MeCkra– Curator – JD Annual Design Awards 2019 – Interior Design

Designer Avni Agarwal and Bharati Sharma product MeCkra resembles the flower Lotus. Padmasana or Lotus Position is the most commonly used asana for meditation in Hindu, Jain and Buddhist cultures.

Meditation is an ancient practice that aimed at reducing stress. It is often recognized as the path towards enlightenment and self-realisation. Comfortable seating and poster are one on the important thing during meditation and it requires alignment, relaxation and stillness. It is almost impossible to achieve the required level of concentration whilst meditating if any one of the three factors is compromised. This inspired our designers to set out a designed piece of furniture which will not only alleviate the discomforts associated with the mediation process but also provides additional benefits of Chakra Healing.

The designers have designed MeCkra which not only offers comfortable seating for longer duration but also incorporates the ancient Vedic concept of Chakra Healing using Chakra stones. The 7 stones built in ‘MeCkra’ correspond to the 7 chakras or energy wheels/channels located along the spine in the human body. These are Sahasrara (Crown), Ajna (Third eye), Vishuddha (Throat), Anahata (Heart), Manipura (Solar Plexus), Swadhisthana (Sacral) and Muladhara (Root). The health of these chakras is directly connected to the physical and emotional well-being of an individual. ‘MeChkra’ not only provides comfortable seating postures but also helps an individual to help concentrate on / visualize a given Chakra, thereby bringing the meditation experience to its fullest. ‘MeChkra’ complies with basic ergonomics and the unique design provides complete back support, wider seating for longer duration in a crossed legged posture. Additionally, the chakra stones located in the back help in opening the energy channels by increasing the blood flow to those energy centres. It is foldable and easy to transport and made with eco-friendly plywood and jute fabric.