If you keep up with our vlogs you would have seen the team get behind Wellness Month. We have yet again decided to get out of our comfort zones to try a ‘modern-day bed of nails’ and mindfulness meditation.
Acupressure
“It forces me into a meditative state and I’ll often fall asleep on it.”
Acupressure combines an ancient healing practice with modern technology to create an unmatched and unique experience, which helps stimulate the body’s natural healing process.
“I’ve been using acupressure for over 6 months now and am loving it! After getting over the initial discomfort felt in the first few days I can now lie on it for 20-30 mins at a time with relative ease. I lie on the Shakti mat before bed to de-stress and relax my body, I find it forces me into a meditative state and I’ll often fall asleep on it. I also suffer from headaches and, in my personal experience, have found acupressure provides a really good release up through the back of the neck and will cause the pain/tension to dissipate.” — Brassy, Head of Creative
Acupressure has been used to help to achieve relaxation for over 5,000 years by applying thousands of sharp spikes to the body's skin to help stimulate and release endorphins. The Shakti mat assists in relaxation, supporting a restful sleep, stress, mental clarity, increased energy and well-being. The first 1-2 minutes might be excruciatingly painful, but like the Ice Bath, it’s all a mental game. The result is a deep sensation of peace leaving your mind and body in a greater state of well-being.
Although, these aren’t for the faint of heart. Laying down is just as painful as trying to peel your bare back off the thousands of tiny spikes lodged into your spine. However, the relief is almost euphoric!
Acupressure Benefits:
- Prompts your body to produce powerful pain-reducing and anti-inflammatory hormones, such as endorphins.
- Releases the muscle tension and spasms that are often the cause of back pain, migraines and restricted blood flow.
- Promotes blood circulation.
- Reduces stress.
- Relaxed body and mind.
- Blocks the pain messages from reaching the central nervous system.
Meditation
“It allows me to approach my day from a state of stillness rather than stress.”
In conjunction with experiencing extreme pain, we decided to slow things down and practise daily meditation on our own time. For some, this meant practising it upon rising, while for other team members it was a way to unwind and relax the mind before bed. To really take full advantage of mindfulness meditation we created a Meditation Chart to help keep the team accountable, which is more difficult than it seems.
Studies show that mindfulness meditation has a boasting list of impressive health benefits that can help calm feelings of stress, anxiety, depression, aid your sleep cycle, improve self-esteem and self-awareness, and increase cognitive function.
“Meditation for me personally is actually a huge challenge. I struggle to sit still as I always feel like I need to be doing something, BUT this is also the exact reason I need it! I am a stress head and mediation for me, is stress management. Learning to actually chill out and not feel the need to be go go go all the damn time.” — Scarlett, Head of Brand Partnerships
Mindfulness meditation assists in training your mind to focus on the present, preventing rumination of anxious thoughts that can fuel depression and stress. It is a holistic approach to achieving overall health and wellness of the mind, body and soul.
“For me, meditation is more about the long term, I used to try and use it as a ‘fix’ when I was stressed or had a lot going on but found the real benefits came with consistency. It’s a practice that takes a lot of time to get comfortable with and can be incredibly challenging for the mind. I’ve found my best sessions have always been when I am practising meditation on a daily basis. It allows me to approach my day from a state of stillness rather than stress.”
— Strath, Graphic Designer
Watch our Wellness Month Week 1 Vlog on Youtube.