Asana Research Articles

Yoga Pose Trainer and Analyser: Machine Learning (TensorFlow and Open CV)

The "Yoga Pose Trainer and Analyzer" is a sophisticated software system designed to enhance the yoga experience for practitioners of all levels. This project combines computer vision, machine learning, and user-friendly interfaces to provide valuable insights and guidance during yoga sessions. Users can interact with the system, receiving real-time feedback on their yoga poses and personalized recommendations to improve their practice. The core functionalities of the system include pose recognition and classification. Using advanced computer vision techniques, the system identifies key points on the user's body and classifies their pose, accurately determining which yoga asana (pose) they are performing. Additionally, users can specify their goals or desired poses, and the system tailors their practice accordingly. The software provides a comprehensive library of yoga poses, offering detailed instructions and highlighting the benefits of each pose. Users can track their progress over time, set goals, and receive guidance on how to achieve their objectives. Safety and privacy considerations are paramount, with the system promoting proper form to prevent injury and ensuring user data security.

Pressure Evaluation of Seamless Yoga Leggings Designed with Partition Structure

Abstract It is a novel approach to design the partition structure of clothing according to the deformation of the human body surface skin during exercise. The functional evaluation of these products remains unknown, and there is limited knowledge about the effects of the partition structure design on the pressure comfort of clothing. This research carried out a partitioned structural design of the leggings based on the skin deformation of the lower limbs of the human body during yoga exercise and developed two styles of seamless yoga leggings. The skin pressure exerted by the new seamless yoga leggings was compared with two commercial yoga leggings. Eight female college students were invited to wear all the yoga leggings samples and perform yoga exercises. The skin pressure exerted by yoga leggings was measured by the German novel-Pliance multipurpose pressure distribution measurement system on 10 body positions. The results showed that yoga leggings designed with a partitioned structure exert a comfortable pressure on the skin during yoga exercise, and the pressure change was smaller under different yoga postures, which has better pressure stability. The partition structure design model of seamless yoga leggings was optimized, which provided a reference for the functional partition design and product development of seamless yoga leggings.

Yoga Pose Detection

Abstract: This paper describes a real-time yoga pose detection system that can accurately classify and detect yoga poses in images using Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) and OpenPose. By using OpenPose, the system generates a 3D joint map of the person's body, which is then used as input for linear regression to detect the individual yoga pose. The system is suitable for real-time applications, and is expected to be used in fitness centers, yoga studios, and even for personal use. Additionally, the system can also be used to track the progress of yoga practitioners, allowing them to analyze their performance and improve their practice. Furthermore, the proposed system is expected to benefit the yoga industry by providing a low- cost, efficient, and accurate means to detect poses.

Live Yoga Pose Classification using Image Processing and Machine Learning

An approach to accurately recognize various Yoga Pose Assessment using deep learning algorithms has been presented in this work. In this system, we propose a Yoga pose assessment method using pose detection to help the self-learning of Yoga. The system first detects a yoga pose using multi parts detection only with PC camera. In this system, we also propose an improved algorithm to calculate scores that can be applied to all poses. Our application is evaluated on different Yoga poses under different scenes, and its robustness is also. A hybrid Machine learning model is proposed using linear Regression for Yoga recognition on real-time videos, where Linear regression is used to extract features from key-points of each frame obtained from Open Pose.

TO COMPARE THE CONCEPT OF HATHA YOGA ACCORDING TO PATANJALI YOGA SUTRA AND VASISHTHA SAMHITA

Hatha Yoga, also known as "Discipline of Force" in Sanskrit, is a branch of yoga that emphasizes physical control as a means of achieving spiritual perfection in which the mind is shut off from the world. Hatha yoga was once an austere discipline that has been practiced for a very long time. The tradition began on the boundaries of India and Nepal, with roots that go back to the Sanskrit epics (Hinduism) and the Pali canon (Buddhism). Ancient Hatha yogis practiced the Hatha yoga disciplines for the purpose of self-exploration while living as renunciates. Hindu ideas like karma and rebirth were crucial to their way of thinking. Hatha yoga is a branch of yoga primarily concerned with mastery of the body, and it is arguably the tradition most familiar to Western culture. Hatha yoga has only recently come to be known as a physical practice that normally entails a series of asanas (yoga postures) and pranayama (breathing techniques).In this regard, compared to techniques like Ashtanga or Vinyasa, Hatha yoga is typically done more methodically and with more stable posture holds. But Hatha yoga is much more than just the physical exercise that has recently gained popularity.

