How to use
Using your Shakti Acupressure Products
Lying down on Shakti spikes activates hundreds of acupoints to promote circulation, release tension, and naturally restore the energy that flows within you. It’s a sensation to start, but after 5-10 minutes the tingle turns into a soft warmth that brings a meditative state with it. We call it Shakti bliss. Skin-to-spike contact lets the spikes work their best, and focusing on your breath will help you sink to relaxation sooner. Yoga can be incorporated into your practice with poses like bridge, pigeon, cobra, and sphinx encouraging a deeper, targeted release.
The Shakti Mat
The most popular way to use The Shakti Mat is by lying down. Make sure your neck, shoulders, and back are in contact with the spikes. Other areas include the back of your legs, and your feet if you’re feeling brave.
- Start with a space you can lie down and remain undisturbed in. The floor is great, otherwise the softness of your bed will ensure maximum contact.
- Lie down slowly to evenly distribute your weight. Then take a deep breath, exhale, and let the spikes work their magic.
- 20 minutes is the average time it takes to find Shakti bliss, but you can start slow or go further if you’re up for it.
- Set a timer if the real world needs you back, or tune into relaxing audio in the free Shakti Shala app.
The Shakti Pillow
Think of The Shakti Pillow as an extension of your Shakti Mat. The most popular way to use it is on your neck at the top of your Mat, but its curves can also target yours – naturally tucking into your lower back, feet, and legs.
- Start by using The Pillow under the curve of your neck while in bed or on the sofa. Place it against a bed pillow to achieve the perfect angle while you relax or read.
- Melting tension usually takes around 10 minutes but everyone is different. More tension and tightness = more time to release. It also makes the payoff that much more rewarding.
The Shakti Headband
Unlike The Mat and Pillow, The Headband works best with subtle pressure. It doesn’t need to be strapped tightly to activate the acupoints around your head.
- Simply wrap The Headband lightly whenever your mind feels tension coming on. It’s long enough to cover all the key acupoints – especially around your temples.
- Leave it on for 15-50 minutes at a time while you relax – however relaxation looks for you. You could be in bed, on the couch, or on a Shakti Mat.
- It’s not all about relaxing though. You can keep it by your WFH workspace to help with focus and deep thinking, too.
Acupressure pro tips
These are just some of the most popular ways to Shakti, but there really are no limits. Simply pick a tense or tired area and go.
The first time on a new area can feel sensitive, but your body will adjust to the sensation over time.
If it feels too much in the beginning, a pillowcase or light clothing is all you need to minimise the pressure.
Some areas will only need a few minutes of application. Others, like your back, may need more time.
Areas that hurt the most can often need the most relief. It can be a reflection of excess tension stored in the area.
The first time on a new area can feel sensitive, but your body will adjust to the sensation over time.
If it feels too much in the beginning, a pillowcase or light clothing is all you need to minimise the pressure.
Some areas will only need a few minutes of application. Others, like your back, may need more time.
Areas that hurt the most can often need the most relief. It can be a reflection of excess tension stored in the area.
More questions? Refer to our FAQs page
Using your Shakti Weighted Products
Pressure isn’t just for diamonds. It’s a tool you can use to naturally stimulate your nervous system to your advantage. A simple hug can increase the production of serotonin (happy hormones), increase melatonin levels (sleep aid), and reduce cortisol (stress/anxiety). It’s through these principles that the Pressure Collection came to be. When used with The Shakti Mat, the pressure from the acu-spikes pushes up into the skin, while a soothing weighted pressure, pushes down. The result? Positive hormones aplenty, energy flowing like you wouldn’t believe, and a cocoon-like experience that you won’t want to get out of.
The Shakti Eye Pillow
Shakti Eye Pillows block out the world, and then some. They’re weighted to perfection with natural clay beads that soothe both of your temples and everything in between, so you can drift off into your meditative state.
- The Eye Pillow is perfect for screen-strained eyes, and for deepening your Shakti, savasana, or meditation practice.
- Keep it by your bedside or cool it in the freezer for an extra soothing sensation. 5 minutes is all you need to quickly wind down.
- Pro tip: place your Eye Pillow in a container if you’re storing it in the freezer – just so it doesn’t come out smelling like your frozen kale.
The Shakti Weighted Wrap
If the Weighted Wrap could write a book, it would probably be called “101 ways you can use me”. Think of all the ways you use a traditional wheat bag, but then add the fact that this one doesn’t smell, it’s bigger, and it fits perfectly inside any Shakti Mat. Perfect for bringing heat into your practice. Just make sure to heat it safely.
- Use it solo for heat therapy over achy shoulders and tight spines.
- Relax under its soothing pressure wherever tension manifests.
- Some of our favourite uses include draping it over tight shoulders at standing desks, and rolling it into a bolster that sits under your Shakti Mat to target hard-to-reach curves.
More questions? Refer to our FAQs page
Introduction
Learn how to target every part of your body with acupressure in this 5-part tutorial series led by international yoga teacher, Nico.
Over 5 tutorials Nico will guide you through body-specific ways to Shakti for quick and easy relief. Spread the tutorials out over a handful of days, a couple of weeks, or dive straight in.
Tutorial 1: Back
Get started with the most popular way to Shakti – targeting your back. Learn which surface is best, how to get on and off your Mat, the ideal duration for lying on your Mat, as well as tips for getting through the initial discomfort.
Tutorial 2: Legs
Your legs are an incredibly active muscle area, so it shouldn't be a surprise when they feel tension or tiredness. Learn simple and effective acupressure techniques to support healthy circulation in your calves and hamstrings.
Tutorial 3: Neck & Shoulders
Screen-time is a huge contributor to poor posture and upper-body tension, so this video highlights how you can use The Shakti Mat and Pillow to maximise your downtime and get back to your best.
Tutorial 4: Hands & Arms
Your hands and wrists depend on healthy circulation for everyday tasks, making acupressure an essential in any wellbeing toolkit. In this video, Nico guides you through specific techniques to combat tension from sports or constant typing and clicking on your computer.
Tutorial 5: Abdomen
Is intensive exercise or physical tension causing belly discomfort? Learn how to naturally soothe the areas between your lower abdomen and hips by targeting specific acupressure points.
Looking for more?
Shakti Shala is your one-stop shop for everything acupressure. The world’s first acupressure mat app is home to more acupressure tips, Shakti yoga classes, and guided relaxations for deeper and more restorative Shakti experiences.
Discover how to use the power of acupressure to your advantage, and build a lasting habit with your Mat today.
