Weekend Design & Wellness Project

Om My Gong

A Harmonious blend of pranayama breathing and sound meditation healing

Yogini Kim and gong practitioner Michael O bring together these two calming practices taking the mind and body into a realm of healing and clarity.

Our world is full of stress, anxiety and negative vibrations, take time for yourself and clear the chatter. You and only you can begin this journey to a clear and uncluttered mind.

---

“If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration.”

— Nikola Tesla

Music is a perfect example of how design/art and wellness come together. Instruments reach frequencies that tap into the human body on a cellular level. A balanced and healthy body resonates from 62-72MHz. DisEase begins when the frequency of the body is 60MHz and below. At lower frequencies the immune system is compromised and body becomes susceptible to a variety of DisEases. The gong is a powerful instrument that raises the frequency of the whole body and aids in healing cells vibrating at lower frequencies.

Here is your Weekend Design & Wellness Mission should you choose to accept it (accept it, you’ll love it)… take some time to explore the powerful and invigorating effects of meditative gong sessions created by Kim and Michael O.

Visit Om My Gong for insights on breathing, yoga, chakras and go on a sound journey on their YouTube channel. Be sure to share this with friends and family that need to take a bit of time to reset and recharge their mental state.

OP ART

OPTICAL ILLUSION ART CREATES MOVEMENT THAT APPEARS TO “TRICK” THE EYE

Photo by: Coline Haslé @kohlun2000

Op art is a style of abstract art popularized in the 1960, yet dates back to the 1938 with Victor Vasarely’s painting Zebras. Vasarely often used linear perspective which manipulates abstract forms creating a balloon effect. Linear perspective is said to have been invented by Filippo Brunelleschi, a Renaissance architect and sculptor in 1415. Op artist, Bridget Riley introduced the use of color in her optical art and is quoted as saying, “Focusing isn't just an optical activity, it is also a mental one.”

These optical illusions consist of converging black and white lines and shapes arranged in patterns that vibrate, shift, flash and warp as the viewer blinks or approaches the art. Op Art is interactive and visually kinetic. It has even made its way into neuroscience and was declared a phenomenon known as center/surround antagonism, explaining the visual effect of a black circle on a white background appearing darker than that same circle on a gray background.

There are talented op artist today creating realistic chalk drawings on streets around the world. Here some examples of street opt art on Pinterest.

Warning: Some Op Art can cause pain in the eyes or induce headaches (It’s a definite love/hate for me).

FURTHER READING:

• Ludimar Hermann’s - Hermann’s Grid

• “How To Use Your Eyes,” by James Elkins

Weekend Design & Wellness Project

Photo by: Luke Stackpoole @withluke

DESIGN YOUR LIFE

3 Steps to Designing Your Life

1. Self

2. Personal Relationships

3. Professional Goals

---

SELF: List 3 things you are most grateful for in your life. Next, list 3 things you truly like about yourself.

PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS: List 3 friends that have supported you when you succeeded and when you’ve failed. List 3 people (family or friends) where you feel like you’re walking on eggshells when talking to them. Put a check mark next to the people that you feel add true value to your life.

PROFESSIONAL GOALS: List 3 careers or industries that interest you. Are you currently working within any of them? What activity or work would get you out of bed in the morning feeling like your full happy self?

WELLNESS ACTIVITY: A Balancing Act

• Choose a focal point, stand firm in your left leg and lift the right leg to a height that you’re comfortable with (hovering the lifted foot just above the floor is a great way to get started finding your balance. You can hold on to a wall or counter at first, but the goal here is to balance on one leg without holding on to anything).

• Count to 20 while taking slow deep breaths.

• Switch legs and count to 20 while taking slow, deep breaths. Notice the differences from one side to the other.

*This balancing activity is especially beneficial for mature people as balance issues are a cause of most falls resulting in broken bones. It’s okay if it takes a while to let go of a support. This can be practiced multiple times a day.

Humans and Mapping

The Cartography of Life

Photo by: Ian Dooley @sadswim

From navigation to way finding to wireframes and life plans, humans are natural cartographers. Early nomadic humans used their instincts for hunting and foraging for food and temporary safety. Today, humans use many forms of mapping for communication such as; charts for productivity and finances, wireframes for building websites, creating mind maps for brainstorming, traveling and of course, mapping out a life plan by gluing pretty pictures to a vision board. Even the most geographically challenged and unorganized of humans use maps simply by navigating through the functions of their phone or asking for directions. They still had to find someone to ask, heh?

Now, let’s have some silly fun that maaay be the beginning of something life-changing. How about for the next few days and perhaps into the weekend, try to notice all of the ways that you use some form of mapping in your daily life? Most of our routine navigation is done on autopilot so let’s shift into manual flight mode for this exercise? When you notice your mind drifting off, break out a notebook and write down the tasks for the rest of the day. If you hit a roadblock on a work project, try creating a mind map by writing the end goal in the center of the paper. Next, draw lines extending all the way around the center word and on each line write the first word that comes to you. Continue this until all the lines have a different word on them and be sure to add as many lines and words as necessary. If you’re not dealing with a particular issue then, make a plan to do something you’ve been thinking about for a while. For this mind map write down how you will get there, what will you wear, who will be with you and what you’ll eat. If you’d rather think of something more long term, find a picture of one of your future goals. Perfect! You’re now officially a life cartographer.

The benefits of this exercise are to improve memory, organization, to generate a flow of creative thoughts for brainstorming, enhance presentation skills and to stay focused on goals and planning. Creating a map of anything imaginable is a productive use of a break from a routine. It does not have to take a lot of time, in fact, the less time it takes, the better. This way, you cannot overthink your initial instincts. Before you know it, you will be mapping at every idle moment that comes along.

Rethink & Rearrange

WHAT IF

there could be more light, space or room if you moved just one piece of furniture? Could your desk use more natural light or are you finally over bumping your leg on that dresser? Thought so.

Stand in your least favorite room and think about what bothers you the most. Does it feel small, is there too much stuff or is the lighting dull?

Think about how you’d really like to use this space. Maybe recall something you saw in a magazine, on Pinterest, or a design show. What best describes the function and lifestyle you want? Before you get frustrated for having limited construction skills, a small budget, minimal time or maybe being partnered with a duct tape fix it person, relax. The solution may be so much easier than kicking your way through a wall and renting a dumpster for your front lawn.

Now, what if you moved the desk to be under or closer to the window? Maybe a chair from another room is just the piece this room needs to create a cozy reading space. As for that dresser that keeps bruising your legs, it can go in the corner or the opposite wall so your legs can heal. Moving one piece of furniture or adding some much needed light to a dark corner can make a drastic difference in your productivity or for your relaxation. That’s all it may take to clear a path and reinvent a space. Keep rethinking and rearranging other rooms until you love them all the same.