Author: Nikken

Filtered Abundance: The Art of Seeing Good

Published on by Nikken

Filtered abundance is a concept centered on the art of intentionally choosing to see the goodness, beauty and opportunities in life. In doing so, you choose to filter out negativity, scarcity and fear. Filtered abundance isn’t just about possessing a lot of material things. Its focus is on the ability to appreciate the wealth that is made up of the small things in daily life.

The art of seeing good refers to a conscious and intentional shift in perspective—to focus on the blessings, beauty and grace inherent in daily living. This concept is often described as a practice of gratitude where you condition yourself to perceive reality with optimism, hope and the belief in the power of goodness. Key aspects of seeing good include:

•          Gratitude as the Filter: Using gratitude to train the mind to recognize goodness that already exists, rather than focusing on what is lacking.

•          Choosing Perspective: Intentionally choosing to see the good in situations, rather than what appears as overwhelming.

•          Finding Beauty in the Ordinary: Developing an eye for seeing beauty in the mundane, rather than searching for what is rare and extraordinary.

•          Quiet Abundance: Focusing on quality over quantity, durability over trendiness and substance over superficiality.

•          Recontextualizing Adversity: Finding the silver lining within challenging circumstances, turning difficulties into learning opportunities and coming out stronger.

Authors and speakers such as Dennis Merritt Jones of The Art of Abundance1 suggest specific practices to refine filtered abundance. These include identifying small wins every day, which helps to shift the brain’s fear center to being more receptive to creativity and opportunity, finding richness in what is well-made and durable rather than what is the “latest and greatest,” and being cognizant of negativity without allowing it to invade your personal filter.

Mindfulness and an ongoing intentional focus on what is good rather than bad in any given situation is key to developing filtered abundance as a way of life. When seeing good becomes a habit rather than just an occasional perception, filtered abundance becomes a practice.

Here is one interpretation of the 10 Rules of Abundance:

1.         Be One with Life: We ae all connected.

2.         Be Aware You Live in an Expanding Universe: Life is constantly changing, so grow along with it.

3.         Be Accountable for Your Consciousness: Create your own reality by developing a personal set of thoughts of beliefs.

4.         Be Focused: Direct your energy towards positive, achievable goals.

5.         Be in the Flow: Work in harmony with nature, not against what is natural.

6.         Be Passionate: Take care, be caring and be cared for.

7.         Be Blessed: Embrace what you already have in your life be thankful for it.

8.         Be of Service: Know your purpose in life.

9.         Be Courageous. Conquer fear and pursue your dreams.

10.       Be a Catalyst for Good: Be good, do good and help others.

The filtered abundance and seeing good approach to life is sometimes described as the shift in perspective from survival mode to being the creator of your own reality. At Nikken, we call this approach empowered living, which helps you feel good every day.

1 https://www.google.com/search?q=The+Art+of+Abundance+by+Dennis+Merritt+Jones

Move the Way Nature Intended

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Can you even imagine a tiger on an exercise machine getting a workout? It doesn’t make sense, because wild animals move the way nature intended. They become powerful, healthy and agile. Why is it different for humans?

In fact, humans need to get back to natural movement. In The Practice of Natural Movement, author Erwan Le Corre shows that we have an innate ability to perform practical and adaptable movements. These include movements such as crawling, jumping, throwing, climbing, striking, defending, balancing, lifting and swimming, all of which are performed in natural contexts. It is less about reps and sets and more about real-life practices. Moving the way nature intended is known as “real world fitness” and focuses on each individual’s capability to move.

Rafe Kelley is another movement guru. He created Evolve Move Play, an organization with the goal of helping people move in more human ways. His students work on joint mobility in parks, jumping across rocks at the beach, maneuvering through trees and trying to push each other off logs.

“We try to teach people to move the way humans evolved to. When you train like this, you’re going to be training more systems of the body. I think of natural movement like permaculture of the body. It respects the natural interplay between systems. And when you invest yourself in a board portfolio of movement, you produce something that’s able to sustain itself for much longer,” Kelley says.2

Daniel Wolpert is a neuroscientist. In his TEDx talk The Real Reason for Brains, he discusses how your brain’s first priority is to perform one important task: move your body. What better way is there to move your body than the way nature intended?