Commentary: The impact of yoga practice on glaucoma.

Yoga is the most popular form of complementary therapy being practiced to maintain one’s physical and mental wellbeing. While yoga traditionally comprises advice for ethical lifestyle and spiritual practice, it is most often associated with physical postures (asanas), breathing techniques (pranayama), and meditation (dhyana). While these exercises are routinely safe, there are risks involved for certain patients including those suffering from or at risk of glaucoma. The effects of yoga on intraocular pressure (IOP) have been found to be bidirectional, and the exact mechanisms are not yet fully understood. The authors have reviewed literature to study the effect of yoga on IOP and glaucoma. They have observed a reduction of IOP in patients of glaucoma through Jyoti tratak (candle meditation) and slow yoga breathing exercises and a rapid increase in IOP immediately after head-down posture yoga.[1] Tratak kriya is said to lead to contraction and relaxation of ciliary muscles, which may possibly increase the aqueous humor outflow and subsequently decrease the IOP.[2] Dada et al.[3] have evaluated the effect of yoga and meditation on IOP, quality of life, stress markers, neurotrophins, and gene expression in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma and found an improvement in all parameters. On the other hand, progressive glaucomatous optic neuropathy and field loss in patients who regularly practiced Sirsasana (Headstand) has also been identified.[1,4,5] Four yogasanas [Adho Mukha Savasana (downward-facing dog), Uttanasana (standing forward bend), Halasana (plough pose), and Viparita Karani (legs-up-the-wall)] showed a 20–73.7% increase in IOP in all study subjects.[1] Yoga with head-down positions was associated with a rapid rise in IOP in glaucoma and healthy eyes and with the body vertical, with a doubling of the IOP, remaining elevated as long as the position was maintained.[1] Mani Baskaran et al.[6] observed a twofold increase in IOP during Sirsasana, which was maintained during the posture in all age groups irrespective of their ocular characteristics. Valsalva maneuver is known to affect IOP; so it is expected that breath-holding yogic exercises are likely to cause IOP elevation. Forced unilateral nostril breathing has also been observed to affect IOP significantly.[7] Rakstyte et al.[8] studied an impact on IOP before, during, and after Matsyasana (fish yoga pose) and found an increased IOP in head- down position which returns to the initial value shortly after. A case series by Mehrdad Malihi et al.[9] to study the effect of different body and head positions on IOP shows a lower measurement while sitting with a neutral neck position and a rise in IOP in all other positions. Acute angle-closure glaucoma attacks often precipitated by prone-position yoga exercises suggest that this position probably increases pupillary block in “at risk” eyes by causing the lens to fall onto the iris, which has been the principle of the prone provocative test for decades. Certain questions, however, remain unanswered. It is unclear whether yoga has any sustained effects on the IOP and optic nerve. Further research is needed to fully comprehend the mechanisms by which yoga exerts its effects and determine the types, optimal duration, and frequency of yoga practice for glaucoma patients. Future studies are also warranted to ascertain whether yoga-associated IOP changes are associated with parallel changes in perimetry and nerve fiber thickness and changes in cerebrospinal fluid pressure, blood pressure in lamina cribrosa capillaries, and the ocular blood flow. It is difficult to establish direct causality between different yogic postures and glaucomatous progression, but in patients with pre-existing glaucomatous optic neuropathy, dramatic changes in IOP can definitely be harmful. Inquiring about the practice of yoga in cases of unexplained progression despite an apparently well-controlled IOP can, therefore, be an important consideration. Relaxation and meditative aspects of yoga may help to reduce stress and improve the overall well-being of an individual which can be indirectly beneficial. The key is to “keep the head above the heart at all times.” It is also important to note that yoga should not replace traditional glaucoma treatment but rather be practiced/advised as a complementary therapy and glaucoma patients should consult their healthcare provider before beginning any new exercise or relaxation program, including yoga.

