I was so intrigued by this Pranamat gift I got in the mail I had to Stop Drop And Yoga to Strike A Pose or two - although as you know I am prone to SDY anywhere any time. If you want one yourself, you can easily get it.  I am not just a junkie for Yoga Props - especially aesthetically pleasing ones like this. As a holistic midwife and yoga teacher, I love drawing on a variety of modalities to help mamas. Holistic means treating the whole person, using complimentary, alternative, and sometimes even conventional remedies (ideally as last resort) to help prevent or heal health issues, 'dis ease' and illness. This is an eco-friendly, all natural , therapeutic massage mat (made from 100% linen, undyed cotton and coconut fiber! (I liked it already!), in a soft turquoise, with prickly lotus flowers, that uses the ancient and modern principles of yoga, MindBody medicine and massage therapy to promote relaxation, decreased muscle tension, enhance flexibility and treat minor aches and pains. My curiosity lead me to follow the guidelines in the instruction manual and report back my experience.

“Everything is hard before it is easy.” ~ Goethe. I knew this Pranamat was sent to me to try out and post my honest reviews over the course of a month on social media and write a blog about it. Well whoa! The spikes on the lotus flowers are sharper than they look - just warning you. But that did not phase me as I have done and love acupuncture and all sorts of deep tissue massage, I know good pain and it’s my friend. It felt irritating and uncomfortable at first, but not at all unbearable - just wear a layer of clothing and gently place yourself down on it. But the yogi in me knows to get comfortable with feeling uncomfortable, it is just sensations - nothing to fear, and when I allow it to be, surrender, let go and breathe into it, or focus on parts of my body where there is no sensation, the discomfort lessens and even goes away. And that is what happened! Not only does the feeling of lying on what feels like a yoga bed of nails resolves, it morphs into a pleasant warmth, and a sense of energy currents. So it takes some getting used to, but I am now liking to experiment with this pranamat. My favorite thing to do so far is just lay there on it outside on beautiful day, and use it to cultivate a sweet inner calm. It was my daily massage therapy and relaxation time. I highly recommend this new best friend of mine. And they come in pillow size! To purchase the Pranamat or Pranapillow, go to https://pranamat.com/ but do enjoy exploring the various colors they come in.

I just enjoyed incorporating it into my busy day, my time to be unplugged, rest and recharge...and why not sometimes outside on the warm flat driveway or front yard when the weather is nice? It's especially good for those whose lives are hectic, fast paced, over scheduled and stressful, and require more and more time on the iPhone and computer; this combination of constant hyper stimulating sensory overload, and increased tension and stress is lethal. I am now used to the sharp lotus flowers's on it that stimulate acupuncture energy meridians in the body, and lying on it for 20 minutes induces a delicious relaxation. Whether it's the ancient Chinese medicine or guarding Me Time to unwind, breathe and just focus on the prickly warm sensations of the mat's lotus flowers - all I know is it just feels good, and gives me a glorious sense of wellbeing - even on the driveway or grass of all places. 

Get your Pranamat or your Pranapillow