Tag Archives: Meditation

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

The post Layer Design’s meditation headset uses biomorphic patterns to elevate your state-of-mind first appeared on Yanko Design.

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...

This zen alarm clock aids sleep, guides meditations and monitors air quality

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Not everyone is a morning person, and I admit I am so far removed from that audience that I could actually make friends with a bunch of owls instead of being included in their group. I am sure many of us here, including me, want to wake up in the morning but either we don’t hear our alarms because we choose a soft tune or we awaken with rage because we chose a super-upbeat loud song. What we need is a more natural wake up call, something aligned with the body’s circadian rhythms which the Mudita Bell calming alarm clock knows how to do.

Most of us scroll through our social media apps before bed and the blue light exposure keeps our brain alert even after we keep the phone down. This calming alarm clock wants to replace the screen-scrolling so we can get rest according to our natural sleep cycles – a key in waking up rested and relaxed. It has an E-Ink screen which means you aren’t actually looking at a screen but at the ink that is programmed to move to create visuals, thus reducing your exposure to blue light. Limiting screen time helps us fall us asleep sooner and also into a deeper slumber which is crucial if you want to stop waking up grumpy or tired. The minimalist design of the clock has a soothing effect on your eyes which is important considering it is the last thing you see before bed and the first thing you see when you wake up.

It all starts with “Let me just check the time” or “I’ll just check if my alarm is on” and we descend into the notifications rabbit hole. With this Mudita alarm clock and the E-Ink screen, you can track time and set your alarms without being lured into scrolling through your apps. The alarm wakes you up with gentle acoustic sounds that don’t make you want to smash it. It also includes a sensor to track the air quality in your room and sometimes making small changes like adding a humidifier (based on what the air quality is) can make our sleeping patterns healthier. To make it a well-rounded health and wellness product, this alarm clock also has a meditation timer that comes pre-set with different meditation lengths and simple instructions to guide you through them. Now we really have no reason to wake up groggy so let’s make 2020 the year of the morning people!

Designer: Mudita

Core brings Fitbit-style tracking to your meditation sessions

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Being a tech journalist is a stressful job. And CES is the most stressful time of year. So naturally, I'm looking for any opportunity I have to take a couple of minutes, breathe, relax and just focus on myself. Which meant the first thing I did when...

Brain-controlled VR lightshows could lull you to sleep

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By most accounts, technology wreaks havoc on our sleep. Even tools meant to help us sleep better can make insomnia worse. But sleep and tech don't have to be mutually exclusive. Artists and researchers from Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RM...