Effect of yoga on intra-ocular pressure in patients with glaucoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the world, with an estimated 57.5 million people suffering from glaucoma globally. Treatment of glaucoma focuses on lowering intra-ocular pressure to prevent progression of visual field defects, which is the only proven method for treating this disease. Yoga practices are believed to lower intra-ocular pressure in the eyes and prevent further damage in patients with glaucoma. Therefore, this systematic review was planned to explore the available scientific studies on yoga and intra-ocular pressure in glaucoma patients. PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar were the basis for the investigation of the literature. The Jadad Scale was used to assess the quality of included clinical trials, and the JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist was used to assess the quality of included case studies. Based on the quality assessment and eligibility, six studies on yoga and intra-ocular pressure in glaucoma patients carried out between 2007 and 2021 were included in the final review. The results showed a reduction in intra-ocular pressure in patients with glaucoma through Jyoti-trataka (gazing steadily on a point or candle flame) and some other slow yogic breathing techniques, whereas studies on inversion Asanas (yoga postures) showed a rapid increase in intra-ocular pressure soon after starting. The three high-quality RCTs included in the meta-analysis showed a greater improvement in intra-ocular pressure in the yoga groups in both eyes than in the control groups; however, there were some limitations related to a small sample size, study quality, a long-term follow-up period, and variations in the yoga practices. Therefore, further studies with larger sample sizes and long-term follow-up are needed to overcome the limitations for a better understanding.

A Study to Evaluate the Effect of a Combined Approach of Yoga and Diet in High-risk Cardiovascular Subjects.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a group of disorders of the heart and blood vessels, including coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, rheumatic heart disease, peripheral artery disease, congenital heart disease, deep vein thrombosis, and pulmonary embolism. The aim of this study was to assess cardiovascular risk factors and evaluate the effectiveness of combined approach of yoga and diet in reducing cardiovascular risk factors among high-risk subjects. This interventional study was conducted at RUHS College of Medical Sciences and Associated Hospitals, Jaipur, on the high-risk population of either sex in the age group of 40-70 years. QRISK3 web calculator was used as the method of measurement for outcome of interest. The combined approach of yoga intervention includes yogic asanas and pranayamas and dietary modification. This study compared physiological parameters (blood pressure) and biochemical parameters (fasting blood sugar, glycosylated hemoglobin, lipid profile) at baseline, three months and six months after yoga and diet intervention in participants who were at high-risk of cardiovascular disease development in future and were found to be having significantly decreased systolic blood pressure (P=0.000), fasting blood glucose (P=0.000), glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1C) (P=0.011), total cholesterol-high density lipoprotein ratio (P=0.000), low density lipoprotein (P=0.009), triglyceride (P=0.034), and QRISK3 Score (P=0.000) after combined approach of yoga and diet. This study concluded that the short-term combined approach of yoga-based life-style intervention and diet reduced cardiovascular risk factors in subjects at high-risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

Role of Simhasana in the management of Hypothyroidism: A Review

Hypothyroidism is a condition in which thyroid does not create and release enough thyroid hormone into blood Stream. People with thyroid disorder often hove emotional or mental health symptoms as well as physical symptom. Yoga is a series practises i.e., physical, mental, and spiritual practices which are originated from ancient India. Application of Yoga posture and practice to the treatment of hypothyroidism is the main aim of this article. In Yoga Bandhas are the most powerful technique as they change internal chemistry of the body in a fundamental way. Out of 4 types of Bandhas, Jalandhar Bandha (throat lock) is most important in treating throat disorder. In Simhasana there is application of Jalandhar Bandha, due to application of Jalandhar Bandha blood flow through carotid arteries get reduces which send signal to the brain activates parasympathetic nervous system as a result it create calmness in mind and relieve stress, anxiety, depression, and chronic pain, improve sleep patterns, and enhance overall well-being and quality of in thyroid disorder. Simhasana presses the thyroid gland thereby increasing vascularity of the gland and maintaining proper functioning of gland, hence by practising this Asanas over a few months will definitely helps in hypothyroidism.

