Inspiration Station Vol. 19: Wellness Edition

Greendesking, Cannabliss & Light therapy. This month, the Inspiration Station has gone all zen in the name of Event Wellbeing Week.

Experience

Had enough of that same old drab commute every day? Cramming yourself into the inevitably late train, sandwiched between the same jaded faces, just to be rewarded with finally arriving at the exotic destination of… your desk. Day. After. Day. We’re not saying it’s not a wonderful experience (as we all of course love going to work!) but it gets a bit samey doesn’t it?

So, if you find yourself fantasising about working in the great outdoors, like one of those “digital nomads” who’s always showing off on Instagram, daydream no longer! Introducing wild.work Greendesking – a new concept that allows individuals or small businesses to work in beautiful rural spaces with all the facilities of your office desk. In addition to the numerous physical and mental health benefits of being immersed in nature, apparently it even improves productivity and inspires creativity! We call that a win-win.

Perhaps the new era of remote working will flip the script and see people commute out of cities into more peaceful pastures. Maybe cities as we know them will slowly become a thing of the past. Maybe.

Since the US decriminalised marijuana across the land, it’s seen all things “Mary Jane” become en vogue worldwide. From hemp-infused beauty products to health products containing CBD, the numerous offerings can be found almost anywhere. CBD or Cannabidiol is one of the 104 cannabinoids that are found in cannabis, however unlike it’s much more famous sibling THC, it’s not psychoactive – meaning you can’t have a good time (or bad depending on your inclination), but it will help with all manner of mental health problems including anxiety and insomnia.

Enter Cannabliss. Catchy name huh? GymBox came up with the concept for a rehabilitation class which seeks to relieve the tension of stressful office jobs and a dedicated gym routine by providing participants with a CBD patch to reduce anxiety and inflammation, while they perform low impact stretches such as yoga exercises. Sounds a lot like what people get up to on their gap year in East Asia…

You know how most of the best things in life involve a delightful blend of ingredients? From fine cuisine and fancy cocktails, to fashion and fragrances; a killer fusion is a feast for the senses. With that in mind… Gyrotonic is certainly an innovative way to exercise, incorporating the movement principles from a plethora of disciplines such as yoga, dance, gymnastics, swimming and tai chi.

This holistic approach to exercising may look a lot like a medieval torture device, but it’s spiralling movement patterns supposedly work miracles for your joints and spinal health. Just don’t be too hasty all you confident gym bunnies out there. As you would expect, you need supervision. (Otherwise it’s probably going to turn you into a human pretzel).

Next up, we have a meditation innovation. The Anja Light is a brainwave device which purportedly helps meditators of all levels explore enhanced altered states of consciousness, without the years of training. Yep it’s straight up cheating alright. Buddhist Monks around the land will be tearing their hair (erm beads?) out in despair.

It works by using LED lights which flicker at specific frequencies that induce the brain’s natural trance state and activate the pineal gland. It is within this state that people with a stressed mind find their body and even the nerves of the brain become relaxed, activating serotonin and melatonin production. All you have to do is lie back, relax and let the “kaleidoscope experience” begin. yue float who specialise in experiences that restore, recharge and rejuvenate, offer treatments in London. They might even let you listen to Dark Side of the Moon. If you ask them really nicely.

We all know that a little bit of green goes a long way. Just a short walk in nature is shown to boost brainpower along with a whole host of stress reduction and physical wellbeing benefits. This is why we fill our houses and offices with indoor plants. The only problem with that? They die from neglect. If plants came under social services’ jurisdiction, most of us would be serving life sentences for multiple homicides!

Now you can reconnect with the great outdoors without fear of incurring mother nature’s wrath. Just pop this beautifully designed pot on your desk and enjoy the calming vibes of your new leafy pal while it gently wicks from the reservoir below. No hassle. Easy breezy. Well, you do have to water it at some point…

Smartphones have faced a lot of bad press lately, but no more so than in the bedroom. With a worse rep than Tiger woods, Bill Clinton and Jude Law combined – they’ve now been vilified as a firm bedtime no-no. Not only will they keep you up with the endless opportunities for scrolling, but the dreaded blue light will mess with your sleep patterns too.

With sleep being a modern day luxury, this stylish offering by Punkt allows you to “start the day in style” while leaving you to sleep undisturbed until that crucial moment you must wake. No intermittent buzzes. No dings. Yep, it’s your basic alarm clock alright! Back in the game.

Technology

There are a lot of mindfulness apps out there now, but in such a saturated market… Where does one begin? If you do your research, Calm comes up time and time again. Upon opening it you will be greeted by the serene sound of the outdoors, crashing waves or even crackling firewood. Then you can unwind with a bunch of Daily Calm sessions and programmes, designed to refocus your attention.

There’s even exclusive music to help you focus, relax or sleep, depending on your specific preference – and also calming tales narrated by the likes of Stephen Fry and Matthew McConaughey. Who wouldn’t want to drift off with those hunks’ dulcet tones being softly spoken into your earhole?

These beauties are very clever indeed. You want to meditate, but your flipping mind is too noisy and easily distracted. Damn all that blasted internet and television eroding our attention spans. One minute you are at one with yourself and the cosmos. Next minute you’re thinking about what’s in the fridge. It’s easily done. Until now.

Muse is a clever headband which tracks your brain activity and as soon as your thoughts start to wander… It plays a natural background sound like a soothing storm to get your attention back on track. Then once you’re back to cosmic oneness it continues to play its relaxing ambience. It can even monitor heart rate, breath and your posture. Next stop; Nirvana.

Here’s another nifty little gizmo. Think Fitbit, but for mind, body and soul. This wellness tracker will help you identify your daily stressors and aid in re-centering yourself with breathing exercises and guided meditations.

But that’s just skimming the surface of this sleek powerhouse. It has a whopping 6-month battery life, no screens or buttons, and while it tracks activity, sleep, stress and meditation, it’s actually optimised for women’s health and can track reproductive factors. Oh and it’s even made of a wood composite and hypoallergenic stainless steel. Kewwwl.

If you weren’t already impressed, we’re now about to get real advanced. This badboy was named as a CES 2019 Innovation Award Nominee, and is pretty darn clever. This product uses “visual neurofeedback” (something only offered by UrgoTech) to help you sleep better.

Using built-in EEG sensors, users undertake special feedback therapy for 20 minutes every other day. That’s right, no need to fuss at bedtime. After just a few months of brain training during the daytime, you will fall asleep 40% faster and have reduced nighttime awakenings by 53%. Impressive.