“Movement is the only way you have of affecting the world around you,” Wolpert says, noting that modern artificial intelligence can outsmart the world’s top chess players, but when it comes to basic movement, robots generally can’t keep up with the average five-year-old.3 In other words, children naturally move the way nature intended, but as we develop into adults, we are influenced by artificial and mechanical inventions that make us more robotic and less natural. In essence, we unlearn some of our natural instincts and rely on technology. Science itself is now moving us back to nature to re-learn what we were born knowing.

Want to prolong mobility the way nature intended? Try out the Core Principles of Natural Movement:4

•          Fundamental Movements: Focus on foundational skills such as sitting on the ground, crawling, lifting, carrying, throwing and catching.

•          Diverse Movements: Incorporate varied movements like walking, running, balancing, jumping, crawling, climbing and swimming.

•          Real-World Application: Aim at training with practical, adaptable movements for daily life rather than just to achieve aesthetic results.

•          Environmental Interaction: Encourage movement outdoors in nature.

•          Mind-Body Connection: Emphasize mental well-being along with physical capabilities.

No equipment or gym memberships are needed when you commit to moving the way nature intended. See how getting back to your natural self can help you feel good every day.

1 https://www.victorybelt.com/the-practice-of-natural-movement

2 https://www.wellbeing.com.au/body/fitness/movement-culture-2.html

3 https://www.wellbeing.com.au/body/fitness/movement-culture-2.html

4 https://movnat.com/

Empowered Living Begins with Intentional Baby Steps

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The human body is miraculous. Watch a baby learning to sit, crawl, stand and finally, walk. It’s a process and each baby manages to do it individually, within different timeframes. Some babies walk as early as eight months; others may reach the milestone at eighteen months. No matter how or when, each starts with baby steps that are intentional and progressive.

When we start things slowly and intentionally, we call it taking “baby steps.” Empowered living is similar in beginning with baby steps in the form of small daily intentional actions that become positive habits.

Here are 10 actions to help support a more intentional, empowered lifestyle:

1. Awaken Your Consciousness: What helps you feel your best? Pick one simple activity that brings you joy and do it every day. Change it up whenever you want!
2. Connect with Your Purpose: Set a small, achievable goal each day. If it is easy, add another one. It's entirely up to you, but stay consistent and do it every day.
3. Choose Gratitude: Find at least one reason to be grateful every day. The more reasons the better!
4. Activate Your Body: Stretch, walk, run. Choose your pace for the day. Do something to get your body moving, every single day.
5. Recharge Your Energy: Train yourself to get enough rest every night! It will help you feel more refreshed for the day ahead.
6. Hydrate Smartly: Do you find it hard to drink as much water as you should? An easy baby step to take would be to drink a glass of water every morning upon rising, before doing anything else. Your hydration habit will naturally build.
7. Eat with Intention: Choose foods that nourish you and taste good at the same time. If it doesn't taste good, you won't sustain that good eating habit. Balance and consistency are key. Trust nature: what comes organically from the earth is most likely good for you and will taste fresh and wholesome.
8. Cultivate Your Relationships: When you emit joy, you will attract it back to you multiple times. Meaningful connections and positive interactions can enrich your life.
9. Transform Your Environment: Respect those in your community and the nature that surrounds you. Create spaces that feel supportive and aligned with your empowered living mindset.
10. Diversify Your Sources of Income: Consider alternative ways to supplement your income such as freelancing or selling products through direct sales. Never spend more than you earn. A baby step would be to set aside what you can, then increase it over time, whenever you are able. If you're already putting away substantial savings, start to strategize where you can help those in need.

When you build habits that help you “Feel Good Every Day,” you create a foundation for more clarity, balance and intentional living. The baby steps you take each day are the small actions that can influence each day to support empowered living.