Penerapan Model Pembelajaran Snowball Throwing Untuk Meningkatkan Aktivitas Dan Hasil Belajar Siswa Kelas XI IPS 3 SMA Negeri 1 Gianyar

This study aims to improve learning activities and learning outcomes in the subject of Hinduism and Virtue Education for Class XI IPS 3 students of SMA Negeri 1 Gianyar Odd Semester 2022/2023 Academic Year, through the Snowball Throwing (ST) learning model. The research method used is Action Research. Class (PTK) which consists of 2 cycles. The research subjects were 33 students of class XI IPS 3 at SMA Negeri 1 Gianyar for the academic year 2022/2023. Data analysis used comparative descriptive techniques by comparing learning outcomes in the initial conditions with learning outcomes in each cycle, and qualitative descriptive analysis by comparing the results of observation and reflection in cycle I and cycle II. With the application of learning Snowball Throwing to the Basic Competency of yoga asana According to Hindu Susastra in class XI IPS 3 SMA Negeri 1 Gianyar 2022/2023 academic year, it can be seen that at the end of cycle I there has been an increase in average class learning outcomes of 0.12% that is, from the initial average of 60.25 to 69.39, and the average student learning activity was 84.84% and in cycle II there was an increase of 0.60 from the average class learning outcomes of 69.39 to 80.33 and the activity student learning reaches 100%. While the overall learning completeness of students at the end of cycle II, there was an increase of 0.72%. Thus, class XI IPS 3 SMA Negeri 1 Gianyar experienced an increase in learning activities and learning outcomes in the Basic Competence of yoga asana in Hindu Literature.

Role of yoga in type 2 diabetes mellitus

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) has become most common problem worldwide. Yoga provides best means of self-improvement and gaining full potential of one’s body, mind & soul. It has been proved that pranayama and certain Asana’s help in lowering blood glucose, balancing blood pressure and calms nervous system. The asanas improve the sensitivity of β-cells to glucose, improves insulin secretion, and improves glucose uptake. Hence, Yogic asanas are important for preventing and curing many ailments. The effect of yogic practices in diabetics has to be investigated well. To assess the effect of yoga on blood glucose levels and anthropometric parameters before and after doing yoga in T2DMpatients. A total of 100 T2DM diabetic patients in age group 30-60 years were taken. Effect of Yoga on fasting Blood glucose (FBG), Post prandial blood glucose (PPBG), HbA1c levels and serum insulin were assessed. Anthropometric parameters like BMI and waist hip ratio were also assessed. There was significant decrease in FBG, PPBG and HbA1c levels with p value<0.001 after doing yoga. There was also significant improvement in serum insulin levels and decrease in BMI & waist hip ratio. A significant improvement in the blood glucose levels occurred in subjects who practiced Yoga. There was also lowering of the drug requirement.

Not All Yoga Styles Are the Same: An International Survey on Characteristics of Yoga Classes.

Objectives: Yoga is a multicomponent activity that has been associated with many health benefits. Different yoga styles contain different combinations and durations of components (e.g., postures, breathing, meditation, relaxation, and chanting). A better description and quantification of yoga components within different styles are important in understanding how different yoga styles contribute to health outcomes. This survey aims to understand the general characteristics and components taught in different yoga styles. Design: An online international survey was sent to yoga teachers (18+ years with >1 year teaching experience) using snowball recruitment. Survey questions included demographic and professional characteristics of participants, specialized yoga style, and details of components typically taught in the class. The analysis included descriptive statistics and a comparison between teachers of traditional versus exercise-based versus therapy styles using χ2 and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Results: Nine hundred and sixty-eight yoga teachers (76.8% female, mean age 43.8 ± 11.1 years) from 64 countries participated in the survey. When grouped according to primary yoga style taught, 70.6% of participants taught traditional (e.g., hatha or ashtanga), 18.4% exercise-based (e.g., vinyasa or power), and 11.0% therapy (e.g., restorative or gentle) styles. Nearly all teachers included physical postures, but breath techniques, chanting, and cleansing were included by significantly more traditional teachers (95.2%, 68.3%, 25.8%, respectively) compared with exercise-based (88.6%, 42.5%, 7.2%) and therapy teachers (93.0%, 43.0%, 10.0%). Variations were reported in the time allocated to each of these class components. Physical postures took up 50.0% of total class time for traditional styles, 60.9% for exercise-based, and 53.9% for therapy styles (p < 0.001). Conversely, breath techniques, meditation, relaxation, and chanting took significantly more of the class time for traditional and therapy compared with exercise-based styles. However, teachers from all styles regarded yoga poses, breathing, meditation, and relaxation as equally important in the yoga class. Conclusions: Exercise-based yoga styles unsurprisingly dedicate more time to physical postures and less time to nonphysical components than traditional and therapy yoga styles. However, all yoga teachers report valuing and including multiple components of yoga practice regardless of the primary style of teaching, which is reflective of the holistic nature of yoga practice. Further research into the benefits of the specific component combinations in different yoga styles is needed to better understand the full potential of yoga practice for health.

