, I suggest watching the video before the practices if you need to become more familiar with yoga poses. Today’s practice is flexibility and… intensity training. It will take practice for me to get into some of the twists and poses. Touching the floor with both hands is one thing; folding up and down through a twist is another. It is an excellent reminder that new practices can start anytime and at any age.

Putting both feet on the mat… Total weight and relaxing into a bend. The sensations on your feet are very intense. The instructor offers the option to wear socks. I’m working my way into the whole experience. I can stand on the mat for 30 seconds, adding the floor touch and head hang to intensify the sensations more than I can muster. The benefit is significantly increased circulation in my feet. 

There is a similar belly pose. I can hold that for the entire time of the pose.

The videos are a toolkit with the mat as the foundation of learning. The instructor shares what each pose is meant to do and how it will benefit you. How you learn, use the pose now and in the future, and the mat is up to you. 

A toolkit sounds very utilitarian, so let’s call it a recipe book instead. As it happens, I love to cook. As a vegetarian, it’s doubly important for me to create variety in my meals. I like spice, bright colors, and flavors, but most of all, I enjoy learning techniques. So when I buy a recipe book, I look for techniques and styles of cooking. Long-time Chicago chef Rick Bayless calls this; riffs on recipes. The mat is the same; I’ve learned a baseline set of techniques (a master sauce, if you will), poses and exercises, and the enjoyment of the mental discipline involved. The overall goal of the 30 days is to gain new disciplines with the Shakti mat.

Thus prepared, post day-12, I will use the techniques to develop my recipes, especially for meditation, as my instructor has directed. I will share those stories as they develop during the 30 days.

Would you share your story if you have chronic or temporary pain and use the mat? It would be good to understand how it helps. 

If you have a journaling practice, now is a great check-in. See https://bit.ly/3lg85o4 to start one.

Questions or want to share your experience privately? 

https://www.lawrenceilerner.com/contact 

Onward. 

As with the previous yoga videos, I suggest watching the video beforehand. This is an excellent set of energizing poses for just after you wake.

Today’s practice starts with mat-less yoga poses, and the instructor says, "We're going to do a sun salutation." For the #Thelemites and Pagans in the audience, I was sure she would recite Resh.

The video goes quickly into the poses building on previous lessons. The highlights are extended poses with both feet (listen to your body) and on the belly. They are highly energizing and intense. The poses unlock much-undiscovered tension. It is worth your time to build up and complete the practice.

Lying on the mat for the final pose is entirely familiar and relaxing.

Recapping some of the effects of using the mat

• Overall, my body has looseness, like the after-effects of a massage. This is present every day.
• I’m more mindful of my posture.
• Different practices are better for other times or situations. For example, intense breath work and a basic resting posture on the mat ease tension and prepare for sleep. In addition, intense breathwork is an energizer and promotes mental clarity.
• Mindfulness is improved as one learns to listen more deeply to what the body is saying. If you think, “That’s because you are lying on a bed of nails!” These practices open the senses and teach you to manage and control your responses. The world is not always warm, comfortable blankets. If, after day three, all you feel is pain, I suggest setting the mat aside for a couple of weeks.
• I am thoroughly impressed with the quality of the videos and training. I’ve enjoyed them enough to explore in-person yoga practices.

Over the next three weeks, I will expand my meditation practices and move to a seven-day posting cycle. I will post again on March 18th (day 14), March 25th (day 21), and April 3rd (day 30). 

Today is day 14. I am integrating my personal meditation practices with the mat starting Day 13. 

I used the mat with the pillow and a 35-minute meditation. The meditation practice is called stillness. The primary difference is that no voice or instruction guides you through the period of contemplation. You are responsible for managing your thoughts, body, and where you direct your energies. The object is not quieting the mind or erasing thoughts but learning to work through the mental clutter without shutting it down. I’ll continue to unpack the practices over the next two weeks.

The effects of these two days have not been markedly different. Over the last two weeks, I’ve noted less dryness in my skin. Normally I alternate between oily and dry, itchy skin, especially on my back. Likely the result of sitting all day. I’ve noticed a decline and will continue to track it. 

As noted, I’ve moved to every seven-day-ish cycle. I will post again on March 25th (day 21) and April 3rd (day 30). 

Have you started your practice with a Shakti or other needle pressure mat? Are you interested in joining a discussion group on LinkedIn or Discord? 

