Tag Archives: Meditation

Headspace POD gives you space for distraction-free meditation

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In one of the episodes of the now-canceled (but brilliant) Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, their office had these pods where an employee could lock themselves in if they wanted to take a nap or get away from everyone else. It seemed like a perfect thing to have at the office except that it looked pretty claustrophobic since you had to close the “cover” to get yourself away from everything. But a pod that could help you relax and have some me-time seems like a good idea, especially now when some companies are going back to work at their headquarters.

Designers: Mike & Maiike

A “progressive industrial design studio” has partnered with meditation app Headspace to create the Headspace Pod, a piece of furniture that can help you meditate without any distractions. It looks like a giant mailbox with its arc-shaped structure but with a comfortable-looking cushion seat inside. There is also a cushion at the back so you will feel more relaxed as you try to calm yourself down or wash the stress away with the appropriate meditation.

There are no screens within the pod or any device to plug in your headphones or earphones. The idea is to not bring anything with you while you meditate and to not have any distractions while you do so. They installed a built-in directional audio that you will only be able to hear when you’re inside the pod. Within it, you will only see three buttons that you can choose from: relax, refresh, and focus. Each meditation lasts 10 minutes, which may be enough time to give you time away from your work.

They designed the Headspace Pod not for your living room or bedroom but for public places like in offices, universities, building lobbies, hotels, co-working spaces, event places, and other spaces where people might need to take a break. While you can always plug in to the Headspace app on your phone, there’s something about sitting upright inside a pod and listening to curated meditations depending on what you need at the time.

The fact that it’s still partially open may not be comfortable for some people but for someone who’s not such a fan of tiny, enclosed spaces, this is the perfect pod to have. If you do see a Headspace Pod somewhere in your area, would you try it out?

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Human behavior defines the layout of this elemental pavilion to bring visitors a unique spatial experience

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The Wood Pavilion #2 from LIN Architecture is the second installment to the studio’s Wood Pavilion, a timber structure with an interior layout that was defined by human behavior.

Just two months ago, LIN Architecture finished work on Wood Pavilion #1, an all-black meditative space designed to be ergonomic, where humans could give in to their most natural and instinctual behavior. Today, LIN Architecture is back with another wooden pavilion, which is aptly called Wood Pavilion #2. Coated in red paint, the Wood Pavilion #2 shares the same purpose as its predecessor and is located in the same neighborhood in China’s ​​Zhenjiang, Jiangsu province.

Designer: LIN Architecture

Designed as, “a spatial experiment on using small-scaled temporary buildings to stimulate the site,” the Wood Pavilion #2 features a series of unpaired windows and internal cavities that are meant to give visitors a unique, visual, and spatial experience.

Throughout the pavilion, the layered walls are intersected by various internal cavities that collect sunlight and offer views of the outdoors, prompting visitors to take a seat or wander through the structure like a labyrinth.

Covering only 50 sqm, the Wood Pavilion #2 finds space and height through an intricate layout that weaves together rooms like an entryway that only leads to a wall and elemental sitting space. The four walls that compose Wood Pavilion #2 have been washed with a red dye, emphasizing the pavilion’s primal lure. In designing the second generation Wood Pavilion, the architects at LIN Architecture took what they learned from the first pavilion and applied it to the second’s construction process.

“Based on previous theoretical research,” the architects at LIN suggest, Wood Pavilion #2 is “a prototype combining theory and practice: based on a human scale, each section of the pavilion is used to set different spaces to guide people and their interaction patterns.”

Firstly, Wood Pavilion #2 maintained a human-centered layout and then looked to proxemic, behaviorology, and ergonomics to further develop the structure’s pathways spatial personality. Finding harmony in the surrounding architecture and community, “Wooden Pavilion #2 not only creates a dialogue with the traditional architectural forms of the village but also serves the local residents who, in their leisure time, can communicate and enjoy the harmonious relationship between the architectural space and its surrounding nature.”

Curved seats provide spots for visitors to take in the views and bathe in the sunlight.

Before constructing the Wood Pavilion #2, architects with LIN studied the human behavior and patterns of the local community.

