Zens: Designing and evaluating a movement sonification interface to alter body and flexibility perception in Yoga

Abstract

In this paper, we followed a user-centered design process to develop Zens, a movement sonification interface that uses sounds from the ocean to sonify yoga movements and allows altering the pitch of such sounds. We present the results of two studies aimed at understanding the subjective experience of using Zens and the effect of pitch variations in body and flexibility perception when practicing yoga. We found that using Zens yielded higher scores on the subjective experience of those participants who used Zens than those who conventionally practiced Yoga. Our results indicate that using an ascending pitch altered our participants’ overall body perception, particularly their flexibility. Finally, we discuss aspects related to alterations in the speed and displacement of yogis’ movements when their direction and pitch concur.