Let me know.

Onward.

Today is day 21. I am integrating my personal meditation practices with the mat starting Day 13. I used the mat with the pillow and a 35-minute meditation. The meditation practice is called stillness. The primary difference is that no voice or instruction guides you through the period of contemplation. You are responsible for managing your thoughts, body, and where you direct your energies. The object is not quieting the mind or erasing thoughts but learning to work through the mental clutter without shutting it down. 

The mat is now a valued tool in my self-care routine. I do a daily 35-minute meditation on my back. I experiment with yoga and qigong practices with different poses for physical relief on my feet, hands, and belly. I vary the times of day at which I use the mat. I am tuning into what works better for different areas.

The Physical

I get the same feeling as I do after I break through a level in my workout routines. I feel… better, lighter, and looser with greater flexibility. The number of joint pops and cracks during my morning workout is reduced. It’s an advantageous set of feelings. My arms and feet get a buzz [not literal] from the spikes. The enhanced circulation is warming, and overall feels great.

After three weeks, I can roll down onto the mat, and the feeling of the spikes fades into the background within a few minutes. Mat time is usually before bed, but I have done a few days around noon and early morning. It’s an invigorating way to start the day.

Knowing the spikes do not inflict any damage makes it easy to try new poses. Adding more weight does increase the initial sensation, but it fades. If you knew an experience wouldn’t injure you, how would it change your approach going into it?

The Mental

All around sharper focus on my body. While there is no pain, I am more mindful of doing good things for myself. I spend too much time sitting and not moving during the day. The mat is a good reminder.

Meditation and trance states are deeper and more regenerative. It enhances my Cognitive Hardiness. CH is research from psychologist Suzanne Kobasa in the early ‘80s related to how leaders deal with stress. You can read more here. I strongly recommend adding a meditation practice with or without using the Shakti mat.

Remember to drink your water! The final post is scheduled for April 3rd (day 30). 

Have you started your practice with a Shakti or other needle pressure mat? Are you interested in joining a discussion group on LinkedIn or Discord? 

Let me know.

Onward.

Today is day 30 and my final post in this series.

The mat is a valued tool in my self-care routine. I do a daily 35-minute meditation on my back. In addition, I experiment with yoga and qigong practices with different poses for physical relief on my feet, hands, and belly. 

Me Time

The key takeaway from the 30 days is-- the mat forces me to take a break. While on the mat, I cannot, or at least I do not look at my phone, multi-task, or get distracted from “me” time. It requires me to get up, set up the mat, and do something different. I can do that even when meditating or making tea without moving from my desk. The mat is a complete break from doing anything, not for me. 

The Physical

As previously documented, I get the same feeling after breaking through a level in my workout routines. I feel… better, lighter, and looser with greater flexibility. The number of joint pops and cracks during my morning workout is reduced. It’s an advantageous set of feelings. My arms and feet get a buzz [not literal] from the spikes. The enhanced circulation is warming, and overall feels great.

Physically I plateaued around 21 days. It isn’t more to learn beyond new yoga or shifting weight poses. I know how to relieve stress and fatigue in my body through the use of the mat. These will be ongoing practices.

Knowing the spikes do not inflict any damage makes it easy to try new poses. Adding more weight does increase the initial sensation, but it fades. If you knew an experience wouldn’t injure you, how would it change your approach going into it?

The Mental

All around sharper focus on my body. While there is no pain, I am more mindful of doing good things for myself. It reminds me that I spend too much time sitting during the day. The mat is an excellent reminder to do more moving around. 

Meditation and trance states are deeper and more regenerative. The meditation pointed me in new directions. One outcome is that I am starting a weekly “letter.” I may vary the recipient, but they are meant to be public. The first letter was feedback and advice to 23-year-old Lawrence. This one, however, will not be public.

There is more to explore, and as someone noted, I curate my content for the different places I syndicate it. So, if you know, you know. 

Wrap up

Remember to drink your water! 

Trying new things, whether they become long-time habits or are discarded, provides valuable lessons. How often do you start something new and work it to a logical conclusion?

Have you started your practice with a Shakti or other needle pressure mat? Are you interested in joining a discussion group on LinkedIn or Discord? Let me know.

Thank you for staying with me through the 30 days. If you or your team could benefit from this level of commitment, thoroughness, or a different way of thinking, contact me at https://www.lawrenceilerner.com/contact

Onward.