Science in Service of Stillness
“If you ask me what it’s been like to design this seat all these years, I can only say—it’s a memory that moves me.”
— Dr. Gao Fenglin, Founder of Shine Meditation
A Journey Guided by Care
Since that quiet beginning, Dr. Gao has spent over 15 years exploring one question:
How can design serve the deep physical and emotional needs of the human being?
From dozens of skeletal prototypes to hundreds of ergonomic trials, Shine was shaped not only by science, but by feeling—by the quiet belief that design, when done with care, can bring healing.
Today, Shine Meditation Seats have traveled the world, exhibited in renowned design fairs and awarded by the highest international juries. But more than the accolades, what drives the work is the conviction that every body deserves a place to return to itself.
15 Years of Research, One Vision of Care
With a PhD in design and a background in human factors engineering, Dr. Gao led a research journey spanning over a decade:
Over 40 structural prototypes, countless postural trials, and the development of a proprietary 3D metal frame system designed to support the body’s natural curvature during meditation.
This is not furniture designed by trend. It is the result of rigorous experimentation, biomechanical insight, and a long-term commitment to the future of human well-being.
Crafted with Precision. Driven by Purpose
Each Shine seat represents hundreds of design hours and an obsessive attention to the details no one else sees—
invisible load-bearing curves, seamless stitching tolerances, and sustainable materials tested for durability, safety, and sensory comfort.
This is what we mean by craft.
Not perfection for its own sake—but perfection in service of presence.
Awards, Research, and Recognition
Trusted by Experts Worldwide
Used in homes, studios, and healing spaces in 20+ countries
From meditation teachers to wellness architects, Shine is the new global standard for intentional sitting.
Red Dot Best of the Best (Germany)
iF Design Award (Germany)
Platinum A’ Design Award (Italy)
Gold Prize – Paris Design Award & European Product Design Award
Milan Design Award, Japan Pioneer Design Award, MUSE Design Award (USA)
SIT Design Award (Switzerland) and many more.
Dr. Gao Fenglin, PhD in Design and Professor at the China Academy of Art, is also a pioneer in micro-design thinking, first presented in his doctoral work and TEDx talk, and honored with the UK Big Ben Award and the title of “Creative Industry Ambassador” between China and the UK.
http://cloud.video.taobao.com/play/u/null/p/1/e/6/t/1/225246542622.mp4
More Than a Product, A Philosophy
Shine Meditation was founded on a vision:
To design not just for function, but for the soul.
In a time of acceleration and anxiety, our most urgent need may not be efficiency—but stillness, softness, and space to feel.
Through products rooted in ergonomics and elevated by aesthetic calm, Shine offers a quiet resistance to burnout. A sanctuary you can sit on. A design you can feel—not just on your skin, but in your breath.
From Object to Way of Life
In 2018, Shine launched the Shine Life Movement, promoting a new model of Eastern-inspired mindful living—where furniture is more than decor, and meditation is not a ritual but a rhythm of everyday life.
This is not just about sitting better.
It’s about living more fully, feeling more deeply, and finding harmony in the everyday.
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Would you like to explore the path further?
We invite you to sit, breathe, and begin again.