Choose to be intentional, and watch as your day-to-day experiences evolve to a more empowered life that unfolds, one baby step at a time.

Do You Perform Total Body Movements?

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Total body movements are exercises that engage multiple muscle groups and joints simultaneously in a single, fluid motion. Instead of isolating one muscle at a time, these “compound” movements mirror how the body naturally moves in real life, making them highly efficient for building strength, burning calories and improving overall coordination.

Examples of total body movements include squats, dead lifts, lunges, presses and rows.

Compound exercises like the squat-curl-press target different muscle groups to build endurance, increase strength, and improve stability. In fact, some research suggests that compound exercises that involve functional movement patterns are one of the most effective ways to improve muscular strength and help increase your metabolic rate.1 

There are multiple advantages to performing total body movements when exercising or training. For one, it saves time, because you are working more than an isolated area at once. Other benefits include the ability to increase core strength, muscle mass, coordination, overall fitness. When total body movements are done quickly, they help to enhance cardiovascular health, because the heart rate increases, similarly to activities such as running, biking and swimming at a brisk pace.2

There are three main ways to get the most out of total body movements.

1.         Be consistent. Train two to three times a week in order to allow your body time to recover.

2.         Pay attention to your form. By doing full body exercises with the proper form, you not only avoid injury, but you enhance the movements’ effectiveness.

3.         Increase the difficulty over time. This is known as “progression.” For example, increase the weight or intensity of your movements. This might be adding a hop when performing lunges or wearing hand or ankle weights. Make sure your progression is slow and steady to decrease the risk of burn out or injury.

To help support your body’s nutritional needs, incorporate Kenzen® nutrition into your daily routine!

1, 2 https://www.verywellfit.com/compound-exercises-for-the-entire-body-1231029#:~:text

What is Active Recovery?

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Getting plenty of rest is generally the key to recovery. This is known as passive recovery; however, another way is through active recovery. Both methods are important. Active recovery is a valuable tool to increase circulation and improve performance, but it should not replace full rest days when your body needs complete relaxation. People with injuries, massive fatigue, or those needing complete rest should choose passive recovery. 

Active recovery refers to engaging in low-intensity exercises and activities on days following intense workouts. An active recovery day could include activities such as walking, cycling or yoga—all done at a leisurely pace. Active recovery is important because it can aid the body’s natural repair processes, speeding recovery from strenuous exercise, easing muscular tightness or stiffness, and minimizing the risk of injury. Rather than relying solely on rest, active recovery helps improve overall fitness by preventing overtraining and ensuring that the body stays limber.

No matter your fitness level, there are benefits to incorporating active recovery into your exercise regimen:

  • Engaging in low-intensity activities can increase blood flow to muscles and tissues. This helps to deliver more oxygen and nutrients to muscles, promoting faster recovery. The more quickly you recover, the sooner you can return to more intense activities.
  • Intense exercise can lead to the build-up of lactic acid and other metabolic waste products in the muscles. Active recovery can help increase circulation, which may expedite the removal of these waste products from the muscles more effectively. The result is less stiffness and more ease of motion.
  • Gentle movement between workouts helps to keep the joints active and can maintain or even improve mobility.
  • Active recovery can give you a break from more challenging, high-intensity workouts. This may help to prevent burnout.
  • For some people, maintaining a daily routine is key to sticking to an exercise program. Engaging in light activities on “off” days helps to reinforce the habit of daily exercise.
  • Light activities performed outdoors in nature, such as walking your dog or taking a bike ride with kids can enhance your overall mood and well-being. You’re not only connecting with nature but creating a healthy habit that is comfortable and therefore one you will stay with.

According to the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), active recovery is not meant to be strenuous. If you don’t track your heart rate or know your max, try the talk test. If you can comfortably carry on a conversation during the activity, it’s likely the right intensity for active recovery.1 An active recovery workout should feel relatively easy, acting as a refreshing break rather than a challenge.