The Wood Pavilion #2 serves to harmonize with the local community’s preexisting architecture. 

While it appears monolithic for its labyrinth-like layout, Wood Pavilion #2 is sized to human-scale.

The timber cabin is entirely constructed from timber and interconnected with steel columns and screws.

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The best gadgets to help you master the art of meditation during this pandemic

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Look, I know life can get hectic and work can be super exhausting. Add a global pandemic to the mix, and it’s a recipe for disaster! Especially for our mental health. Taking care of our mental well-being has never been more essential, considering how troubling the times are. As much as we tend to pay attention to our physical well-being, it’s time to do the same for our mental health. Meditation can really help you unwind, release stress, and create an overall tranquil mindset. Although if you’re anything like me, sitting still without a single thought in your head can seem damn near impossible! Hence we’ve curated a collection of innovative gadgets to help you master the art of meditation. From a meditation headset designed by Layer, to a foldable bed that uses sound and vibration to help you meditate – these inventive product designs are all you need to inculcate meditation sessions into your daily routine! Start your day or end it on a peaceful and tranquil note. You can thank us later!

1. The LightVision meditation headset

Layer Design has once again demonstrated its knack for winning creations with the LightVision meditation headset designed for US-based tech startup Resonate. The headset is an array of LED lights that create a layer of magic to the visual feed for the user – literally turning the natural videos being cast into a sequence of biomorphic patterns. Amazingly, these patterns are visible to the closed eyes as the ever-changing kaleidoscope of sequences creates a sensory input. This triggers the brain’s “frequency-following response” according to Layer Design. The ergonomic form of the headset sits comfortably around the face and the eyes for a distraction-free restful state of mind. The latter as you know is very hard to achieve since the mind wanders into realms you otherwise don’t want it to.

2. The Soul

Designed with a specific goal in mind – of bringing you to your place of Zen – the SOUL ambient sound generator boasts of a pure all-white minimalist form factor, with 8 tactile sliders on the top and ambient lighting at the base of the speaker. It doesn’t need connecting to your Wi-Fi, doesn’t come with an app, doesn’t have Bluetooth… It’s one job is to help calm you down and not inundate you with features, trackers, paid subscriptions. The sliders on the top are shaped like tactile spherical sliders that let you build out your soundscape, letting you choose between sounds you want and how loud you want them.

3. Muse S

The Muse S is an innovative meditation and sleep headband equipped with a mind-blowing feature – the Digital Sleeping Pill. The intriguing feature helps you drift off to sleep, if you wake up at night, and find yourself struggling to fall asleep again. Created from rayon, spandex, and nylon, the comfortable wearable boasts a 10-hour battery life, and diligently tracks your sleep, body, heart, breath, and mind. The device creates a precise report of your sleeping pattern and habits. Its lightweight form makes it pretty comfy to sleep in as well! Creating and maintaining a consistent and healthy sleeping pattern has never been easier with the Muse S. Currently in its 3rd generation, the new and improved design completely beats its predecessors!

4. Core Meditation Trainer

Built from rosewood, the Core Meditation Trainer is perfect for tracking your meditation journey and keeping a tab on your progress! It maintains a record of your meditation history, allowing you to carefully note how far you’ve come. A built-in ECG sensor keeps the device updated as to when you’re meditating. A monthly or annual subscription gives you access to a variety of meditation experiences and exercises, to help build up your meditative abilities and duration. Core’s aesthetics are natural, minimal, and warm, further inculcating a sensation of mindfulness and serenity.

5. The Petal Chair

Meet the European Product Design Award-winning chair that looks to flowers for furniture inspiration. The chair comes with three gently curved petals, almost resembling an exotic orchid. The chair’s diagonally slanted armrests are wonderful for relaxing your weary limbs as well as sitting in the yogic lotus posture, with your legs folded inwards. To reinforce the chair’s sense of comfort, it comes with pillows for cushioning, suspended using extendable straps that you can height-adjust for that comfortable sweet spot. “The Petal armchair is designed to change the position of the body and improve blood circulation. It gives the ability to take a break and restore your mental balance”, says the St. Petersburg-based design studio, Alter Ego.

