The Swedish Spike Mat

After yesterday's morning yoga with Jonas I took savasana on a spike mat. I spent maybe half an hour on the mat, and this is the pattern from the spikes against my back:

My uncle's mat is developed in Sweden. Have a look at the official website. This version has remained quite unknown to most, despite the huge recent success of the so called Shakti mat. I cannot say which one is the better mat, but the version I tried feels more hardcore, with it's big spikes that you feel biting good into your skin. It doesn't really hurt that much, it's just that you feel it a lot. You can of course always make it more comfortable with a towel or a t-shirt between the mat and the skin – the important thing is that you get the effects.

So what are the effects? I felt relaxed after my session this morning, relaxed and content. This may be an effect of the supposedly increased production of endorphins and oxytocin. When you first lie on the mat you can feel the spikes a lot, but it only takes seconds before you start to feel the pain-easing effect of the endorphins.

I think that the spike mat is good for your health. Although it is perhaps not obvious why spike marks on your back would be a good thing, I think that just lying down to relax is a very beneficial practice. How often do we do that – lie down and spend 30 minutes relaxing, without falling asleep (or trying to)? On the spike mat you rest in a conscious state, which is a different experience.