The Essential Guide to Wooden Pillows and Bolsters

Do aches make you feel tired, groggy, and stressed? Are you looking for multifunctional self-massage, long-lasting, and easy-to-use tools? Check out Body & Brain’s exclusive collection of wooden pillows and bolsters created to help manage pain, and relieve tension and stress throughout your body. With these tools, you can also promote proper energy circulation and improve your overall well-being.

Our wooden tools are hand-crafted in South Korea using premium wood that is strong, durable, and resistant to warping. They can withstand decades of use and are light enough to be portable for travel.

Below is a guide to our collection to help you choose the right tool based on your condition.

Wooden Pillow

For the head, neck, sacrum, and tailbone

As one of our most popular items, the wooden pillow is a great self-healing tool for fast relief of head, neck, and shoulder tension. With this tool, you can effectively target your body’s energy points and meridians and feel your muscles relax.

Recommended for those who want to:

• Relieve tension in the neck and shoulders
• Ease tension headaches
• Reduce stress
• Relax the spine
• Improve sleep through the night
• Promote proper energy circulation

Our favorite exercise using this tool: Stiff Neck & Shoulder Release

1. Place the Wooden Pillow flat on the floor. For more comfort, place a towel over it.
2. Lie down and place the Wooden Pillow under your neck. Gently rock your head side to side on the area of discomfort.
3. Relax your jaw and open your mouth slightly as you breathe out. Focus on relaxing the muscles in your neck.
4. As you feel your muscles begin to relax, move the pillow down the spine to the level of the top of your shoulders and repeat the steps above.
5. Start by practicing for a few minutes daily, then increase to 20 minutes daily as you become comfortable.

Upper Back Bolster

This tool is effective for managing upper back pain and relaxing the spine. If you feel you have bad posture, the Upper Back Bolster can help to open your chest and help you improve your posture.

Recommended for those who want to:

• Relieve tension in the back, chest, and spine
• Open the chest and lungs to promote deeper breathing
• Improve posture and overall spine alignment
• Promote circulation in the entire back

Our favorite exercise using this tool: Chest Opening

1. Lie down on a firm yet comfortable surface. Hug the back of your thighs and gently roll back and forth on your spine ten times to relax the spine and muscles.
2. Carefully slide the Upper Back Bolster into a position along your spine that feels most natural and relaxing.
3. Stretch your arms above your head, parallel to the floor, as you exhale tension. Then, breathe comfortably and slowly move your arms out and down to your sides with your palms facing up. Repeat this five times (like making a very slow snow angel).
4. With your arms stretched out 90 degrees to the side, breathe deeply into your chest and belly and breathe out, allowing your chest and abdomen to deflate slowly. Expand your chest as much as you can and release your breath like a deflating balloon.
5. Slowly slide the bolster out. Flip onto your hands and knees and do 5 “cat stretches." Breathe in as you arch your back, exhale, lift your face to the sky, and contract your back. Release and repeat.

Multi-Function Lower Back Bolster

For the lower back, hips, shoulders, spine, calves, and ankles

Crafted to match the lower back's natural curve, this tool is best used on the lower back for tension relief and spinal alignment. It can also be used for self-massage underneath your head, neck, tailbone, calves, and ankles, which makes it truly multifunctional.

Recommended for those who want to:

• Manage pain and relieve tension in the lower back
• Improve posture and range of motion
• Self-massage the legs, hips, neck, shoulders, and spine
• Promote proper energy flow throughout the body
• Improve the energy flow in organs connected to the five lumbar vertebrae

Our favorite exercise using this tool: Basic Lower Back Exercise

1. Gently lie down on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
2. Bring your Multi-function Lower Back Bolster under your back, directly behind the belly button.
3. Inhale and hold your breath as you gently press your back down on the bolster, stimulating the lower back area for a few seconds.
4. Exhale deeply and feel your body weight pressing against the bolster to release tension in your lower back. Repeat this for about two or three minutes.
5. Slowly lift your hips and remove the Multi-function Lower Back Bolster. Rest for 2-3 minutes with your back flat on the floor. When you are ready to finish, slowly bring your knees to your chest and stretch your lower back.

Ankle Massager

For the calves, ankles, and feet

This tool is great if you are on your feet for long periods. Use the Ankle Massager to increase circulation, relieve fatigue, and reduce leg inflammation.

Recommended for those who want to:

• Relieve pain and heaviness in calves and feet
• Reduce swelling in the feet and ankles
• Strengthen the lower body
• Release fatigue by increasing blood and energy circulation

Our favorite exercise using this tool: Ankle Lift and Drop Exercise

1. Lie down on your back or sit down with your legs on the floor. Put the Ankle Massager under your legs, between the Achilles tendon and your lower calves. Relax your knees with your legs extended.
2. Holding the left leg on the Ankle Massager, raise the right leg about 7-11 inches and gently drop it down to meet the massager. Feel the stimulation in your leg and repeat this 25 times.
3. Switch legs and repeat step two. Start with 5 minutes at a time and gradually increase to 10-20 minutes daily.

Wooden Pillow Exercises Book

For using all wooden pillow tools

This book is a comprehensive illustrated guidebook on using these various wooden healing tools. It features techniques for every part of your body, recommended exercises for specific symptoms, and routines for the morning and evening. This book can be your new health guide for dealing with the aches and pains of life. We hope this guide helps you choose the tools that best fit your needs to help relieve stress and tension and manage pain in your body.