Arts & Lifestyle

Candlelight Yoga: The Power of Our Surroundings

Francesca Knoetgen

30 Sep 2025 — 1 min read

Photography by Francesca Knoetgen

This candlelight yoga class really reminded me just how much the environment can shape an individual's mindset. Immediately, the soft glow of the candles changed the mood of the room, making the space feel calmer. Additionally, without so many visual distractions I found that I could focus my energy inward. Noticing how I settled into my breath and found a peaceful rhythm. The music in the background pushed that feeling even further, helping me tune out the leftover stress and noise from the day.When all those elements came together, it created this sense of balance that I don’t always realize I’m missing.

Reflecting on my capstone, this solidified how something as simple as lighting and breath can reset the body and mind, which is especially powerful in moments of high stress or tension. By reframing these practices in terms of a user experience, it could foster intentional moments of calm in the car for families.

Reference.

Grammarly. (n.d.). https://app.grammarly.com/

Survey

Distributed to parents in the Mamaroneck School District, specifically families of students at Central Elementary School. The school has approximately 550 students, and the survey was designed to reach the parents of those children. Parents were instructed to complete the survey with all of their children in mind, considering differences

WonderView

Wonder View is an immersive light experience designed to keep children in the backseat visually and educationally engaged. Built-in tablets on the back of the front seats allow children to interact by choosing from categories such as stargazing, cloud watching, and plane viewing. Once a category is selected, a colorful

Ambient Drive Control

Ambient Drive Control is a family-friendly feature designed to enhance every car ride by shaping the atmosphere around passengers’ needs. Inspired by research into how lighting, color, acoustics, textures, and subtle scents can profoundly influence human experience, this feature allows users to select from curated moods, including: Sleepy, Energized, Chatty,

Sensory Seam

Sensory Seam is a tactile haven for children, designed to help them relieve tension, regulate emotions, or simply stay mentally stimulated. By interacting with built-in fidgets or tracing their fingers across textured surfaces, children can engage their sensory needs in calming and playful ways. My initial research at the Wexner

Reference.

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Survey

WonderView

Ambient Drive Control

Sensory Seam