I bought the shakti headband. I find the shape uncomfortable. If I want the headband lower, like on top of my eyebrows (where I hold a lot if tension n), then the fabric of the band covers my eyes. Too much fabric around the spikes, so I gave to fold the fabric if I want the spikes to be on my eyebrows, without the fabric covering my eyes. It brings some relaxation after removing, but not a relief for headaches and real muscle tension.

I ordered a medium shakti mat and bolster on a whim a month ago after seeing an internet ad. The idea and intention behind the mat made sense so i decided to give it a try. (FYI I am a 68 year old woman.) I thought the various videos (of which I watched the first two) were very informative and very helpful for getting started. My experience has been as described in the first video which impressed me- the woman in the video didn’t pretend that initially lying down on the mat was comfortable; she accurately (according to my experience) said how many minutes before the pricking subsided and disappeared. This impressed me because it meant I could trust the rest of what the videos will have to offer me. It also let me not judge myself on days when I find the prickles particularly intense. I watched as, over just a couple of weeks of using the mat once a day, my body adapted to the texture of the mat- what I found extremely prickly upon first lying down I now consider to be pleasantly stimulating. When I first started using my mat I had to wear a tshirt and shorts. Then I graduated to a thin tshirt and underwear. Now I lie on my mat with my bare skin with only a very light gauze scarf over the prickles. I expect I will be dispensing with the gauze scarf before long. After the first three minutes of lying on the mat (during which time my tissues are adjusting to being on the prickles), I find myself going into a deeply relaxed state when I no longer feel the prickles. In the first…