March 31, 2025 is our birthday! A birthday is not only an occasion to celebrate, but also a day to pause and enjoy. So it's a good time to take a look back at the past and the origins of Shakti Mat. Because this year, our brand is celebrating its 18th birthday.
As we look back on the last 18 years, we are full of anticipation for what is to come. We are ready to continue to grow, break new ground and inspire even more people with the power of acupressure. Because one thing is certain: the original remains the original - and we have only just begun.
Let's go on a journey together through the history of Shakti - from the first hand-sewn mats to international expansion. Immerse yourself with us in the fascination of acupressure, the magic of craftsmanship and the tireless spirit that drives us.
Content
1. 2007 - the year it all began
3rd product launch at the health fair in Stockholm
4. the emergence of the Gratitude Factory in Varanasi
5th acupressure world record with 3,000 people
6 Shakti - the feminine elemental force
7. 18 years later: Shakti conquers the world
2007 - the year it all began
Our journey began 18 years ago with a simple but revolutionary idea: an acupressure mat made according to traditional Indian craftsmanship that brings well-being into every home. But from the beginning, Shakti was more than just a mat - it was a vision. A vision of deep relaxation, sustainable production and the empowerment of women.
Back then, we started with 500 mats - handmade in India, inspired by millennia-old healing traditions. What began as a small project quickly became a movement. Today, Shakti Mat is the original and has been unrivaled in quality, sustainability and effectiveness since 2007. Our community is growing every day - thanks to you who share and live our mission.
Interview with the founders
So how did this mother and son team from Sweden come up with the idea of a more balanced humanity through the power of acupressure? It sounds like there could be a good story behind it. That's why we spoke directly to Nadine (in Sweden) and Om (in India) to find out more about the story of Shakti Mat.
Hey Nadine, as we've heard, you've always been an entrepreneur, even before your time with Shakti Mat?
Nadine: Yes, I've always tried lots of things. We had a bee farm for 20 years. In addition to honey production, I made and sold various creams from beeswax for people and animals. I ran this company alongside Shakti for a long time. It's not a big deal to start with something you really believe in. What counts is the right feeling and that you are on fire for the cause.
Om, can you tell us more about the beginnings of Shakti Mat?
Om: I went to circus school in Moscow. It was exhausting for my body and I developed problems with my back. This brought me into contact with massage therapy, I went to the Swedish massage school in Stockholm and became a therapist myself.
At the age of 21, after traveling extensively in India, I went to the Himalayas to study as a monk. That's when I discovered my passion for Ayurvedic healing and was fascinated by the traditional bed of nails. Even then I knew that this work with the acupressure mats was something I really wanted to do.
I wanted to rediscover this healing method and developed Shakti Mat as a result. For this I used an ancient Indian knowledge called Jyotish-Shastra, the Vedic astrology. Through my research, I learned all about the exact measurements of the mat, how many needles should be on a mat and how many disks the needles should be distributed on.
I spent many years in the Himalayas practicing mysticism, yoga and meditation, and I still live here today. These experiences helped me to realize that nothing is complete until all our fellow human beings can experience life as profound happiness.
To serve this realization, I dedicated myself to creating the modern bed of nails using ancient Indian knowledge and Vedic science written down thousands of years ago. The result of this work was the Shakti Mat.
After training as a massage therapist, Om went to the Himalayas at the age of 21 to live as a monk
If you would like to read more about how you can treat back pain naturally with acupressure, we also have an article for you.
How did you get started with everything?
Nadine: In 2007, Om found our first partner in India and I gave him the financial start-up support to produce the first mats. We produced 500 mats in this first phase.
Here in Sweden we live in the countryside where all our mail and parcels arrived at a small village store. I remember when suddenly a huge number of these big Indian parcels arrived, all sewn in white fabric. It was like some kind of movie and all the neighbors knew something unusual was going on when these 40 huge packages arrived. I had to take them home in my car, two at a time.
Product launch at the health fair in Stockholm
As far as I know, 2007 was the first time that the Shakti Mat was presented at a trade fair. How did people react?
Nadine: Yes, we presented the Shakti Mat to the public for the first time on March 31, 2007 at the "Harmony Expo" - a health fair in Stockholm. I was already selling my creams everywhere, so I simply combined the two on one stand at the health fair.
Of course, you have to talk a lot to promote a product. We also had a small area at the stand where people could test the Shakti Mat. As a result, people were always lying on the mats at our stand and many others became curious. I myself was on fire for the product and told everyone how fantastic it was. At that first expo, we got a lot of people curious, sold a lot of mats and also found some of our first retailers.
During the summer we got help from Om's brother Peter - he went to many markets and yoga events to promote the Shakti Mat. I also went to various fairs. In those first few months I took the Shakti Mat to big health fairs in Sweden, Norway and Finland. It was a real family effort.
By the end of that first summer, we had sold our entire first shipment and already had to produce more mats. It can be a real challenge to produce in India and transport everything from there. It was very hard work and went very quickly, but everything went smoothly. We were in a flow!
The emergence of the Gratitude Factory in Varanasi
Can you tell us how Gratitude Factory came to be in India?
Om: After that first year, we decided that we had to start our own production. So my brother Peter joined me in India. Our aim was to find a place to build a factory in Varanasi. Why Varanasi? Well, Varanasi is the holiest city in India and the history of this place goes back thousands and thousands of years.
Editor's note: Every year, thousands of devout Hindus make the pilgrimage to the holy city to perform ritual ablutions and other religious rituals. For many Hindus, the highest goal in life is to die in Varanasi and be buried in the holy Ganges. The ashes are then scattered in the sacred river.
