True Love

Yantra Mat

Who needs roses on Valentine's Day?  So overdone.  My honey did things right this year:  he got me a Yantra mat!  It's like a bed of nails, but made of the same plastic as Legos, atop a foam padded mat, that you can roll up in a handy little carrying case with a strap.  The idea is that by applying acupressure to many points all at once, increased circulation will improve general health.  Better circulation means more oxygen to more body parts, and we all know that oxygen is only a good thing.  I never heard of anyone getting too much air...

I'm going to follow the guide on the website and start off with ten minutes on the mat each day for the first four days, then increase to 20 minutes up to the 2 week mark.  After that, it's suggested that you lay (in a multitude of positions) from 20-40 minutes each day.

Totally rad, right?  Pokey meditation!  I'll report back about my progress, today being Day 1.

Goals: reduce stress, neuropathy, muscle tension, and fatigue (can I also wish for a reduced heart rate?)

This is not my first foray into alternative medicine - I've been receiving weekly acupuncture treatments for almost 3 years now (since before my lymphoma diagnosis), I LOVE massage therapy (including reflexology and manual lymph drainage), and I've been known to take an herb or tincture every now and then.  Last Spring I took a meditation class, which was an awesome introduction to proper positioning and practice of different types of movement (qi gong, yoga, and guided visualization).

I've argued with a handful of mouthy folks who think it's all quackery and a waste of money.  I say, I don't expect these therapies to cure cancer, but if they relieve the stress of dealing with it, it's money well spent.  Meditation >< medication.

Have you experimented with meditation?  Would you?