6. The Opus SoundBed

Combining ‘Spatial Sound and Vibration with Proven Healing Practices’, the Opus SoundBed™ Opus uses a unique folding design to compress down to the size of an ottoman pouf. The bed, when fully opened, aims at providing an at-home multisensorial experience that “recharges the body and restores the nervous system”, according to physician Dr. Molly Maloof. Full-body vibrations and spatial sound provide an upgraded approach to therapy and healing, helping the body reduce stress and release the hormones associated with happiness and euphoria. The entire experience is powered by the Opus Journeys™ app, which lets you set personal goals, activate therapy sessions, and even sign up for remote therapy events and live events with leading experts in mindfulness, relationships, peak performance, and more.

7. OpenSeed

In the chaotic city life, where one doesn’t get a chance to revitalize, OpenSeed has a cool reason to recharge your mind, body, and soul even in crowded spaces. Ideally made for workplaces, luxury hotels, airport lounges, and public settings – this meditation pod is an amalgam of visual, audio, and sensory input for the user to calm down and take the journey inwards. The womb-shaped design aims to quiet the mind chatter and elevate performance for increased productivity. To achieve this, OpenSeed has got a tested and ideal mix of therapeutic ambient sounds matched with the lighting and essential oils to transition the senses to a happy state.

8. The LivLab HoomBand

The LivLab Hoomband is a soft headband you can wear around your forehead to help you relax and unwind when you’re having trouble falling asleep. The headband can be connected to an app, allowing it to play guided meditations, hypnotic stories, soundscapes, white noise, and ASMR. The headband helps to eliminate your anxiety and create a general sense of wellbeing, enabling you to gently drift off to sleep. Created from a ventilated and elastic fabric, the headband is extremely comfy to wear, whether you’re walking around or in bed. The earphones are ultra-flat and thin, so you don’t even feel them! The Hoomband lets you effortlessly integrate a meditation session into your daily nighttime routine!

9. The Buda Ball

Designed by the team who created Flyte, the floating lightbulb that could illuminate without any wires, Buda Ball operates on the same principle of magnetic levitation. Instead of a tungsten bulb, however, the Buda Ball features a 20mm metal sphere that levitates against a wooden base. The Buda Ball’s special brand of levitating tech allows it to work horizontally as well as vertically, which means your ball and base could be placed either on a coffee table or even mounted on a wall. The ball, once lowered onto its electromagnetic base, finds its levitating position (with a little bit of practice) and floats with its signature carefree spirit. The idea is to emulate the ball, by clearing your surroundings, elevating yourself, and being in a state of carefree zen… sound familiar?

10. The Luma³ relaxation cube

Every 55 minutes, the Luma³ relaxation cube gently prods and reminds you to take a 5-minute break to breathe, relax and refocus. It encourages you to perform 4 conscious breathing exercises, in turn reducing stress and boosting your overall productivity. It utilizes light and color to create a tranquil atmosphere, making it really helpful if you’re trying to relax before you sleep at night. It can guide you through a relaxing nighttime routine, allowing you to unwind after work, and coaxing you into a peaceful slumber.

The post The best gadgets to help you master the art of meditation during this pandemic first appeared on Yanko Design.

This all-black cabin embraces a minimal, ergonomic design and is stripped down to embrace human behavior

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Lin Architecture constructed the Wood Pavilion #1 to create an ergonomic and meditative space where humans can indulge in their most instinctual and natural behavior.

Human behavior is at the core of architecture and design. To build functional and meaningful structures and buildings, architects must first look towards the ways people naturally interact with interior spaces, the outdoors, and infrastructure. This marked the starting place for China-based architecture firm Lin Architecture when they developed plans for their Wood Pavilion #1, a prototypical experiment on space that redefines what living quarters could look like humans.

Located on Jiangxin Island in China’s Zhenjiang, Jiangsu province, the Wood Pavilion #1 is founded on each and every aspect of its surroundings as well as how the structure’s dwellers would interact with them. Upon scouting the location of the Wood Pavilion #1, situated near a river that’s popular with the province’s many tourists, Lin Architecture focused on three keywords: ergonomics, Proxemics, and Behaviorology.

