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(All things hormones, birth control, toxic-free living, and self advocacy)
Why I'm Still Obsessed with My Acupressure Mat Over A Year Later

I've had my acupressure mat for over a year now and i still rave about it

In our age of massive consumerism, there's not many products that we buy that don't eventually get pitched in a closet once the "new" wears off of them. You know the feeling.... that this brand new tool will majorly impact your life and your health and you're so excited for it! The one that you couldn't live without, and you stalked the mailbox or your front door for it to arrive (that's me with every package btw haha!). But once you get it and try it out for a bit, that excitement wears off, you no longer actively think about using it, and sometimes you may even forget you bought it however long ago. I have a few of those items, but one in particular excites me every single time I pull it out. It's my Pranamat! 

I'm one of those FOMO people who feels like they need to buy the latest and greatest wellness tools to keep up with the cool kids. While I don't have an air purifier or water filtration system (yet!), I have quite a few other big ticket wellness items, like an infrared sauna in the garage, a red light box, and my Pranamat. 

I talk about my Pranamat all the time on social media stories and it's been such an amazing benefit in my life. I have their full body pro set, which includes a pillow, mat, mini mat, and travel bag. I also have a mini hedgehog and mini heart, which are great for on the go massaging. The website claims the accupressure mat is like having an at-home massage on this mat with sharp spikes. While this doesn't seem even remotely relaxing, I promise you it is. The lotus spikes don't move like you might think with a massage, but the spikes going into your body release powerful, relaxing endorphins (natural painkiller and happy hormone). Pranamat conducted clinical studies on their accupressure mats in 2014 and results showed an increase in relaxation and sleep, less headaches, decrease in pain and inflammation, increased local microcirculation, more energy and alertness, etc. 

To get the most benefits, it's recommended to lay on the mat without any clothing. I usually have a blanket covering me so I don't get cold, and I listen to a meditation. The very first time I laid on it, I didn't last longer than about 5 minutes before the spikes were too uncomfortable for me. I quicky regretted my decision to invest so much into this mat set and wondered if it would get better.. each session I was able to lay on it longer and I eventually got comfortable with being uncomfortable. The "pain" only lasts for a couple of minutes, at which it then transforms into super relaxing heat. You have to trust the process though and work up to that relaxing. Now I'm able to lay on it and relax so much that I fall asleep on it. Every single time. It's been really great for my sleep and helps give my body a nervous system reset!

Bringing it around to hormone health, why can this be an added benefit to your natural hormone healing journey? Aside from the fact that it can help you sleep, which is incredibly beneficial to your overall body, the Pranamat helps you destress. Stress is a huge cause of hormone imbalances, and the less we can stress, the less our hormones decide to go out of whack. Clinical studies showed a 90% decrease in anxiety when using the Pranamat for 30 days! The added pain management also helps our hormones since we won't have to resort to conventional pain meds, which can trash our livers (looking at you, Tylenol and Advil). Pranamat helps increase circulation in the body, which can also benefit the lymphatic system. The lymph system is like a broom that sweeps out all the excess toxins and junk in our bodies that we don't need, and is very important to having happy, balanced hormones. If everything is continuing to accumulate and circulate in our bodies, it can lead to allergies, bloating, heavy periods, acne, tiredness, and more.  

I've tried another off-brand accupressure mat in the past, and it was awful! I used it maybe a handful of times, the quality was very poor and cheaply made, and I eventually ended up throwing it away. Pranamat is a pretty penny, but for good reason. All of their products are hand made in Europe with natural materials, free from harmful substances, have no toxic glues, use coconut fiber and buckwheat hulls for the filling, and use pure linen in the covers. All of the materials are also OEKO-TEX certified, which guarantees that Pranamat is free from harmful substances and safe for intensive skin contact. All of this means that Pranamat comes at a higher price, however it is completely worth it! They also have a five year warranty and 30 day money-back guarantee. Shipping is incredibly fast too, despite coming from overseas. 

Use my link for a special discount off any of their mat sets! My discount changes and can include free items, like their mini massagers, so check with me for any current deals. Be sure that the promo code SYDNEY is in there for the discounts :) Btw, if I were to purchase again, I would get the Full Body Original set since I rarely ever use the travel bag. There are different sets at different price points for your convenience. Grab whichever one you feel is best! 

Love,
Sydney
Just so you know, I may earn a commission off the links on my blog at no cost to you through various affiliate programs. I appreciate your support and love sharing my favorite products with you! :)

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Just so you know, I may earn a commission off the links on my blog at no cost to you through various affiliate programs. I appreciate your support and love sharing my favorite products with you! :)

I Felt Out of Balance

 

It all started with small rashes under my armpits. They grew bigger. They were fiery red. They burned. I couldn’t itch them since they burned so bad. They flaked. They were embarrassing. I didn’t know what they were. Then they showed up on the crook of my elbow and on the top of my right hand. I thought it might be due to a gluten or dairy intolerance, so I changed my diet. It helped temporarily and my rashes didn’t hurt as bad and weren’t as red. But diet changes weren’t enough. I was devastated. My rashes remained for MONTHS!

Then the "fluff" showed up around my belly and hips. Maybe the start of winter contributed as well; either way I swear my pants used to fit me way better…

My hair started falling out. In chunks! I’d always had some hairs come out when I washed my hair, so I was used to it. But not to this extent. I knew something was going on.

My acne became out of control, almost to the extent when I was in high school. Red, painful, cysts that I just couldn’t resist picking. And here I had spent all these years at the dermatologist “healing” my acne for it all to come back with a vengeance.

I was in tears at least once a week. I felt hopeless. I felt so alone. No one could relate besides one girl I followed on Instagram. My boyfriend was supportive, but how could he understand though? He had no idea what I was going through.

I took a deep breath, wiped my tears and trucked on. Then the next week would start all over again with a meltdown because I was fat, my hair was falling out, my acne was returning, and my rashes burned SO. FREAKING. BAD. I was angry, frustrated, confused & hopeless. 

I had heard that stopping birth control could come with some pretty gnarly symptoms. And I thought I was ready for whatever would happen. But I didn’t realize how mentally and emotionally challenging these symptoms would be.

Like many people, I started taking birth control in high school. I took it mostly for my acne, but pregnancy prevention was nice too. My hormones were manipulated for over 7 years. The birth control was prescribed by my doctor, so why would I ever question how it was affecting my body?

Turns out, I had NO idea just how much it affected me. All of me. It wasn’t until I read this book that I understood how much my body was impacted by these synthetic hormones that I didn't even realize were synthetic at the time. How hormonal birth control can be prescribed to “treat” certain conditions, yet it’s really only a bandaid fix. I didn’t want that bandaid fix anymore and I wanted to heal myself naturally. So I took the leap and ditched my birth control.

Aside from some of the challenges of getting off birth control, I noticed a whole new world of positives that came from it. For the first time in my life, I actually had energy! I no longer needed to sleep half the day away. The mental fog was gone! My mood increased, as well as my libido, which I swear was gone for good. I finally felt like I was in control of my health for the first time. Truly healthy and truly better.

My goal is to be that shining beacon of light for you if you are struggling with the decision to finally get off hormonal birth control. You are not alone in worrying how your body will react. You are not alone in this transition and your experiences. It might be challenging. But we are strong. We are healers. We are self-advocates. And only we know what’s best for our bodies.

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