This Acupressure Mat Helps Relieve My Mind & Body (& It's Saving Me A Ton Of Money)

I was hooked on acupuncture from the first time I tried it. Since then I've had close to 100 appointments, and each one proves itself worth the price. Still, when I found out there was a way to get similar results from home, my interest was piqued.

Turns out, WTHN's Acupressure Mat Set went viral on TikTok for a reason. After purchasing the mat about a year ago, it quickly became one of my most prized possessions.

My favorite thing about the WTHN acupressure mat is that it relaxes both my body and my mind. I recently ran my fourth World Major Marathon, and I relied heavily on the mat in the weeks before and after the race, when my nerves were at an all-time high and my muscles were feeling particularly sore.

Erin Weber, P.T., DBT, a physical therapist at Flow Physiotherapy in Brooklyn, recently told mindbodygreen that the pressure of and acupressure mat can release feel-good hormones like serotonin1, activating the body's parasympathetic (rest and digest) response. "There's enough pressure on the muscle fibers to release tension but also to really calm down the nervous system,” she explained.

I looked at other acupressure mats before landing on the set from WTHN, but most came with just the mat itself. I love that WTHN's set comes with a mat, pillow, and a carrying case that makes it super easy to bring with me on the go.

To use the WTHN mat set, I simply unroll it from the travel case and follow the included how-to guide to target specific body parts. There are routines for back pain, neck pain, feelings of restlessness or stress, deeper sleep, or an anergy boost.

I'm sure your biggest concern is whether acupressure mats are painful, and honestly they're really not. That said, the spikes are sharp! You'll feel it as you're positioning yourself and settling in, but it's truly the best kind of pain because it leads to so much relief.

Studies show aches and pains have become incredibly apparent over the last several years2 since the transition to a work-from-home setup, so it’s no surprise that people are exploring new ways to ease their sitting-induced woes.

While it may seem counterintuitive that a mat full of sharp spikes would relieve back pain, that’s precisely what an acupressure mat (also known as a Shakti mat) aims to do. Exactly what it sounds like, acupressure matts are mats with spikes (made from plastic) meant to activate certain points on your body to soothe pain, promote relaxation, and improve sleep.