Well, five thousand five hundred and twenty five to be precise, and they are to be found on a special yoga mat called the “Pranamat ECO” from Advaita. Two hundred and twenty one lotus blossom flowers, each with twenty five sharp-pointed petals adorn the mat, forming a matrix of carefully engineered spikes. In use, these deliver acupressure to the neck and back where they stimulate the energy meridians, releasing stress, improving blood and lymph flow and releasing energy. These same spikes make the user more aware of their body and its subtle movements, and this also induces a more relaxed yet mindful state, generating more positive energy.
Advaita’s list of benefits also includes:
Offsetting a sedentary lifestyle
Complimenting yoga and meditation practice
Releasing stress
Reducing tissue fat
Dissolving depression
Reducing muscle tension
The mat can be used in a variety of ways. You can just sit or lean on it; you can place is in your chair to massage specific parts of your sore back or neck. You can practice your meditation on it, or your yoga. You can just lay on it and relax. The website – pranamat.co.uk includes a number of instructional videos explaining this all in detail.
Feedback from thousands of customers since Pranamat first became available in the UK in 2010 supports these claims. That isn’t too surprising since the Pranamat ECO was (unlike the increasing number of cheap imitators) designed by experts. The website (pranamat.co.uk) explains in detail exactly how the mat does what it claims. The secret’s in the design of those little lotus blossoms, of course.
So the Pranamat looks after the person sitting on it, but it also looks after what it’s sitting on – our planet! As the “ECO” part of the name implies, the mat is constructed with ecological concerns in mind. The core of the mat is safe, renewable coconut fibre; the outside is equally safe and renewable unbleached cotton and linen. Even those little lotus flowers are made with an eco-friendly plastic.
They say a month with this mat can change your life. You can get yours from a range of online outfits, including Amazon – of go straight to pranamat.co.uk.