Hopefully this will be a less contentious post than my previous….. 😬
I have been practicing meditation for a year and now make it a daily habit. It has really helped with managing stress and to break the cycle of ‘anxiety can trigger SVT, but I have anxiety because I worry about SVT’ etc Along with medication and diet and lifestyle my blood pressure is now settled at circa 110/75. I use meditative breathing, mantras and also use the Calm app and free videos on YouTube.
Before I start I want to add that like anything new you should check with your GP or Cardiologist or Practice Nurse. I suffer from SVT (occasional racing heart rate) which is very well controlled with medication - basically it’s an electrical arrhythmia with no physical heart disease.
Before starting to use the Shakti mat I read the accompanying leaflet that said not to use if you have Cardiovascular issues. I did check in with my cardiologist and also the British Heart Foundation (BHF) Nurse helpline and they both said it was absolutely fine for me with my condition and my medication, to use the mat.
If you are on blood thinners (im not) you may want to check first due to the risk of bruising.
Anyway onto my review of the first time on the mat (I’ve since used it every day for 4 days).
Tried it…….and LOVED it!!
Took 2-3 minutes at the beginning to breathe through it and settle my full weight. The only way to first describe it is PAIN - those spikes are sharp but they don’t puncture the skin. Then I felt warmth and then genuinely felt wonderful and a feeling of bliss and didn’t want to get up. I wish I’d done the first video on the app….but I thought I’d only manage a couple of minutes! I also wish I’d tried the pillow, but I genuinely thought I’d be too consumed with discomfort to try the mat and pillow at the same time.
Skipped trying it on the bed and went for the floor with a yoga mat in front of the stove. I was there for 30 minutes and felt I could have gone much longer.
Google Shakti mat and the algorithm will do the rest and your Facebook feed will pop up with offers LOL. They currently have 20% off.
Hope this helps a few folks. If you don’t like them, or for medical reasons can’t use them please don’t come gunning for me. Perhaps just scroll on by…..
Best wishes
Jezza