1 https://blog.nasm.org/active-recovery

Physical Balance is the Key to Mental Well-Being

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Physical balance and overall well-being are the basics of mental well-being because the mind and body are interconnected, not separate systems. A healthy body supports the brain to manage stress, maintain a balanced mood and enhance “feel-good” chemicals such as endorphins, serotonin and dopamine.1

Here are some of the ways that physical balance and wellness support mental well-being:

•          Regular exercise supports normal body function and can promote a positive sense of well-being.

•          Physical activity and movement may help ease feelings of tension and support the body’s natural recovery from everyday stress.

•          The good kind of tiredness that results from exercise or any productive physical activity can contribute to better sleep quality. Having good sleep can play an important role in maintaining energy, focus and emotional balance.

•          The healthier you feel physically, the better you feel about yourself. In other words, physical well-being may positively influence your outlook and sense of confidence.

•          An active lifestyle and consistent movement can help support focus and overall cognitive performance as part of a healthy routine.

Other than staying active, one of the most important ways to maintain physical and mental well-being is through proper nutrition. Eating food that fuels the body and mind is so basic, yet in a fast-paced lifestyle, it’s often overlooked. Physical balance comes from a balanced diet with lots of vegetables, especially the green leafy types, and also many fruits, many of which contain natural antioxidants. Be sure to include lean proteins and healthy fats, both of which support physical recovery.

On the other hand, a poor diet of overly processed food, added sugar and fat, food coloring and preservatives, may leave you feeling depleted and unfocused. Kenzen® nutritional supplements are designed to complement your daily diet and help fill potential nutritional gaps as part of a balanced lifestyle.

Restful sleep is another key component for overall well-being. Quality sleeps allow your body and mind to recharge and support daily performance. Babies sleep the most out of any age group— they are learning the fastest and the most during their infancies. As people age, sleep requirements evolve and their needs depend on individual activity levels. The more active you are, the more rest you need; however, real rest is not measured by the number of hours spent sleeping, but in the quality of sleep. Consistent restful sleep supports mood, focus and overall well-being. Try the Kenko Sleep System and the revolutionary Kenko Naturest® Makura pillow for a comfortable and restful sleep environment!

Focusing on exercise, nutrition and sleep can help nurture the connection between physical and mental well-being and build a strong foundation for a balanced lifestyle. Nikken is here to support you in developing habits that can help you feel good every day.

1 https://ppimhs.org/newspost/unveiling-the-connection-between-physical-and-mental-health-the-power-of-exercise-nutrition-and-sleep/

Ergonomics and Energy

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Ergonomics is crucial for physical comfort because it adapts work environments to human movement and capabilities. Thoughtful posture and positioning can help reduce strain from prolong sitting, repetitive tasks, or awkward movements, supporting more in ease in the back, neck, and wrists, and promoting overall comfort and blood flow. 

Have you ever been guided by a physical therapist? Small adjustments – like a little nudge here or a slight pull there – can help your body find a more natural stance. Posture that encourages neutral body alignment, typically involves shoulders back, feet flat, and hips slightly tucked. When seated at a computer or in front of a screen, neutral alignment positions the screen at eye level. Maintaining this alignment can help the body feel more comfortable and reduce the sensation of fatigue.

Supporting posture also contributes to mental well-being. When your body feels supported, stress levels can feel lower, which may help you feel more focused and energized. Proper alignment can even make breathing easier by allowing the lungs to expand fulling, while keeping the head and neck in a comfortable position to reduce tension from leaning forward.

In the world of ergonomics, there something called the 30-30-30 rule. This is a strategy that can help reduce strain. For the eyes, look at something 30 feet away for 30 seconds every 30 minutes. This strategy is designed to give your eyes a break. For the body, take 30-second micro-breaks every 30 minutes by standing and stretching to help support blood flow and the effects of prolonged sitting.1

Although ergonomics is defined by the Oxford dictionary as “the study of people’s efficiency in their working environment,” it’s not just about selecting the right desk or chair at the right height. It also includes choosing mattresses and pillows that support the body at rest, especially since a third of every day is spent asleep or trying to sleep! How well you sleep can affect how well you feel and how much energy you may have the next day. Ergonomics therefore plays an important role in helping to maintain comfort and energy levels throughout the day.

