Anyone who likes to travel or travels a lot for work knows that travel enriches the soul, but can also make the body very tired. To make your next trip a little more relaxing, we would like to give you a few tips today on how to relax on the plane and after a long day of traveling.
Finally, we let our customer Florian, a real Shakti fan who regularly carries the mat in his backpack when traveling, have his say.
Content
1. on the road with the Shakti Mat - the acupressure mat as a loyal travel companion
2. acupressure mat on the plane - tips for transportation & exercises
3. retreat feeling with acupressure after a day of traveling
4. resting with the acupressure mat in bed
5th Shakti Mat experience report - Florian about the mat while traveling
On the road with the Shakti Mat - The acupressure mat as a loyal travel companion
Once you've got used to relaxing with the acupressure mat at home, you won't want to do without it when traveling. You can either roll up the Shakti Mat as you have it at home and put it in a carrying bag or you can take out the padding and transport the mat folded up small in your rucksack or suitcase.
Acupressure mat on the plane - tips for transportation & exercises
Are you traveling by plane and want to take the acupressure mat with you in your hand luggage? Good idea! The Shakti Mat can travel with you on the plane without any problems and you can use it to relax wonderfully during a long flight. We have put together a few relaxation tips and exercises that will quickly provide you with relief from the typical sitting discomfort on a long-haul flight.
Exercise 1: Stimulate blood circulation in the feet
During a flight, it's easy for your legs to start tingling, numb or even ache from sitting for so long. Stagnant blood circulation makes for cold feet and you slide restlessly back and forth on your little seat without getting any better. At the latest, when you look at the clock and realize that the flight is still several hours away, the feeling becomes almost unbearable for some passengers.
The remedy here is to lay the mat on the floor in front of your own seat and simply place your feet on it with thin socks. Now you alternately put more pressure on the right foot, then again on the left foot, and also alternately load both sides, the heel and the toes within the sole of the foot. This creates a swaying movement of the feet that gently presses the sole of your foot onto the tips of the acupressure mat without too much pressure and stimulates a pleasant blood circulation. Ice feet are so quickly forgotten and the flight is fun again.
Exercise 2: Wake up your back
Due to the constant posture in the seat of the plane and the uncomfortable sleeping position that the lack of space forces you into, it is not uncommon for your back to react with severe tension and keep you in pain throughout the flight.
Do something good for your back and relax it every few hours by placing the mat between you and the seat. Of course, this relaxation only works if you're not overdressed - a thin long-sleeved shirt is a perfect choice.
If the pain has persistently settled in your upper back, you can also roll up the Shakti Mat and lean against it with your neck - tension that radiates into your back is often stuck right there.
Exercise 3: Release head tension
Dry air, stress and overtiredness sometimes cause unpleasant tension in the head during a flight, which seems to have a firm grip on our skull.
Here, too, there is a simple trick to deal with the problem: Fold the table up in the airplane. Hold the mat straight in front of you, with the tips pointing towards you. Now press the mat against the seat in front of you and press your head against the mat where you feel most comfortable.
This can be your forehead or the top of your skull if you pull your head slightly towards your chest. Your head now holds the mat with light pressure on the back of the front seat and you start to make gentle rocking movements back and forth so that the acupressure points massage your skull. You will soon notice how the feeling of pressure improves and cloud gazing becomes fun again.
Exercise 4: Ear massage
A simple ear massage with strong pressure can both relieve headaches and stimulate blood circulation in the ears in air-conditioned rooms, such as an airplane. To do this, first grasp both your earlobes firmly between your thumb and index finger and press firmly several times in succession. Then take your index fingers and massage around the entire ear with strong, stroking movements.
If your skin is already very dry from the air conditioning, a greasy cream - or simply a drop of olive oil from the salad on board - will work wonders during the massage.
Retreat feeling with acupressure after a day of traveling
At the end of a vacation day full of sightseeing, hiking, shopping or museum visits, you are often quite exhausted in addition to all the feelings of travel bliss. Tired feet hurt, calves cramp and your head is buzzing with exciting new impressions.
So that you can do something good for yourself before you go to sleep, we have put together a little guide to a mini-retreat that you can do yourself. Have fun taking part!
Exercise 1: Calf bites - two minutes
As soon as you get back to your room, tent or caravan, it's time to take off your shoes and sit down! This is how a great day's vacation usually ends. When the rest sets in after an exciting day, it's not uncommon for your calves to tweak and twitch.
Our calf-biting exercise works wonders: place the Shakti Mat crosswise in front of you on the floor or bed and place your calves on it so that your feet look over the back of the mat. You now sit with your legs stretched out and the acupressure mat presses firmly into your calves to loosen up the tense tissue.
If you want a little more, look for the so-called "three-mile point" (Ma36), which is said to have a strengthening effect on the immune system and helps to reduce symptoms of fatigue. The point is located four finger widths below the kneecap and one finger width outside the shinbone. Press this point firmly on both legs and concentrate on breathing deeply and evenly for about two minutes. This works best if you close your eyes.
Exercise 2: Hack pinch - 10 times per side
After the calves have been loosened up a bit, it's time to get to grips with the feet. Of course, only proverbially, because the exercise provides a pleasant relaxation, which gives great results especially just before bedtime and ensures a good night's sleep.
Place the Shakti Mat on the floor and position your feet so that only your heel and midfoot are on the mat, while your front foot rests on the floor. Now alternate the weight on each leg 10 times so that only one heel is pressed onto the acupressure mat with your full weight.
Exercise 3: Sea of Tranquillity (EG 17)
It's easy to catch a cold or a gastrointestinal infection while traveling. This is mainly due to the fact that our immune system is more challenged by the foreign environment. It is also often the case that we turn a blind eye to what we eat on vacation and our body has to work much harder to process everything it is given.
To give your immune system a boost on vacation, it is helpful to press firmly on acupressure point EG 17, which is traditionally referred to as the "sea of calm". You will find the point in the middle of your sternum, about three thumb widths above the point where you can feel the end of your sternum and the stomach begins.
Resting in bed with the acupressure mat
Of course, a retreat also includes resting, which is why we have of course planned a 10-minute resting phase on the Shakti Mat at the end of our short series of exercises.
Our tip: Put on an eye mask or eye pillow and simply rest your senses for a moment while the tips of the acupressure mat take care of your tense back all by themselves. Sounds wonderful? Believe us, it is, and it's not uncommon for someone to fall asleep during this last exercise.
Shakti Mat experience report - Florian about the mat while traveling
"I always like to have the mat with me on vacation because I like to lie comfortably on my back on the Shakti Mat after a day full of impressions in the hotel bed - first I take a cold shower and then relax on the spikes. I usually fall asleep straight away."
"Especially when I go hiking, the acupressure mat is a real treat for my feet. You can't imagine how good the first steps on the ground feel afterwards. When I go hiking, I take it with me without the padding so that it fits in my rucksack. Almost as if you hadn't worn hiking boots all day!"
"My tip to you is to put the mat in the washing machine straight after your trip, because it simply gets dirty more quickly on the road than at home. To wash it, I take out the padding and turn the Shakti Mat inside out. Put it on the wool wash program and it's sparkling clean again."
We find that acupressure when traveling is not only a real enrichment if you are already suffering from pain. Taking a little time for your own body every day prevents minor aches and pains from suddenly turning into full-blown problems and shows your body: I'm looking after you!
With these words, we would like to wish you safe and happy travels, dear ones. Send us a picture with your Shakti Mat on tour!
By the way: If you would like to discuss the topics of acupressure and acupressure mats when traveling, visit our Facebook group on acupressure mats.