A spike mat is a blunt instrument. It should feel intense for a minute and then merely warm, and it should not leave you scraped.
We lay on linen mats with plastic spikes and a fiber fill, in the evening, for short sessions. Sharpness, comfort after the first minute, and whether the mat stayed flat were the notes.
The first minute
Almost everyone wants to get off at the start. That peak should drop. If it does not, the spikes are too aggressive or you are pressing too hard. A little coconut fiber under the spikes softens the board without turning it into a cushion.
- A short session, five or ten minutes, not a nap on it.
- A shirt on, or bare skin, but pick one and stay with it.
- A mat that lies flat, so the spikes meet you evenly.
- Stop if you get dizzy or if the skin stays angry.
Intensity that never settles down is not decompression. It is just pain.
In the evening
Use it on the floor, knees bent if your lower back complains, and get up slowly. Drink some water. It is a ritual, not a workout, and it does not replace a walk or a decent pillow.
Keep the mat you can use three evenings a week. Occasional heroics do not help a tight back.
