Examples of Biomimicry in the Nikken Wellness Home

Last week’s Impetus discussed the process of biomimicry where we derive inspiration from nature then imitate nature for designs or processes with the goal of solving human problems. This has been the underlying process that Nikken has utilized for over 46 years, even before the term biomimicry was coined. Examples of biomimicry are prevalent in our product line and the Nikken Wellness Home.

Nikken’s first product (introduced in 1975) was the Nikken Magsteps. These shoe insoles use magnetic energy (replicating the earth’s magnetic field) and massage nodules that stimulate reflexology points on the soles of the feet to provide more energy and balance. Nikken’s founder, Isamu Masuda observed that the prevalent use of magnetic products as self-care products in Japan was greatly beneficial and that the massaging effect of nodules on the insoles could replicate the sensation of moving your feet over small pebbles often found in streams and in Japanese baths. Magsteps were a tremendous success and Nikken held many Japanese sales records as a start-up company with just this one product.

This set the stage and direction for many other active wellness products and the creation of the Nikken Wellness Home. The Wellness Home has been described as a greenhouse for humans. It addresses areas of healthy air, healthy water, healthy sleep, whole food nutrition, and the vital energies of nature that we all require from the earth, the sun, and the wind.

One of Nikken’s most popular products is the Nikken PiMag Waterfall and is often the first building block of the Wellness Home. The underlying principles of design and functionality of the Waterfall are to produce water the way nature intended. Healthy, free of contaminants, structured for maximum absorbability, and containing minerals for slightly alkaline water. In addition, and congruent with the principles of biomimicry Nikken PiMag water products are made with recyclable and biodegradable materials, including a polymer that does not leach chemicals into the water or the environment as most plastics do.

Another good example of biomimicry is the Nikken KenkoAir Purifier, inspired by the air quality in pristine areas such as in the forest, beach, or near waterfalls. One characteristic these areas share is that the air contains many more negative ions than the air present in cities and populated areas, where the ions in the air are positively charged.  Shinrin-yoku is the term used and coined by the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries that translates as forest bathing. To accomplish this example of biomimicry Nikken uses a negative ion generator that does not produce ozone as many other air systems do. When entertaining visitors to our home, one of the first things they say is that there is something different and very relaxing in your home. I point out that they are experiencing forest bathing in our home. For more information, you can visit Air Matters.

The Nikken KenkoAir purifier uses environmentally friendly technology with recyclable materials and a re-usable prefilter for a reduced carbon footprint. The purifier is Energy Star qualified and 35% more efficient than standard models saving a minimum of 215 kilowatt-hours per year.

My last example of biomimicry in the Nikken Wellness Home is the Nikken Sleep System. The sleep system uses the natural technologies of the earth, the sun, and the wind. Advanced magnetic technology, bio-ceramic reflective materials to help regulate temperature and negative ions for relaxation provide a cocoon of comfort for a restful, rejuvenating sleep. Made from sustainable resources it provides another good example of how Nikken uses science and technology to replicate nature. For more information on the Nikken Sleep System visit Sleep Matters.

There are many other examples of biomimicry in the Nikken Wellness Home and I am sure there will be more active wellness products to complement the Wellness Home Program in the future. 

For all the challenges we face, nature has a solution and biomimicry is and will play an important role in providing solutions. Never have we been so divorced from nature.  According to a study sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency, the average American spends 93% of his or her time indoors. Given the current pandemic, we are all spending more time at home. The Nikken Wellness Home is a solution to providing the healthiest environment possible for you and your family, as I said, it is like a greenhouse for humans. For more information on these subjects, Heather and I suggest that you visit Selfcarehub.com.  As members of the world’s most influential Global Wellness Community, it is our mission to help you Be Healthy by Choice.

Please join us on February 16th at 6 pm Pacific for our next Healthy by Choice Master Class, “Better Together” in the Self Care Awakening Virtual Classroom. You will need to use the password Nikken1 to join the class.