Of course, ergonomics speaks to the structure’s intuitive edge, meaning the building’s parameters and floor plan were developed to naturally flow where the everyday human is drawn. Proxemics, on the other hand, falls in line with the “category of physical space, discussing how intimate space, private space, social space, and public space are defined and designed at different scales.”

Finally, Behaviorology considers “various elements in the natural environment was studied and explored. Breeze, sunshine, the sound of waves, drizzle, sweet osmanthus fragrance, affecting feelings, perceptions, touch, hearing, visual elements, are the materials of our design.”

The Wood Pavilion #1 was essentially designed to cater to the bare essentials of human behavior. Stripped away from technology and smart features, the Wood Pavilion #1 invites humans to indulge in their most natural instincts and tendencies. Each aspect, from the windows to the sitting benches, is carefully crafted and situated to create a dialogue between space and time.

Vista points are located in the most appropriate spots to capture the rising of the sun, and another presents the sunset. Cavities in the exterior facade create interior sound chambers to echo the sounds of the sea breeze, cicadas singing, and frogs chirping.

Constructed after a devoted period of researching human behavior and movement in regards to space, the Wood Pavilion #1 forms the ideal center for “sitting, squatting, lying down, meditating, listening, peeping, wandering, overlooking, and even staring.” This, Lin Architecture note, “is the form of space.”

Designer Lin Architecture

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Layer Design’s meditation headset uses biomorphic patterns to elevate your state-of-mind

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While most of us are stressed out the whole day, a tech-infused meditation headset to wind down is a liberation we all could do very well with.

Life has become stressful in modern times with deadlines and other human-induced factors pushing us to the limit of physiological and psychological turmoil. Meditation is one thing that liberates one from the cyclical patterns of daily struggles – infusing a new sense of excitement to experience life to the fullest. When meditation is aided by the sensory input it’s bliss for the pineal gland!

Layer Design has once again demonstrated its knack for winning creations with the LightVision meditation headset designed for US-based tech startup Resonate. The headset is an array of LED lights that create a layer of magic to the visual feed for the user – literally turning the natural videos being cast into a sequence of biomorphic patterns. Amazingly, these patterns are visible to the closed eyes as the ever-changing kaleidoscope of sequences creates a sensory input. This triggers the brain’s “frequency-following response” according to Layer Design.

The minimally designed headset wrapped in textile casing sets a new precedence for the meditation regimes – be it in the morning or while winding down in the night. The ergonomic form of the headset sits comfortably around the face and the eyes for a distraction-free restful state of mind. The latter as you know is very hard to achieve since the mind wanders into realms you otherwise don’t want it to. The whole design of the LightVision headset puts forth a tactile experience to take your meditation routine to the next level.

While one question still lingers on my mind – won’t the play of light and colors for a long duration or even on a daily basis tire the eyes? Won’t it juxtapose with the very calm state of mind that it wants to achieve in the first place? If Layer Design has those issues sorted out, this headset for Resonate could be the catalyst the stressed-out world needs!

Designer: Layer Design for Resonate

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LEGO just dropped a Spotify album… and it’s filled with hours of soothing ASMR soundtracks made using LEGO bricks

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Contrary to popular belief, the album isn’t filled with “Everything Is Awesome” on loop.

Titled LEGO® White Noise, the album explores a unique aspect of the LEGO experience – their sound. While the bricks are incredibly visual, tactile, and versatile, they also have a uniquely vast and engaging auditory experience. By experimenting with over 10,000 brick combinations, the designers at LEGO have unveiled a 6-track album, featuring 30-minute long audio tracks of just sounds using LEGO bricks, from the familiar rattle of rummaging through a carton of bricks, to actually clipping bricks together to make sculptures/models. The tracks have an incredible ASMR quality to them, and honestly make for perfect background audio while you work, play, code, read, etc. I can’t understate exactly how therapeutic the sound of the LEGO bricks being clinked together are, but just mere minutes into the first track, I feel like a 10-year old child again.