We arrived by train from Delhi and soon met with a tailor named Ram, from whom we had previously bought clothes. Ram told us that he had just bought a large piece of land with a ruin outside Varanasi. After inspecting everything, we agreed that we would build the Shakti factory here.
There is nothing left of the old ruins from back then - the Gratitude Factory is now a place full of life
Nadine: Om had always been interested in architecture and before building the Gratitude Factory he studied the traditional principles of "Vastu Shastra", the origin of Feng Shui. He used these concepts to design the factory.
Editor's note: Here, architecture is integrated into nature and ancient beliefs by applying geometric patterns (yantra), symmetries and certain alignments.
Om's brother Peter organized the construction to build the factory within a year. As soon as it was finished, they bought sewing machines and other equipment. They also began to employ staff, all of whom were women from the neighborhood. Ram still runs the factory for us today. He is truly an Indian gem, always trustworthy and shares his kindness with every person who visits the Gratitude Factory.
Two of our colleagues are leaving the Gratitude Factory for their well-deserved retirement - we are grateful for their work every day
Why did you decide to create Gratitude Factory as a place just for women?
Om: The whole company was created through my vision of Shakti. This entity represents the divine feminine and the nurturing love we all need. So it happened naturally that we made the factory just for women and that we worship the Goddess there in her many forms. We wanted everything to be in service to the divine feminine energy that naturally spreads through the world.
Both when we built the factory and when we founded the company, we always worked with Vedic astrology to determine the right time - called Muhurta. We found the best time of the year when the energy of the planets was right and performed a ceremony. We lit incense, chanted mantras and invited the spirit of Shakti. We invited Shakti to come into the factory, into the products and into the company.
Find out more about our colleagues at the Gratitude Factory and the social, charitable projects we support.
Three of our colleagues in Varanasi are visibly having fun during the break and clearly show how much women power there is in every Shakti Mat
What all did you learn on your trip?
Nadine: When we started with Shakti Mat, we also realized that it feels incredibly good to lie on the spikes, to become calm and that it works very well against stress. We thought that if we could spread this around the world, it could also mean a more relaxed humanity as a whole. People always make much better decisions in their lives when they are free of stress and anxiety. We don't just want to sell, but first and foremost to spread knowledge about the positive effects of acupressure mats.
In 2009, we enjoyed great success throughout Sweden. At that time, we were well on our way to selling over 1 million mats. At this point, we noticed that copies of our product were popping up everywhere.
But we opted for a different perspective. We took the view that the more acupressure there is in the world, the better it will be. So as long as the many copies out there are well made, they could help us to spread this ancient knowledge and thus support us in our mission. For this reason, we have decided not to oppose anything that helps our idea. But of course it's a shame when people have unpleasant experiences because of poorly produced products.
Acupressure world record with 3,000 people
Can you remember how the idea of placing a record in the Guinness Book of Records came about?
Nadine: Of course. I met a woman from Poland, she was a yoga teacher and we had this idea together. It was in August 2009 and we were very lucky with the weather. It was a risk, but in the end 3,000 people came to the park in Stockholm, we gave everyone free mats and it was great fun. There were Indian dancers and we sang mantras together. The mantra was as follows:
"Om Shanti Om, Om Shanti Om, Om Shanti Om Shanti Om Shanti Om."
This means bringing peace and harmony to all living beings and connecting them with each other in a new, peaceful and harmonious way.
Over 3,000 people lie on acupressure mats in a park in Stockholm, chant mantras and achieve a world record in complete relaxation
Around 500 people fell asleep in the meantime and so the entry in the record book of "people on nail mats chanting mantras" is only 2,500, but that is just proof of the calming effect of the mats.
Where do you think Shakti Mat is now, at the age of 18?
Om: For me, Shakti is her own being. We created her 18 years ago and now she has her own life and her own path. She is now of age and stepping into womanhood, excited to explore the world more and more. She is in a state of expansion, stepping into her power and is on her mission to bring healing and love into the world.
After Om, Shakti is all grown up and ready to explore the world further - so we commissioned an artist to paint a portrait for Shakti
Shakti - the female elemental force
The word "Shakti" comes from Sanskrit and stands for the feminine elemental force, which is characterized by compassion, creativity and a nurturing quality. Our hope is that everyone who comes into contact with a Shakti Mat will feel connected to this energy. Because this energy is not only represented by our founder, but also lovingly crafted into every single acupressure mat by our female colleagues.
Read from one of our colleagues what a day like this looks like in her life and how women's rights are faring in India.
18 years later: Shakti conquers the world
From a small health fair in Stockholm to living rooms all over the world - Shakti has grown. We are no longer just at home in Sweden and Germany, but are known worldwide. People all over the world swear by the power of acupressure - be it for relaxation, to relieve tension or as a daily ritual for greater well-being.
But for us, expansion doesn't just mean tapping into new markets. It means reaching more people, changing more lives and continuing to pioneer acupressure and holistic health. Today, Shakti Mat is available in many parts of Europe, the USA, New Zealand and Australia - and we're not stopping. We believe that this wonderful tradition can and will reach even more people.
A look into the future - what's next?
18 years is just the beginning. As we celebrate our anniversary, we are already working on new innovations, sustainable products and creative ways to make acupressure more accessible to even more people. Our goal is to further optimize our production, expand our reach and find new ways to integrate holistic well-being into everyday life. Shakti continues to grow - and we are excited to see where the journey will take us.
Thank you for being part of our journey. We look forward to you staying with us. Here's to the next 18 years of Shakti! 🎉