Nikken supports posture and rest with products designed for day and night. The KenkoSeat® II is designed to help promote good posture and conveniently fits on chairs as well as in cars. The Kenko Sleep Systems and the ergonomically designed Kenko Naturest® Makura pillow provide support during rest, helping you wake up feeling ready for the day ahead.

1 https://www.american.edu/finance/environmental-health/upload/ergonomics-checklist.pdf

The Power of the Cocoon Effect

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Three components are often integrated into specialized wellness products for a layered comfort experience, sometimes referred to as the cocoon effect. Tourmaline, ceramic reflective fibers and magnets are combined to create a sense of warmth, comfort and relaxation.

Tourmaline is known for its unique ionic and infrared-related properties. When warmed by body heat, tourmaline may emit gentle warmth and negative ions that contribute to a calming, relaxing environment. Ceramic reflective fibers (sometimes called bio-ceramics) are designed to manage thermal energy and are often integrated into textiles. These fibers can reflect ambient energy or body heat as soothing infrared warmth, helping to create a comfortable and cozy feel.

Magnets are incorporated into some wellness products as part of designs intended to support relaxation and everyday comfort. Together, these elements contribute to a soothing experience that many people associate with rest and relaxation.

The Kenko PowerSleep Mask is an example of a Nikken product that combines patented DynaFlux® magnetic technology with ceramic-reflective and tourmaline fibers. The PowerSleep Mask is designed to support a comfortable sleep environment while helping maintain a pleasant temperature around the face and head, which are usually uncovered throughout the night.

The KenkoSeat® II utilizes a combination of 30 ferrite magnets, 18 tourmaline disks, and ceramic-reflective fibers to create a gentle warming and cushioning experience that can make staying seated for long periods of time feel more comfortable and relaxing.

The cocoon effect is designed to help create an environment that supports relaxation, rest and renewal. To enjoy the full Kenko Sleep System experience, create your nature-inspired sleep environment with the Makura Sleep Packs and the Kenko PetPad for your beloved four-legged friends.

What Does Nature Teach Us About Sleep?

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Nature teaches us that sleep is a restorative and adaptive process driven by circadian rhythms aligned with light and dark cycles. Key lessons include that bright, natural morning light resets our internal clock, darkness triggers sleep-promoting melatonin, and that natural, calming sounds combined with physical activity outdoors enhance sleep quality.

Circadian rhythms are physical, mental, and behavioral changes that follow a 24-hour cycle. These natural processes respond primarily to light and dark and affect most living things, including animals, plants, and microbes. Our bodies are designed to work when it is light and rest when it is dark. Disrupting this, such as with artificial light at night, interferes with sleep quality.

“Getting out into nature and getting sunlight can help reset our circadian rhythms for the day which, in fact, can help our overall health,” explains Certified Family Physician Dr. Roopah Shah. “The circadian rhythm regulates metabolism too and just keeps us functioning optimally. There are a lot of things involved, but sleep is one of the big benefits that you get from a better circadian rhythm.”1

What else does Nature teach us? Exposure to natural light during the day (especially morning sunlight) boosts serotonin, which later converts to melatonin, signaling to the body it is time to sleep. Access to green spaces and nature helps to lower stress and reduce cortisol, which promotes uninterrupted restful sleep. Nature sounds such as waterfalls, wind or even cicadas, help promote deeper, more consistent sleep.All in all,a lifestyle that includes outdoor physical activities such as walking, hiking, swimming or boating, creates the necessary physical fatigue to ensure deep sleep.

Primitive mankind, our ancestors that go way way back in time, lived in harmony with the rest of the animal kingdom. They slept in natural environments, such as caves. In other words, their sleep patterns involved dark and quiet environments.

Our contemporary environments, in contrast, are filled with electricity and electronics and myriad sources of light. Limiting exposure to artificial light (e.g. computers and cell phones) at night and waking up to sunlight helps adjust melatonin levels to the natural cycle of the day. Melatonin is a hormone that makes you feel tired naturally when the sun goes down.