The album was designed to help listeners relax and unwind. The sounds trigger a part of the brain associated with meditation and relaxation, given that our mind associates LEGO with those very attributes too. Just the way the smell of cinnamon and pumpkin get you feeling ‘autumny’, the LEGO White Noise tracks instantly transport you to a place of being happy and carefree. Once again, the folks at LEGO have shown us that their bricks truly have unlimited potential!

You can check out the Spotify Album by clicking here. Definitely give a listen to the track titled “The Waterfall”, for the absolutely exhilarating sound of LEGO bricks being dumped one on top of another!

Yves Behar designs a foldable bed that uses sound and vibration to help you meditate and recharge

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Yves Behar Fuseproject Opus Soundbed Folding Meditative Bed

Combining ‘Spatial Sound and Vibration with Proven Healing Practices’, the Opus SoundBed™ Opus uses a unique folding design to compress down to the size of an ottoman pouf. The bed was designed by acclaimed designer Yves Béhar of fuseproject, to appear less as a therapy tool and more like a stylish accessory that fits anywhere in a room and can easily be unfolded on command for a meditation/healing session.

Yves Behar Fuseproject Opus Soundbed Folding Meditative Bed

The bed, when fully opened, aims at providing an at-home multisensorial experience that “recharges the body and restores the nervous system”, according to physician Dr. Molly Maloof. Full-body vibrations and spatial sound provide an upgraded approach to therapy and healing, helping the body reduce stress and release the hormones associated with happiness and euphoria.

Yves Behar Fuseproject Opus Soundbed Folding Meditative Bed

Yves Behar Fuseproject Opus Soundbed Folding Meditative Bed

The entire experience is powered by the Opus Journeys™ app, which lets you set personal goals, activate therapy sessions, and even sign up for remote therapy events and live events with leading experts in mindfulness, relationships, peak performance, and more.

Designer: Yves Behar for Opus

Yves Behar Fuseproject Opus Soundbed Folding Meditative Bed

Yves Behar Fuseproject Opus Soundbed Folding Meditative Bed

Yves Behar Fuseproject Opus Soundbed Folding Meditative Bed

Yves Behar Fuseproject Opus Soundbed Folding Meditative Bed

Also Check Out: Yves Behar’s line of decor uses Forust’s 3D printed wood that’s as good as the original

Yves Behar-designed Underwater Research Station’s architecture is inspired by coral reefs

Breathe! This handheld meditation-device coaches you to relax through anxious times!

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I’ll admit the truth. It’s been 4 days since the election and all I’ve been doing is doomscrolling on Twitter for updates and refreshing the Google result to see how the vote’s been progressing. 2020 hasn’t been kind to our collective mental health, but if there’s one thing we need to take away in these trying times, it is to give ourselves a break and relax so that our minds get the rest they need and deserve. The MindNap is a nifty, portable meditation-assistant that helps guide you through deep breathing and relaxing your mind and body.

The handheld device comes with two metal pads that you place your thumbs on, before entering the meditation session. Sensors under the pads detect and monitor your biosignals, and the device itself vibrates gently to tell you when to inhale and exhale. The MindNap device works in tandem with a smartphone app, which lets you choose from four different meditation settings – creativity, focus, relaxation, and energy. Select the cycle you want to run and the MindNap does the rest, reading your own internal cues like your heart rate, its variability, and your basic metabolic panel (BMP). By understanding your current state, the MindNap devises a custom breathing regimen to get you to your desired state, helping you boost focus, clarity, and creativity, while reducing anxiety and stress. You can use the MindNap to energize yourself too, choosing a breathing pattern that helps increase your blood flow and make you feel more recharged. Available in two colors, the MindNap even comes with its own portable leather-case that lets you carry it around with you… because we all know how valuable our sanity and clarity is in times like these!

Designer: MindNap

Headspace is offering free mindfulness courses to unemployed Americans

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There’s no question that losing your job is incredibly stressful, and since the COVID-19 pandemic began, millions of people in the US have been laid off or furloughed. In an attempt to ease some of the stress that causes, the mindfulness app Headspac...