Review article on the Gridharasi (Sciatica)

Low back pain is one of the most common ailments in today's modern age affecting 75% to 80% of the population it affects people of all ages, from child to old age. Among the various causes of lower back pain, sciatica (Ghrdasi) can be considered as the most common cause. Sciatica (Ghrdasi) is pain in the sciatic nerve that runs from the lower back down one or both legs. The intensity of pain in sciatica is so extreme that it interferes with the person's daily activities. In Gridharasi, the pain starts from the waist and goes to the lower back (back), thigh (thigh), janu (knee), thigh and foot (feet) and the pain may also be associated with stiffness and heaviness of the body. In Ayurveda treatment, Panchakarma process along with proper yoga asana can be used to manage Gridharasi disease.

Premodern Yogāsanas and Modern Postural Yoga Practice: Distinct Regional Collections of Āsanas on the Eve of Colonialism

In this chapter, we formulate a corpus of premodern praxis manuals on yoga that were composed in the 18th and 19th century in rudimentary Sanskrit and vernacular languages, which were likely documenting collections of yoga postures (āsana) current among practitioners of the time. Much of their detailed, praxis-focused content does not occur in the scholarly Sanskrit yoga treatises that predate them, and yet most of these manuals have received little attention in academic publications. Our analysis and comparative study of this material has identified three distinct collections of complex āsana that can be located to different geographical regions of India on the eve of colonialism. This research provides evidence for premodern āsanas that crossed sectarian and linguistic divides and were adopted by the gurus who popularised yoga in the early 20th century. This latter issue underlies contemporary debates on the continuity of modern postural yoga within the Indian tradition. Until this study, clear lines of transmission from premodern teachings on āsana to modern postural yoga have eluded academic research.

Yoga Meets Intelligent Internet of Things: Recent Challenges and Future Directions.

The physical and mental health of people can be enhanced through yoga, an excellent form of exercise. As part of the breathing procedure, yoga involves stretching the body organs. The guidance and monitoring of yoga are crucial to ripe the full benefits of it, as wrong postures possess multiple antagonistic effects, including physical hazards and stroke. The detection and monitoring of the yoga postures are possible with the Intelligent Internet of Things (IIoT), which is the integration of intelligent approaches (machine learning) and the Internet of Things (IoT). Considering the increment in yoga practitioners in recent years, the integration of IIoT and yoga has led to the successful implementation of IIoT-based yoga training systems. This paper provides a comprehensive survey on integrating yoga with IIoT. The paper also discusses the multiple types of yoga and the procedure for the detection of yoga using IIoT. Additionally, this paper highlights various applications of yoga, safety measures, various challenges, and future directions. This survey provides the latest developments and findings on yoga and its integration with IIoT.

Yoga Pose Estimation along with Human Posture Detection using Deep Learning Approach

The yoga is the ancient art for keeping the human body healthy and fit and acquiring mental peace. This position in yoga almost matches with human posture for comfortable physical activity. The different sequence of body joint action leads to a specific yoga asana that has its own benefit for health. If asana are done in improper way, it would create a bad impact not only in health but also in mental peace. The advancement in computer vision technology help the yoga practitioner identify if they are doing right asana by applying various machine learning and deep learning algorithms for pose estimation. This article has done the concise literature survey on different machine and deep learning algorithm available in computer vision technology. The survey portraits the different classification for human posture estimation and yoga pose estimation along with their contributions and specific difference in between them. Especially the CNN, RNN and LSTM algorithm evolution is briefly narrated in this concise survey for yoga pose estimation.

