Vila may be the coolest Swedish invention since ABBA! ;) I had been hearing a lot about acupressure mats lately, so I was interested in trying one out for myself. What is an acupressure mat? It applies the the Swedish practice of healing and relaxation through acupressure, similar to acupuncture, except no needles, just pressure applied by safe and hygienic ABS plastic "crowns'. To use the mat, you lay back on it, so that your back and neck/shoulders are resting on top of it. You are supposed to do this topless, but you can lay a thin sheet or shirt over the top if the sensation is too intense for you. I was thinking that it would probably hurt, but honestly it only feels pokey for a moment of two, then quite warm and relaxing. You can lay back for 10-20 minutes to more if you'd like. The warm sensation is the natural flow of blood through the body as is releases endorphins (the body's natural happy!) and increases circulation and blood flow. It's good for relaxing, and can even help those with back or head pain. You can even stand on the mat to feel the same sensations on your feet.
I've been using this mat pretty regularly, and most times I get so comfy on it that I nearly fall asleep. I can go longer than 20 minutes now. When you get up, your back will be red-pink in color and will probably show some pokes from laying on top of the crown, but thats normal and the color and poke marks will fade within a few minutes of getting off of the mat. You can check out a tutorial of how the mat works here.
You can check out the Vila Acupressure Mat at VilaNow.com, the mat comes in a gray or blue color and it costs $40 which includes shipping!