Our ancestors survived on physical labor—hunting and gathering, planting and harvesting. When the sun went down, they rested. Cooking, eating and working took place exclusively when there was light. In this way, they naturally burned calories and replaced them during the day and fasted through the night.

Although most cultures adhere to the same daytime schedule (unless you work the night shift) research shows that evening types have a general tendency to eat larger meals later in the day. The human body isn’t designed for digesting while sleeping, so eating big meals too close to bedtime can cause disruptive, restless sleep at night. Rule of thumb: if you have to eat late, choose lighter food with less protein, which takes longer to digest.

Tap into the caveman/woman in you. Get out into Nature. And sleep restfully and blissfully. Remember to check out our nature-inspired sleep products and bring the calm and comfort of the outdoors into your bedroom.

1 https://www.ssmhealth.com/newsroom/blogs/ssm-health-matters/april-2022/nature-can-reset-your-circadian-rhythm

Are You Resting or Sleeping?

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While sleep is a biological necessity for unconscious repair, rest is a conscious effort to recharge your energy across several different areas. Sometimes, we wake up from a night’s sleep and do not feel rested at all. In other words, we did not obtain restful sleep. Sleep is considered to be physical rest, but there are actually other types of rest, and together, they can be even more important than just getting a good night’s sleep.

Dr. Dalton-Smith, author of Sacred Rest: Recover Your Life, Renew Your Energy, Restore Your Sanity, explains, “There are significant differences between rest and sleep, though the importance of the former tends to get overshadowed by society’s emphasis on the later. It’s not a situation where you only need rest or you only need sleep. You need both.” 1

So, what’s the difference between sleep and rest? Sleep and rest share similarities, but they have key differences too. In short, sleep is a complex process that allows your body and brain to re-energize and process information, while rest is multifaceted and involves wakeful restoration. Sleep is one form of physical rest, but rest can take many different forms.

Dr. Dalton-Smith defines seven types of rest:2

1. Physical rest includes sleeping and napping. Physical rest includes “active rest,” which includes stretching, using a foam roller, adjusting a workstation to be ergonomically-friendly—in other words, making yourself more comfortable while awake.

2. Mental rest is doing whatever helps quiet the mind to allow for better concentration and focus. Again, this form of rest can actually be active, if exercise is the chosen way to quiet the mind.

3. Spiritual rest is about a sense of belonging and purpose.

4. Emotional rest is especially important for people in helpful and guiding roles such as teachers and therapists. Letting go of the emotions absorbed in helping others is necessary in order to continue the work.

5. Social rest means taking a break from people who sap you of your energy.

6. Sensory rest is especially needed in a world that bombards us with noise, commercials, bright lights and “hype.” Sensory rest can also be as simple as changing out of uncomfortable or restrictive clothing and shoes!

7. Creative rest can take any form that helps you feel inspired and renewed. This can be a walk in the park, visiting a museum, or listening to your favorite mellow music.

According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, healthy sleep lowers the risk of serious health problems, while supporting the immune system as well as improving brain health.3 However, the benefits of rest are equally important. Proper rest leads to better sleep, and “waking rest” or letting thoughts come during any low-energy time, such as during meditation or while folding laundry, allows the brain to process information at a leisurely, non-stressful pace. According to Dr. Dalton-Smith, the first step towards getting more rest is identifying what type you need the most and addressing that deficit.4

Rest and sleep are not the same, but both are important for health, fitness and well-being. Prioritizing rest actually supports better sleep. Try to identify the type of rest you need the most in your life, and focus on fulfilling that. And remember, Nikken is a pioneer in sleep technology as well as in the use of TriPhase technology to help rest, relax and renew. Now is the perfect time to check out the many products that can help support sleep but also rest!

1, 2, 4  https://www.onepeloton.com/blog/rest-vs-sleep

3 https://sleepisgoodmedicine.com/benefit-from-sleep/