Deal with Diabetes in Yogic Way –A Case Study

Diabetes has become an epidemic for past few years worldwide. It is a condition when blood glucose level rises abnormally and can’t be used by the cells of the body because of no or poor production of the insulin by the pancreas. It can lead to serious damage to the heart, eyes, kidneys, feet, blood vessels and nerves over time, if proper care has not been taken in time. Being in yoga profession, I have come across a few people who are diabetes patients of type II category. I make them practice some simple yoga postures combined with breathing techniques to see the change in their condition. All the practitioners reported positive results. However, one case report has been taken for this article. A male subject of age 67 years, with yogic intervention overcomes his fluctuating sugar level and the same have come down to normal range only after a few months of practice. Diabetes is one of the major non-communicable killer diseases nowadays, but Yoga can be a key support to improve the condition with other health care treatment. People of varied capacity and age groups may practice them for the management of diabetes.

Effect of Specific Yogic Asana on Mental Toughness and Stress Level of College Cricketers

Today we see that yoga is being applied in not less than 20 fields quite successfully including other sports like Kabaddi then why not other sports. Remarkably it is also true that many top sports stars are already practicing yoga postures and taking the best advantage. Cricket is long duration playing game which needs mentally strong and tough players to win matches and championships. Due to paramount importance of mental toughness in sports and particular in cricket that present paper focused to compare. Yoga has both preventive and therapeutic benefits. It has been shown to offer both physical and mental benefits to the body and the mind. , the present study was based on a pre-test, post-test design, a total of 100 male subjects were randomly selected from various colleges of Agra university. The subjects were College level batsman, with minimum 5 years of playing experience. The age of the subjects ranged between 20 to 22 years, the mean age was found to be 20.8 years. A pre test was taken of all the selected sports persons on the selected variables of Attention level and stress level, thereafter a yogic Asana program was implemented for 8 weeks and a post test is taken. For the collection of the data mental toughness was checked by Dr. Alan Goldberg (2004) Mental Toughness Questionnaire and stress questionnaire developed by Dave Hompes (2001) were selected. . The collected data was analyzed by computing descriptive statistics followed paired sample t test. A significant difference has been found in the pre and post test values of mental toughness and stress level of the Cricket players due to the yogic practice.

Deep Learning-Based Yoga Posture Recognition Using the Y_PN-MSSD Model for Yoga Practitioners.

In today's digital world, and in light of the growing pandemic, many yoga instructors opt to teach online. However, even after learning or being trained by the best sources available, such as videos, blogs, journals, or essays, there is no live tracking available to the user to see if he or she is holding poses appropriately, which can lead to body posture issues and health issues later in life. Existing technology can assist in this regard; however, beginner-level yoga practitioners have no means of knowing whether their position is good or poor without the instructor's help. As a result, the automatic assessment of yoga postures is proposed for yoga posture recognition, which can alert practitioners by using the Y_PN-MSSD model, in which Pose-Net and Mobile-Net SSD (together named as TFlite Movenet) play a major role. The Pose-Net layer takes care of the feature point detection, while the mobile-net SSD layer performs human detection in each frame. The model is categorized into three stages. Initially, there is the data collection/preparation stage, where the yoga postures are captured from four users as well as an open-source dataset with seven yoga poses. Then, by using these collected data, the model undergoes training where the feature extraction takes place by connecting key points of the human body. Finally, the yoga posture is recognized and the model assists the user through yoga poses by live-tracking them, as well as correcting them on the fly with 99.88% accuracy. Comparatively, this model outperforms the performance of the Pose-Net CNN model. As a result, the model can be used as a starting point for creating a system that will help humans practice yoga with the help of a clever, inexpensive, and impressive virtual yoga trainer.

Kinematics, dynamics, and muscle-synergy analysis of single-leg Yoga postures

Kinematics, dynamics, and muscle-synergy analysis of single-leg Yoga postures